This simple chicken marinade infuses the classic Greek flavors of lemon, garlic and oregano plus marinating chicken in yogurt for a more tender bite.
In This Post
The Best Greek Chicken Marinade
Hey, ho, whaddya know?!!! You ready for the best? Because I’m giving you the best!
It may be a bold statement to make, but unlike fake politicians, sorcerers, and that guy in Nigeria who says he’ll double your money if you’ll just wire it to him, I’m standing behind my claim that this super easy, extremely delicious Greek Chicken marinade very well could be:
- the ying to your yang.
- the butter to your nutter.
- the pop to your lock.
That’s what make this little diddy of a recipe the best lemony, best garlicky, best Greek-y oregano-ish chicken marinade for chicken in yogurt to create the yummiest tender bite you just might ever eat.
Greek Chicken Marinade Ingredients
Technically, this Greek chicken marinade is only 5 ingredients, if you don’t count the salt and pepper.
- Greek yogurt: This is a new addition to my regular Greek marinade. I added the yogurt after making my easy chicken gyros where the yogurt tenderizes the chicken for a very nice, juicy bite.
- Lemon juice + zest: The acid from the lemon also helps break down the tough fibers of the chicken as it adds a flavorful zip to each bite. Adding the zest of one lemon to the marinade amps the flavor up even that much more.
- Garlic: Because hello, garlic.
- Olive oil: Olive oil adds a bit of fat and helps create a barrier while the chicken is on the grill. However, you’ll still want prepare your grill with additional oil and rotate your skewers so the chicken doesn’t become too charred or burn.
- Oregano: Because dried herbs are stronger in flavor than fresh, I’ve found that dried oregano works best for this marinade, and a healthy dose of it is definitely required.
How to Make Chicken Marinade Greek Style
Flavoring and tenderizing chicken in a marinade is a no-brainer, but there are a few tricks to doing it right.
- This chicken marinade works equally well with skin-on or skinless chicken. Trim the chicken breasts of any extra tendrills or pieces of fat and pat dry before adding to the marinade.
- Mix the marinade ingredients together, then immerse the chicken in a shallow bowl with the marinade, or in a zippered freezer bag.
- This chicken doesn’t take long at all to marinade! The chicken is adequately flavored in just 15 minutes. Or, let it soak in all that Greek flavor for up to three hours.
- Make this for grilled chicken breasts, or use half of this marinade for the breasts and reserve the other half for Greek chicken kebab skewers if that fits your fancy too. Doubling up duty as a dressing for salads too, this greek marinade is my favorite go-to recipe for anything and everything chicken.
Never Reuse Marinade Used on Raw Poultry or Meat
It might sound like a good idea to baste your chicken or meat with the same marinade, but there’s a trick to keeping it healthy if you do. Boil any used marinade first to destroy any harmful bacteria. Or set aside a portion of the marinade to use later before putting raw meat and poultry into it.
Use Acid in Your Marinade to Tenderize
Whether it’s vinegar, wine, or a citrus juice like lemon or lime juice, acid helps break down the connective tissue in meats, and creates a more tender bite.
Choose a Complimentary Oil for More Flavor
Depending on the flavor profile of your marinade, choose an oil that compliments it and boosts the flavor even more, like:
- Olive oil for Greek, Italian, or Mediterranean-style dishes
- Sesame oil for Asian-style dishes
- Canola or vegetable oil for Mexican or American-style dishes to keep things neutral
The Best Tenderizer—What Does Marinating Chicken In Yogurt Do?
The real secret to tenderizing any cut of meat or chicken is adding yogurt or buttermilk to the mix.
Marinating proteins in ingredients with an edge of acid like yogurt and buttermilk has been done in many types of ethnic cooking for centuries. More mild than some other raw enzyme acids from ingredients like pineapple or papaya, yogurt, and buttermilk are a perfect tenderizer for chicken because they won’t make the protein mushy.
