This Greek Chicken Marinade is an easy and delicious marinade for pan fried, baked or grilled chicken. You probably have everything on hand already – perfect for no-fuss, healthy meals!
Chicken breast used to be so boring to me – it can be so bland! But at some point I realized I just have to pack on the flavors to make it tasty.
Ever since I made that discovery (I know, I live on the edge), our chicken dinners have become a lot more delicious. This Greek-inspired marinade is one of my favorites.
Perfect for summer grilling, but also for year-round indoor cooking: You can grill the chicken, bake the chicken in the oven or cook it on the stove – either way, it’s delicious!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Red wine vinegar: This ingredient is what really makes the recipe for me. I highly recommend you do not make any substitutes here. If you’re wondering if you’ll ever use up the entire bottle, take a look at my Watermelon Feta Salad, my Greek Salad Dressing, my Italian Salad Dressing and my Summer Corn Salad! They are all great recipes to use up your red wine vinegar.
- Olive oil: An olive oil intended to use in high temperature settings is highly recommended here. This is especially important to me if I’m grilling the chicken, as the temperature of a grill can get really high.
- Honey: A mild, runny honey works best in this recipe.
- Lemon juice: I highly recommend going for fresh lemon juice in this recipe, but bottled works in a pinch. It’s just not as fresh/tangy.
- Garlic powder: I pretty much always use powdered, dried garlic in my marinades. Fresh garlic tends to burn really badly on the grill, which makes it bitter. Garlic powder adds all of the flavor without burning/bitterness! If you want that fresh garlic flavor, why not whip up some garlic herb butter to serve with the cooked chicken?
- Chicken: This marinade works best for boneless, skinless chicken breast, chicken tenders or chicken thighs (either boneless or bone-in works for thighs). You could also use it for chicken legs/quarters; although depending on the weight, you’ll need to double the marinade. Cooking times will vary greatly depending on the cut you’re using.
How to make a Greek chicken marinade
1. Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a measuring jug.
2. Lightly pound the chicken to even thickness, then place it in a large zip-top bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken.
combine marinade pound chicken place in bag refrigerate
3. Zip the bag close, then gently massage the marinade into the chicken for 30-60 seconds. Refrigerate the bag for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
4. Once ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade (discard any excess marinade with the bag). Cook using your preferred method, until the juices of the chicken run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the middle of the thickest part.
Recipe tips
Make chicken tender: Marinating chicken helps to keep it juicy while cooking. If you put acid in the marinade (like vinegar!) it helps tenderize.
The pounding also does a lot of tenderizing (probably the most, actually), so I highly recommend to stick to this step.
Containers for marinating:
- a classic zip-loc bag
- a shallow baking dish
- a large soup bowl
- a small-ish glass or plastic freezer container with a lid
I only use zip-loc bags if I’m freezing the chicken in the marinade, which is exactly what I did with the bag in the photo for this post below!
Otherwise I almost always use a shallow baking dish. I cover it with a plate or a second baking dish, because I try to stay away from single-use plastic as much as I can.
Marinating time: Overnight works really well for easy meal prep, but 30 minutes are OK if you’re short on time. Actually, if you work in a clean way, the USDA food safety rules say you can marinate chicken in the fridge for up to 2 days.
However long you marinate the chicken, it’s not safe to re-use a marinade that’s been in touch with raw meat or poultry. Always discard used marinade and make a fresh batch the next time you want to marinate something.
Freezer tips
This recipe freezes well. Label with the name and use-by date, then freeze immediately.
I prefer using a ziploc bag for this, but I know some people freeze chicken in marinade in glass containers and it works well; you may need to double the marinade to make sure the chicken is fully covered.
You can freeze the chicken in the marinade for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then use as directed in the recipe.
Grill, stove and oven instructions
Once ready, remove bag with chicken from refrigerator and let sit on counter for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the bag right before cooking, discarding the bag and any leftover marinade.
Grill: Heat your grill to high heat. Lightly oil grates. Grill chicken 2-4 minutes per side, covered, until juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from grill.
Stove: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken around 5-8 minutes per side, until browned and cooked all the way through.
Oven: Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish. Top each chicken breast with a pat of butter, or with a teaspoon of olive oil. Heat the oven to 400°F, then bake about 18-20 minutes.
For best results, always rest the chicken 5 minutes before serving.
However you cook your chicken, make sure your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F at its thickest part.
