This easy recipe for Greek Lemon Chicken is made with juicy chicken thighs marinated in the most flavorful lemon and garlic marinade. Pan-seared and then baked to golden perfection, enjoy this delicious chicken recipe with all of your favorite Greek-inspired side dishes.
Easy Greek Lemon Chicken
This Greek lemon chicken recipe instantly upgrades your ordinary chicken dinner. It’s fresh and flavorful, and the ingredients are super simple: chicken thighs, lemon juice, olive oil, fresh garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
Reasons to love this recipe:
- Adaptable: You can easily adapt this recipe to include lemon zest, fresh thyme, rosemary, or parsley (check out my all-time favorite Greek chicken marinade).
- Less Time Spent Marinating: There’s no need to marinate the chicken for a million hours. Thirty minutes is all it takes to get the juicy, flavorful, and delicious chicken you want.
- Versatile: Enjoy these Greek lemon chicken thighs as a complete meal with an array of side dishes, or slice them up and enjoy them as part of a platter with chopped vegetables, hummus, flatbread, falafel, and tzatziki.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
There are two parts to this easy Greek lemon chicken recipe, the marinade and the chicken:
- Marinade – This consists of olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, finely minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and ground black pepper. Lemon zest could also be added for extra lemony flavor. As I mentioned previously, feel free to add an assortment of finely minced fresh herbs (fresh thyme, rosemary, or parsley), or red pepper flakes for a little added heat.
- Chicken thighs – I leave the skin on the chicken thighs for a delicious crispy exterior. It also helps to keep the chicken moist. Skin-on chicken breasts can be used instead but you will need to adjust the baking time to accommodate larger pieces of chicken.
How to Make Greek Lemon Chicken
1. Make the marinade: Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Marinate the chicken: Coat the chicken in the marinade and cover the bowl. Refrigerate the chicken in the marinade between 30 minutes to 4 hours.
3. Preheat the oven and heat a large skillet: When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of oil.
4. Pan-sear the chicken: Remove the chicken thighs from the bowl and gently shake off any excess marinade. Place the thighs skin down in the skillet and cook for 4 minutes or until the skin turns golden. Flip the thighs over and pour the remaining marinade on the top of the chicken.
5. Bake: Place the skillet in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the skin of the chicken is crispy and the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
6. Cool and serve: Remove the chicken from the oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve this dish with minced parsley and lemon wedges if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
The acidity in lemon juice helps to break down the muscle fibers of the chicken, making it tender. Lemon is also a key flavor in Greek cuisine, providing a delicious citrus zing to the dish.
Anywhere between 30 minutes to 4 hours is ideal. It isn’t necessary to marinate the chicken for longer than 4 hours. Avoid marinating the chicken for more than 12 hours as this can change the chickens texture, causing it to become stringy and mushy.
Pan-searing skin-on chicken helps to crisp the skin and adds a golden color that looks appetizing. Pan-searing also helps lock in the juices in the meat which increases the flavor.
Yes. If you are preparing this dish with skinless chicken, cover the skillet with aluminum foil for the first 20 minutes of baking to ensure that it doesn’t dry out as it cooks.
What to Serve with Greek Lemon Chicken Thighs
Enjoy this Greek lemon chicken as a complete meal with a side of Greek salad, crispy Greek potatoes, Israeli salad, warm pita bread, baba ganoush, or zucchini casserole. It’s also delicious over mashed potatoes or stick of butter rice with a drizzle of any extra liquid from the skillet.
Storage and Reheating
Store any leftover Greek lemon chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat them in the microwave or in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, covered with aluminum foil to prevent the chicken from drying out.
Can You Freeze Cooked Greek Lemon Chicken Thighs?
Yes. Allow the chicken thighs to cool completely before wrapping tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Transfer them to an airtight ziplock bag or storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
RECIPE CARD
Easy Greek Lemon Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic - finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground black pepper
- 1½ pound chicken thighs - bone-in, skin-on
Instructions
- Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl then add the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle with a thin layer of olive oil.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, draining off as much of the liquid as possible. Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down.
- Cook for about 4 minutes or until the skin turns a golden color, then flip them over and pour the remaining marinade on top of the chicken.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the skin is crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving with freshly minced parsley and lemon wedges if desired.
Jessica’s Notes
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
Hi Jessica, I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I’m looking forward to it. I have tried other recipes and they have been great….thank you. I’ll let you know. Cheers Robin