How Long Should You Marinate Chicken
Marinate your chicken for as little as 15 minutes or up to 3 hours. If you go too long, your chicken or meat will become mealy
How Long Do You Cook Marinated Chicken
Cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 160-165°F, and allow it to rest for the juices to set. Here’s some basic cooking times to do so, but always defer to a meat thermometer to be sure:
- Bake skinless, boneless chicken breasts at 400°F for 18-22 minutes
- Grill over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
- Pan fry (depending on thickness) over medium heat for 18-22 minutes.
What to Serve With Greek Chicken to Make a Meal
Do you have a favorite side to serve with Greek chicken? Leave your recipe idea in the comments below, or here are a few to think about making too.
- Greek Pasta Salad with Artichoke Hearts and Cucumbers
- Easy Lemon Rice Recipe
- Greek Chickpea Salad
- Baba Ganoush
- Greek Salad With Avocado
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a 
rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
THE BEST Greek Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless , skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts)
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 lemons
- 4-5 cloves garlic , pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces in a freezer bag or a bowl and set aside.
- Add the Greek yogurt and olive oil to a medium size bowl. Zest one of the lemons and add to the bowl. Juice that lemon into the bowl with the zest. Slice the other three lemons and set aside. Add the minced garlic, oregano, kosher salt and black pepper to the lemon juice and zest and stir. Pour half of the marinade into the freezer bag or the bowl with the chicken pieces and reserve the other half of the marinade for basting. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours in the refrigerator.
- When ready to grill, prepare the grill by lightly oiling the grate with vegetable oil or cooking spray and set to medium high heat.
- Grill the chicken, basting with the reserved marinade and turning often so each side browns and has light grill marks, until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear. During the last 5 minutes of cooking add the 3 sliced lemons to the grill, turning once or twice. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serve with the grilled lemons. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
More Greek Recipes You’ll Love Too
- Easy Greek Chicken Kebabs
- Greek Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce
- Greek Salad with Avocado
- Easy Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
- Pork Souvlaki with Lemon Rice
As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.
Thanks for reading and subscribe to FoodieCrush to have each post delivered straight to your e-mail box.
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more FoodieCrush inspiration.
My go to Greek chicken recipe! I’ve made it many times in chicken gyros. Delicious!
We’re so happy you love it, Valentina!
Hey! Can this marinade be made ahead of time? Like the day before you cook the chicken?
Yes Jessica! You can make it several days in advance and refrigerate when ready to use.
Do you wash the marinade off the chicken before baking it, or can in be baked with the marinade on it?
Hi Susan! No, we do not rinse the marinade off the chicken before baking. We hope you enjoy! :)
Absolutely delidelicious ! thank you!!
Thanks, Viviana, we’re so happy you enjoyed it!
Made this marinade several times for chicken gyros. Always delicious! Thank you
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Charlene!
This is delicious!
Thanks, Raychel, we’re happy you enjoyed it!
This chicken is THE BOMB! So tender, juicy, and flavorful. I will make it again and again. Thank you!
Thank you Laurie! We’re happy to hear you loved it!
no lie-this is the best lemon chicken and possibly the best chicken i’ve ever made/eaten, full stop. it’s sooooo flavorful and tender! i make extra for leftovers because having it for one meal is just not enough! :)
Lisa! Thank you for such a ringing endorsement and the 5-star rating. FULL STOP :) !
This is soo delicious!!.Followed recipe as written.. making again today which will be twice in a week. I used chicken thighs because that is what I had.
Thanks, Rhoda—we’re happy you enjoyed this!
If you bake it, do you do it covered or uncovered?
I suggest you bake it uncovered so it browns.
I’ve been making this forever now. It’s my go to for pitas. But I do make one small addition and I think it’s game changer. I add in about 1tsp give or take of dry dill. I just sprinkle and taste til it’s to my liking. Thanks for a great recipe!
Dill is a great addition Heather. Love it! Thanks for the idea and the comment + 5 star rating!
Is it safe to cake the chicken in the marinade?
