Grilled Greek Chicken

When you’re in the mood for a fresh, Mediterranean-style meal, this Grilled Greek Chicken will definitely hit the spot. Lemony-herbed grilled chicken served with freshly made Tzatziki Sauce is the perfect choice for a warm summer evening.

This gorgeous Grilled Greek Chicken served with Tzatziki and Greek Salad is my idea of the perfect summer meal. It checks all the boxes.

• The chicken marinates while you work and is ready to cook when you’re ready to eat.
• The lemony, herby marinade infuses incredible flavor.
• It’s low-carb and healthy but 100% satisfying.
• It gives me yet another excuse to eat copious amounts of Tzatziki Sauce.
• It is the base for a summery Greek-inspired meal that begs to be eaten outdoors.

We started our grilling season early this year, especially by Oregon standards, and have been firing up our old school Weber on and off since April. It’s the California in us. When the sun comes out, so does the grill and lucky for us, we had some unseasonably warm and sunny weather this year.

Now that it’s officially summer, it is definitely time to get our grill on and this Grilled Greek Chicken is a fabulous choice.

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken – Any chicken pieces will work with this marinade but I prefer boneless, skinless breasts and thighs.
• Fresh herbs – I’m a huge proponent of using dried herbs in many recipes, but not this one. Fresh rosemary, oregano, and thyme add that classic Greek flavor. The herbs from the marinade cling to the chicken pieces and char as they grill adding such great flavor.
• Garlic – Fresh minced garlic.
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon

How to Make Grilled Greek Chicken

1. Combine the olive oil, fresh herbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Place the chicken pieces in a resealable plastic storage bag and pour the the marinade over the top.
3. Seal the bag and refrigerate the chicken for at least one and up to 8 hours.
4. Grill over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked. The internal temperature of the thickest portion of chicken should register 165 degrees F before removing it from the grill.

Those charred flecks of herbs on the surface of the grilled chicken are delicious!

Make it a Freezer Meal

For an easy future meal, prepare the marinade as directed and pour it over the chicken in a freezer-safe plastic storage bag. Press out as much air as possible, seal and label the bag, and lay it flat in your freezer. A freezer bag is the best choice to ensure that the chicken will be immersed in marinade.

Thaw the chicken safely in the refrigerator overnight before grilling as directed in the recipe. Raw chicken in marinade can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Serving Suggestions

This versatile Grilled Greek Chicken can be sliced to serve in a salad or wrapped in pitas. When serving as a main course, select one or more of these recipes to make it a meal.

• Tzatziki Sauce (a must!)
• Toasted Pitas (delicious with Tzatziki)
• Greek Salad
• Orzo, Grape, Feta Salad
• Creamy Orzo with Mushrooms and Parmesan
• Orzo Salad with Roasted Red Peppers, Spinach and Feta
• Greek Potatoes

Storage

Promptly refrigerate leftover chicken in a sealed plastic storage bag or airtight container. Cooked chicken should be used within 3 to 4 days.

Leftovers are delicious cold from the fridge for an easy lunch.

Light, flavorful, and so pretty on the plate. Summer eats!

This post was originally published on August 1, 2013. It has been updated with new text and images.