Description
A flavorful Greek chicken marinade recipe featuring a vibrant blend of olive oil, lemon, garlic, and herbs that tenderizes and infuses boneless chicken breasts or thighs with classic Mediterranean flavors. This versatile marinade can be used for grilling, baking, stovetop cooking, or air frying, delivering juicy, tender chicken every time.
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Zest of one small lemon
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 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 vigorously to mix all ingredients thoroughly.
- Pound the Chicken: If using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, place them between two layers of parchment paper or plastic wrap and gently pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are an even thickness to ensure uniform cooking.
- Marinate the Chicken: Add the chicken to the marinade, ensuring each piece is 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 is ideal for best flavor and tenderness.
- Cook the Chicken: Remove chicken from marinade and discard the marinade. Cook the chicken using your preferred method until it reaches an internal temperature of 165° F. Recommended methods include:
- Grilling: Preheat and oil grill grates to medium-high heat (375-450°F). Grill chicken breasts for 5-8 minutes per side and boneless thighs for 7-10 minutes per side, reducing heat to medium for thighs. Use hotter areas first for searing, then move to lower heat to finish cooking. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Stovetop: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken breasts for 5-8 minutes per side and boneless thighs for 8-10 minutes per side until cooked through. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Baking: Preheat oven to 425°F. Place chicken in a baking dish. Bake 5-6 ounce breasts for 13-16 minutes, 8 ounce breasts for 16-19 minutes, 11-12 ounce breasts for 22-26 minutes, or boneless thighs for 20-30 minutes, until internal temperature hits 165°F. Rest 5 minutes.
- Air Frying: Place chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook at 400°F for 8 minutes, flip breasts and cook additional 5-12 minutes or until 165°F. Boneless thighs cook 11-15 minutes total without flipping. Rest chicken 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Bone-In Thighs: Increase cooking times by several minutes when using bone-in chicken thighs.
- Freezer Instructions: Seal chicken and marinade in a zip-top bag, coat thoroughly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cooking.
- Nutrition estimates are based on consuming chicken breasts and assume full absorption of marinade, though it's typical not all marinade is consumed.
- For even cooking and tenderness, pounding chicken breasts to uniform thickness is recommended.
- Letting the chicken rest after cooking helps retain moisture and improves juiciness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