Hey Nikki, I’ve never cooked the chicken in the marinade so can’t say whether it’s safe to do so.
Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this too? Maybe cooking time is a bit less? Thanks!
Hi Carrie! Yes, absolutely. You could follow this cooking method: https://www.foodiecrush.com/cilantro-lime-grilled-chicken/
Literally the best! I no longer need to order chicken from a Greek restaurant, this recipe is far better! Thank you Heidi!
Thanks for making and giving it your approval :) and thank you for the 5 star rating!!
You’d think I was on the brink of starvation the way I gobbled up this potato salad. The vinegar is everything. Thank you!
Very tasty and easy to make.
Love, love, love this marinade for Greek dish. I serve with Greek salad, tzatziki, hommous and Greek flat bread
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Emma!
Found this recipe several years ago. This is one I keep going back to time and time again. I cook it on the pellet smoker instead of grill. I love serving it with a big Greek salad and pita. So yummy!
So glad you enjoyed Hannah!
Did you change this recipe recently? I don’t remember it using Greek yogurt, but I’m not sure what it replaced
Hi Caitlyn, nope, no change. it’s always called for Greek yogurt. The yogurt acts as a tenderizer.
This was awesome! Thank you!
Thanks Shannon, glad you enjoyed it.
Delicious, flavorful and easy, perfect for grilling on the stove, barbecue . Didn’t try in oven or air fryer. Everyone loved it. If you want a little spice add some ground red pepper to taste.
Thank you for sharing
Thank you Patricia! Glad you enjoyed!
The best chicken we have ever grilled. I don’t think I can ever order Greek style chicken at a restaurant again.
Happy to hear you enjoyed Angie!
Will this work with Pork?
Hi Dan! We haven’t tried this with pork before but it should work great!
Can I marinade the chicken and then freeze it?
Hi Beryl! Yes, you can totally add the chicken to a bag with the marinade and then immediately freeze it (freezing stops the marinating process until you defrost).
Hi! Is it OK to cook this chicken in the air fryer instead of on the grill? And how about the lemons?
We think that would work okay! We’re not sure about the lemons though, but might be worth a try?
This is a no-fail marinade, absolutely delicious! For a recent camping trip, I diced the cooked chicken and added it to your Greek Pasta Salad recipe. It was a hit. Thanks!
I’m glad you enjoyed!
I have a spent a lot of time with Julia Child and need to change my cooking as my husband now has to deal with salt and sugar issues. This recipe, however, is not the answer and is completely inedible.
That is not the authors fault if you have served overly salted and full of fat French dishes to your husband over the years. It’s up to you to find recipes and adjust your cooking style to suit his dietary needs. Shame on you for writing a negative comment just because it doesn’t meet your approval.
Please tell me that two tablespoons of dried oregano is a typo. Two teaspoons at most, surely?
Hi Jon! Nope, not a typo.
Really good marinade. I couldn’t use your quantities as I’m in the UK and this whole “cups” thing doesn’t really make any sense.
However, the ingredient list is great and any decent cook can guess the required proportions.
BEST MARINADE ever!!!
OMG ! Game changer! Just served last night for a dinner party and everyone RAVED about it. Thanks so much for sharing!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Delish!! Will be in my rotation! Love it!!!!
I make this all the time and everyone always loves it. Thanks for the easy marinade idea!
I’m glad you all enjoyed it!
Can you freeze the marinade?
I’ve made this several times. It’s delicious and easy. I make extra marinade to use with left over chicken for pita pocket sandwiches.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
can you marinate this longer?
You can marinate the chicken longer, but the acid could break the chicken down and make it mealy.
Delicious! I use one lemon in the marinade. It’s plenty. We substituted dairy free yogurt and it worked great. Making it again tonight!
The way the recipe is written is a little complicated for me. Since everything goes in the marinade, it would be simpler not to worry about which goes in first. Just combine all. Unless there’s a reason I don’t know about?
5 stars in flavor, for sure! Especially if it’s grilled!
