Description
This Greek Chicken Marinade recipe offers a zesty and flavorful blend of lemon, garlic, and herbs that perfectly tenderizes and enhances boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Ideal for grilling, baking, stovetop cooking, or air frying, this versatile marinade creates juicy, aromatic chicken with authentic Mediterranean flair.
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade
- ¼ cup olive oil
- zest of one small lemon
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: In a bowl or large zip-top plastic bag, combine olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and black pepper. Whisk or squeeze the bag thoroughly to mix all ingredients.
- Pound the chicken: If using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, place them between parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until evenly thick. This ensures even cooking and tenderizes the meat.
- Marinate the chicken: Add the chicken to the bowl or bag containing the marinade. Ensure all pieces are well coated. Seal the bag or cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours, aiming for 1 to 4 hours for optimal flavor.
- Cook on the grill: Preheat grill to medium-high heat (375-450°F). Oil grates to prevent sticking. Grill chicken breasts for 5-8 minutes per side, and boneless thighs for 7-10 minutes per side, reducing heat to medium for thighs. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Rest chicken 5 minutes before serving.
- Cook on the stove: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken breasts 5-8 minutes per side and boneless thighs 8-10 minutes per side until internal temperature hits 165°F. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Cook in the oven: Preheat oven to 425°F. Place chicken in a baking dish. Bake chicken breasts depending on size: 5-6 ounce breasts for 13-16 minutes, 8 ounce breasts for 16-19 minutes, 11-12 ounce breasts for 22-26 minutes. Boneless thighs bake for 20-30 minutes. Chicken is done when 165°F internally. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Cook in the air fryer: Place chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook at 400°F for 8 minutes, flip chicken breasts, and cook an additional 5-12 minutes until the internal temperature is 165°F. Boneless thighs cook 11-15 minutes total without flipping. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Bone-In Thighs: Add extra minutes to cooking times when using bone-in chicken thighs.
- Freezer Instructions: Coat chicken in marinade inside a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before cooking.
- Nutritional estimate assumes consumption of entire marinade, which may not be typical.
- For best results, do not marinate chicken longer than 12 hours to avoid texture changes.
- Resting chicken after cooking allows juices to redistribute for better flavor and moisture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