Recommended internal temperature for chicken
Wondering when your chicken is done and safe to be eaten? I highly recommend investing in (the following is an affiliate link an I earn a commission for purchases made through it) a meat thermometer. I check pretty much everything I cook and bake with mine to make sure I’m at the accurate temperature.
The US government’s food safety website recommends cooking all poultry to an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) for safe consumption.
Serving ideas
I love this chicken with my Lemon Herb Marinated Grilled Vegetables. Another delicious side dish is my Greek Pasta Salad or a Greek Orzo Salad. Sometimes I turn it into Greek Chicken Kabobs!
For a simple salad, try a Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad, it goes perfectly with this chicken recipe.
We also like to serve bread whenever we grill, and either a No Knead Bread or a Homemade French Bread are great here!
More easy marinades
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Greek Chicken Marinade
Recipe details
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or more to taste
- 1 lemon juice only
- 1 teaspoon honey or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the chicken:
- 1 pound chicken parts I used boneless, skinless chicken breast (see notes)
Instructions
- Make marinade: Whisk together all marinade ingredients in medium measuring jug.
- Prep chicken: Place chicken in a large ziploc bag (4-6 quart). Leave bag open, then use a meat mallet or rolling pin to carefully pound chicken to ½ inch – ¾ inch thickness. (Note: If you're not using a zip-top bag for marinating, place chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap; see notes for other container choices for marinating.)
- Marinate chicken: Pour marinade over chicken. Remove most air from bag, then zip closed. Gently massage marinade into chicken for 30-60 seconds.
- Rest: Place bag in fridge for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 days.
- Cook: Once ready, remove bag with chicken from refrigerator and let sit on counter for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from bag right before cooking, discarding both the bag and any leftover marinade.Cook chicken on the grill, in the oven or on the stove until internal temperature registers 165°F at the thickest part (see notes for detailed instructions).
Notes
Cooking instructions
Once ready, remove bag with chicken from refrigerator and let sit on counter for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the bag right before cooking, discarding the bag and any leftover marinade. Grill: Heat your grill to high heat. Lightly oil grates. Grill chicken 2-4 minutes per side, covered, until juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from grill. Stove: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken around 5-8 minutes per side, until browned and cooked all the way through. Oven: Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish. Top each chicken breast with a pat of butter, or with a teaspoon of olive oil. Heat the oven to 400°F, then bake about 18-20 minutes. For best results, always rest the chicken 5 minutes before serving. However you cook your chicken, make sure your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F at its thickest part.Recipe tips
Make chicken tender: Marinating chicken helps to keep it juicy while cooking. If you put acid in the marinade (like vinegar!) it helps tenderize. The pounding also does a lot of tenderizing (probably the most, actually), so I highly recommend to stick to this step. Containers for marinating:- a classic zip-loc bag
- a shallow baking dish
- a large soup bowl
- a small-ish glass or plastic freezer container with a lid
Freezer tips
This recipe freezes well. Label with the name and use-by date, then freeze immediately. I prefer using a ziploc bag for this, but I know some people freeze chicken in marinade in glass containers and it works well; you may need to double the marinade to make sure the chicken is fully covered. You can freeze the chicken in the marinade for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then use as directed in the recipe.Nutrition
More recipe information
Recipe first published on 05/26/2018. Updated with new photos, better text and better instructions on 02/27/2021.
Side Note: What is the difference between marinade and marinate?
So… If it weren’t for the kids, I’d be a high school English teacher.
But marinade and marinate tripped me up the other day ?? It’s so easy to mix them up and I often get interrupted by the kids while writing.
So, to myself (and anyone who is struggling, haha): MARINADE is the actual saucy stuff you put on the chicken and MARINATE is the verb you use to tell someone you’re putting your chicken in a marinade.
Good thing I got that off my chest, ha!
And then… Get grilling with all of those delicious Mediterranean flavors!
Susan B says
Delicious! So easy to prepare with tender, tasty chicken the result. Adding this page to my faves.
Devon Bridges says
Thank you so much, this marinade is delicious! Will use this over and over again!
Tammy says
Can I marinade for longer than 2 hours or is the marinade too acidic?
Lindsay says
it says you can marinade for up to 2 days so yes 2 hours is just fine. this is my 2nd time making this recipe. mine will be sitting longer than 2 hours. very flavorful chicken
Susan W. says
This was delicious, and I plan to keep it in my recipe rotation. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, spiced just right. Thank you for a great recipe!