Excellent marinade!!! Thank you. Big hit with the whole family. Made it as directed but didn’t need the extra roasted lemons. The marinade was lemony enough and I was the only one who added an extra squeeze from the roasted slice. 1 roasted, 1/8” thick slice per person as a garnish is enough for me.
Happy you enjoyed Elaine!
Absolutely delish!!
Simple but so good. New go to chicken recipe.
This recipe is wonderful! The marinade made the chicken so tender, flavorful and juicy on the grill. I made this recipe and your Greek Salad recipe last night and served it with homemade focaccia bread topped with cherry tomatoes from my garden (which was also used in the salad. The only thing I left out was grilling the lemons at the end, due to time. The whole meal was a delicious Mediterranean treat. I will definitely make this again. Thank you!
Absolutely the best Greek chicken I have ever had…..Restaurant quality! I have made this recipe at least two dozen times now and everyone loves it. The only thing I changed is I use Greek seasoning instead of oregano
Can I bake this in the oven if I do not have access to a grill?
Yes, you can absolutely bake in the oven. See my post for the best baked chicken here for cooking instructions.
This was SO good. But SOS please help me figure out how to make this marinade into a cream sauce because the flavors are bomb.
Hey Emily, add yogurt to make it creamy. However, don’t use the marinade after steeping in the chicken. You’ll want to set some aside first.
Delicious! I used boneless skinless thighs and didn’t add quite as much lemon as the recipe called for because I only had two large lemons. But it was so delicious. I chopped up the chicken and we put into warm pita bread with tzaziki, tomatoes, lettuce and a little feta cheese.
So glad you liked it Alice, and thanks for the 5 star rating!
Awesomeness!
Finally! I found a recipe that turned out great even if I did mess up/substitute a few things. I will definitely be making this regularly!
I substituted sour cream for the yogurt because I didn’t have any. I squeezed all the lemons (I love my SMEG juicer) and then realized later I was supposed to only squeeze one and slice the other three for topping…soooo…I decided “oh well, I guess I’ll make fresh lemonade too,” but needed more juice to make the simple syrup but didn’t have enough lemons…so I sliced only one of the remaining lemons grabbed an orange for other slices (1 lemon and 1 orange sliced for the grilling part) juiced some of the orange to my lemonade mixture. I zested both the lemon and orange for the marinade, added about 1/2 cup of lemon juice for the marinade and made lemonade (simple syrup recipe) with the remaining juice. Chicken marinated for about 20 min which ended up being plenty and grilled the chicken on the Weber charcoal grill. Next time I will set aside less basting marinade because they came out wetter than I would prefer (I like my chicken on the dry(er) side, but still delicious! I will make this again and try to follow the recipe closer next time. I will still use the sour cream since I never have greek yogurt, but always can use sour cream in the house.
So glad it worked for you Dana. Subbing in with what you have is the joy of cooking. Glad it worked well. Thanks for the 5-star rating!
This was delicious! And easy to whip up with mostly pantry items. My picky 6 year old ate every bit of the chicken. My husband asked for this recipe to go in heavy rotation!
Thank you for the 5-star rating Cat! SO glad your picky eaters liked it too.
This was perfect on the grill. Our lemons were extra juicy so I ended up adding an extra half cup of greek yogurt to thicken it up. My only other adjustment was I replaced oregano with Penzys greek seasoning due to my personal preference. This is a keeper!
Greek yogurt really made a difference. The chicken had a nice slightly tangy flavor, and it was very tender and juicy after being cooked on the grill.
I think so too!
Tried making it twice and both times (once with low fat and once with full fat yogurt) it curdled! What am I doing wrong?
Try whipping the ingredients first and then adding them slowly to the yogurt
Could I use this marinade with a pork tenderloin?
Absolutely!
This was phenomenal! So easy and just perfect. Will be out in the regular rotation:-)
This recipe was so flavorful and tender. It was so good. Probably the best chicken. THere is no complaints, my family And I loved it. Serving it with sliced lemons makes all the difference. I can’t even explain how good it taste.
