Greek Chicken Marinade is an easy and delicious marinade for pan fried or grilled chicken. It’s a great way to keep your grilling events on the healthy side, because it’s made with all real-food, natural ingredients. You probably have everything on hand already – perfect to make your next BBQ cookout absolutely hassle-free!
Summer food used to be this big conundrum to me. Until I realized everybody really does grill all the time between Easter and Halloween, haha!
Ever since I made that discovery (I know, I live on the edge), our summer dinners have become a lot more relaxed. We don’t grill everyday, but we usually have a BBQ on the weekends. To keep things from getting boring, I had to come up with a few delicious marinades.
Next to my Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken Marinade, this Greek Chicken Marinade is my favorite! I’m into Mediterranean flavors in food, especially during summer. And this marinade fits right in!
Best of all: Marinating meat is an absolutely foolproof thing!
A quick note before you scroll to the bottom because you want to head straight to the recipe card: There are many tips and tricks plus answers to popular questions regarding this recipe written below, so if you need some help don’t skip this part!
How To Make Greek Chicken Marinade:
Why should I marinade my chicken?
Marinating chicken helps to keep it juicy while cooking. If you put acid in the marinade (like vinegar!) it helps tenderize.
Marinated chicken is also super delicious because it had time to absorb the flavors from the marinade.
What are the ingredients in Greek Chicken Marinade?
- olive oil
- dried garlic powder
- red wine vinegar
- lemon juice
- dried oregano
- salt
- ground paprika
- ground black pepper
How do I marinate chicken breast?
There are a few different ways you can put the meat and marinade together, but the steps stay the same:
- Mix all marinade ingredients
- Add the meat, making sure it’s coated all around
- Seal or cover the container
- Rest the chicken in the marinade in the fridge for up to 2 days
Now, you have several choices of containers:
- 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.
Can you marinate chicken overnight?
Yes, you can! 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.
Can you reuse a marinade?
No, you can’t. 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.
Can I freeze the marinated chicken?
Yes, freeze it as soon as you have put the chicken in the marinade. I prefer using a ziploc bag for this.
You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Can you pan fry marinated chicken?
I’m sure you’ve been there before… Everything is ready for the BBQ later, the meat has been marinating for a while… And then you get a crazy thunderstorm.
You can still use your marinated chicken!
Simply remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding any leftovers. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken around 5 minutes per side, until browned and cooked all the way through.
What is the internal temperature for chicken?
If you’re chicken like I am (haha, terrible pun SO intended), you probably have a meat thermometer in your kitchen to test everything for done-ness 😬
Your chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F at its thickest part.
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!
More delicious Mediterranean-inspired BBQ recipes you will love:
I love this chicken with my Lemon Herb Marinated Grilled Vegetables. Another delicious side dish is my Greek Pasta Salad – I don’t have pasta a lot these days, but a bit of veggie-heavy pasta salad is a nice treat every now and then during summer.
Chopped Greek Salad Stuffed Avocados with Tzatziki Sauce is a great low carb side dish for some Greek grilled chicken!
how this Greek Chicken Marinade fits into the trim healthy mama plan:
If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know what a huge fan I am of the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle.
If you don’t know what I’m going on about and want to learn more, an easy book to start with is their Trim Healthy Mama Plan you can get on Amazon here. FYI, I make a commission for purchases made through that link. Your price doesn’t change.
This recipe is a fuel pull, it has neither a lot of fat nor a lot of carbs. You can use it in both an s-type setting and an e-type setting, or even turn it into a delicious FP meal with lots of veggies on the side!
Print the recipe for keeps:
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Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 lemon juice only
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the chicken:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
Instructions
- Place all ingredients for the marinade in your container of choice (ziploc bag, shallow dish... see post for more info). Mix well. Add the raw chicken and make sure it's coated all around.
- If using a ziploc bag, get out as much air as you can from the bag before sealing it. If using a different container, cover it as tightly as you can.
- Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, OR freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