Jill Jones says
This is by far my favorite marinade! Thank you!
LK says
Followed the directions exactly and it came out delicious!
ABBEY HARTMAN says
Just put my chicken in the fridge to marinate – was super easy and I plan on air frying 😉
Jennifer says
Just grilled some chicken breast with this marinade and it was SO good!!!! This will definitely be something I make often!
Nora says
Glad to hear it, Jennifer!
Stacey says
Absolutely delicious! I made this earlier this week and ended up cooking it in the oven, because it was raining, and I didn’t feel like dealing with the grill. The chicken was so tender, juicy, and had such an amazing flavor. I am making it again this evening!
Ginger says
This recipe was super easy to prepare and tasted fantastic! I made it for a friend and she loved it as well!
Jeanette says
I haven’t made this yet but have high hopes. Just wondering if I’m reading correctly that one clove of garlic is equal to 1/8 tsp of garlic powder? That would mean 16 cloves of garlic? I love garlic but wonder what you think?
Nora says
Hi Jeanette
I understand your concern, no worries! There’s 1 teaspoon garlic powder in the recipe, equivalent to 8 cloves of garlic. In marinades I tend to season generously, because you’re basically just infusing the meat – you will discard a lot of the marinade. If you’re concerned or your garlic powder tends to be potent, feel free to use 1/16 teaspoon! Let me know what you think.
Michelle says
Easy! I followed the instructions exactly and marinated for 6 hours. Very moist and flavourful. Will repeat again! Thank you for the easy and great recipe.
Nora says
Im so glad, Michelle!
Joe says
This marinade is fantastic! It was so good we devoured the first batch of chicken and had to make more two days later. I cut my chicken into bite size cubes before marinating it and I really feel like every bit of the chicken is just bursting with flavor. I cooked it on the stove and the chicken was so moist and flavorful. Thank you!!!
Jill Jones says
This is, by far, the best marinade! We all love it! Thank you.
Kate says
Wow! Really really delicious! And I had all he ingredients at home. I grilled on stove, next time will try baking. And outside on the grill too!
Cyndi says
Absolutely amazing. Even by to pick a teenage girls absolutely loved it. This will be my go to from now on
Becky says
Loved this recipe. It went perfectly with the couscous salad I had planned. I found the recipe last minute so it didn’t have a lot of time to marinate (about 30 mins) but it still had a ton of flavor! I cooked it in the oven, it was sooo moist and tender. My husband asked why the chicken was squishy, I had to tell him it was because I didn’t burn the s**t out of it on the grill for once and that was how chicken was supposed to be!
Nora says
Haha, I love this, Becky! Glad the recipe turned out great for you!
Nancy says
As an English guru and lover of the language, I honestly appreciate the clarification between marinade and marinate! As for the recipe-my family says it delicious!
Thank you!
Nora says
Thanks Nancy, I appreciate you reading my writing!
Lori says
Delicious marinade! I made a double batch hoping to have leftovers for a couple days – there was none left! This is Definitely a keeper! Thank you!
Nora says
Sorry you didn’t have any leftovers, Lori 😉 but I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe so much!
Kirsty snoxell says
Absolutely amazing recipe! Thank you!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Kirsty!
Jeremy Mafingern says
This was delish
Nora says
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jeremy!
Jenn says
What does one lemon juice only mean?
Nora says
Jenn, it means the juice from one lemon. Unfortunately, there isn’t a better way to add it to the recipe card as of now. Sorry for the confusion!
micheline lévesque says
Nora, does it mean if we double the recipe, we should use the juice from 2 lemons? Sorry if I am confused about that….probably bc my first language is french. Thank you very very much!
Nora says
Micheline, yes, I would use the juice of two lemons. Hope this helps!
James says
I’m keen to try this, could you sous vide the chicken with the marinade in the bag?
Nora says
I think you could! I have a sous vide chicken breast recipe, and I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to use it with the Greek marinade.
Tom Walsh says
easy peasy
Dawn says
Followed your recipe as written and it was wonderful. I baked my chicken breasts in the oven and they came out tasty and tender! I paired the chicken with Greek style rice with spinach. Thanks for the recipe. It’s a keeper!
Nora says
I love how you served the chicken, Dawn! Sounds so delicious. Thank you for sharing – I appreciate it.
Chelsea says
This was so simple and delicious! I have been so sick of grilled chicken and this marinade was just what I needed! Thank you for sharing!