Greek Chicken Marinade Recipe
This Greek Chicken Marinade uses lemon, garlic, and herbs to add bold Mediterranean flavor and is my go-to for easy summer meals.
Ingredients
- juice of 2 lemons, about 6 tablespoons
- zest of 2 lemons
- 8 finely grated garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
- ½ peeled finely grated shallot
- 1 tablespoon of dry oregano
- 6 finely minced sprigs fresh thyme, about 2 to 3 teaspoons minced
- ½ cup olive oil or neutral flavored oil
- 1 ½ to 2 teaspoon of coarse salt
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Up to 3 pounds of chicken – breast, thighs, drums, or wings
Instructions
Bowl Procedures:
- Add all the ingredients but the oil and chicken to a medium-sized bowl.
- Next, slowly drizzle in the oil while continually whisking until it becomes emulsified.
- Add the chicken directly to the bowl and thoroughly mix, or transfer the marinade and the chicken to a resealable plastic bag and mix to combine.
- Marinate it in the fridge for 2 to 24 hours. You can possibly push it to 48 hours if you have to.
Blender Procedures:
- For these procedures, use half the amount of garlic and shallots. Note: When blending, it’s good to use a neutral flavored oil as olive oil can turn bitter when blending.
- Add all the ingredients but the chicken to a blender and blend on high speed until emulsified.
- Transfer the marinade to a bowl along with the chicken, and thoroughly mix, or transfer the marinade and the chicken to a resealable plastic bag and mix to combine.
- Marinate it in the fridge for 2 to 24 hours. You can possibly extend it to 48 hours if necessary.
Cooking Procedures:
- To Pan Sear: I usually use a non-stick skillet and add in 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil. Turn the heat up to medium medium-high and then place in the chicken and cook it for about 6 to 7 minutes per side. Be sure to keep an eye on the heat; you don’t want things to burn, you want the chicken and marinade ingredients to brown up just like this. If you notice things are browning too quickly, then turn the heat down. White chicken meat should be at 165°F before removing, and dark meat should be at 175°F before removing. Take the chicken out of the pan and rest for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.
- To Grill: Preheat the grill to medium to medium-high, which is really about 325 to 350 degrees F. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side, with the grill door shut, but at least on the first seared side, I like to give it a 90 degree rotation half way through just to give it those coveted grill marks, like this. Finish it up on the grill until they’re cooked through. White chicken meat should be at 165° F Before removing and dark meat should be at 175° F before removing. Take the chicken off the grill and rest for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.
Notes
Just like the cuisine, a traditional Greek marinade is all about simplicity. If possible, make it with the freshest, highest-quality ingredients you can find to ensure that the flavors are perfectly balanced. Squeeze the lemon juice from fresh lemons, swap the dry herbs for fresh herbs for more fragrance, splurge on the good olive oil, and always use fresh garlic rather than garlic granules. Trust me, these fresh, quality ingredients make all the difference.
Marinating time: For boneless cuts like breasts or thighs, 2 to 12 hours is plenty of time to tenderize and infuse flavor. For bone-in cuts like drumsticks or wings, you can safely marinate them up to 24 hours. Do not marinate chicken for longer than 48 hours, or else the acidity will make the meat mealy.
Plastic bag shortcut: Don’t want to dirty a bowl? For the blender method, pour the marinade over the chicken in a large ziplock bag, seal it, and toss it well to coat the chicken and distribute the flavors.
Score the chicken: If you want to go the extra mile, use a knife to score thicker chicken breasts and thighs with a few shallow cuts. This way, the marinade will penetrate the meat even deeper.
Reusing the marinade: I don’t recommend reusing a marinade that’s been in contact with raw chicken unless you boil it first. To be safe, I usually set some extra marinade aside so I have some to brush over the cooked chicken later on.
Add Greek yogurt: Feel free to stir in a few tablespoons of full-fat Greek yogurt to make a creamier Greek marinade for chicken souvlaki. It’ll cling to the chicken beautifully and give it a subtle tang.
Make-Ahead: You can make the Greek chicken marinade up to 2 days ahead of using it. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, then quickly whisk it right before using to re-emulsify it.
How to Store: The unused marinade can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To store the chicken in the marinade, keep the bowl covered and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours before cooking. You can also marinate the chicken in a freezer-safe container or sealed bag and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day or until thawed.
Nutrition
Calories: 477kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 73gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 218mgSodium: 1269mgPotassium: 1327mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 320IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 2mg