Not sure how 2 chicken breasts can feed 4 people?
4 ounces is one serving.
This has become my go-to chicken recipe! In the summer, I cook the breasts on the BBQ, but during the winter months, I bake the chicken in the oven, and then give it a quick sear in a cast-iron frying pan (basting the breasts with the leftover marinade) to add a bit of crisp to the outside of the breasts. Still confused about how many lemons should be juiced into the marinade though. I have been using one lemon all along for the marinade, and the chicken has been perfect every time. I am a bit reluctant to add the juice of three more lemons, as I think it could be lemon over-dose and could make the marinade too citrusy and runny. Otherwise, this is one great recipe!
I am so so glad!!
This recipe is awesome!! I marinated mine for a longer time, about 6 hours, and cooked them in my Air Fryer. Came out perfectly tender and juicy!!
Thanks Robin!
I dont have a grill, can I bake this? Or saute the chicken?
Absolutely!
Made this when we we’re camping, we didn’t have salt and pepper on hand but it tasted lovely, so simple!
I love that you took it camping!
So simple and honestly it is amazing. I really love it with boneless skin ON chicken thighs or breasts. I have used this marinade a dozen times in the last six months and everyone asks for the recipe. Thanks for sharing
Thank you so much!
i used 2 lemons i thought it would to much but no. one zest from one lemon and juice from 2 was great follow the recipe and you will love this or add some oregano and some ground cloves not much it turned out great grill it and you and your friends will think you r the best cook ever
So glad you enjoyed it Mark!
Can the chicken be in the marinade longer than 3 hours?
Yes definitely!
This sounds amazing. Is there a substitute for Greek yogurt? And what would be some good sides for it?
You could use regular yogurt or a light sour cream! I love it with green salad and rolls!
I’ve made this several times. Initially I was just using one lemon, then realized it calls for three others. I actually like it with less lemon as it’s thicker and great to add to the chicken after it cooks. Either way it’s a great marinade and everyone loves it!
I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times for different people. Everyone loves it! It takes way more than 20 minutes to cook, though. I usually plan on 40 minutes now, and it’s great.
wow so yummy thanks
Thanks!
looks yummy Heidi. What I want to know is how you get those ingredients so uniformed in size to look so pretty. Wow and u don’t get a big chunk of anything.
Lots of practice plating haha! Thank you!
I just made this! I added a can of sliced olives because I’m a olive lover and a half tsp granulated garlic. It is so good! I also doubled the boiled eggs because I love those too! Highly recommend this recipe!
Great additions! YUM!
I made this last night for our chicken and it was amazing! I doubled the recipe because I was making more than a pound of chicken. well ended up having a lot of extra marinade. So I put it on her salmon for tonight. And that was even tastier!
That sounds SO good on Salmon too! Thanks for sharing Susanna!
How much does this make? And how much marinade should I use for one cut up chicken?
This was INCREDIBLE! My husband, kids, and guests loved the marinade!
I absolutely love Greek food! One of my favourite things to cook at home. Will have to give this a go!
Can I bake this? Or fry?
I grill it on. Ice days and quick pan seer in my cast iron pan on rainy days or when i just don’t feel like dealing with mosquitos it is delicious always
I add a pinch cinnamon and pinch coriander sometimes to change it up.
This is so delicious! I made it two weeks in a row with some grilled veggies.. Thanks for sharing!
How many does that feed? Can’t wait to try!
The marinade will go a long way :) It may not be as strong but you can add it ot as much chicken as you need.
Thank you!
I used chicken tenders and put them on skewers. I got a nice char without sacrificing moisture. I adore this recipe! I did use less lemon though. My husband and I have issues with acid reflux. The flavor was still marvelous! I served it over salad.
We just used the one lemon- missed the instructions in the comments down here, and it was perfect imo. My husband said this is the best chicken we’ve made. We’re in our 30s and cook pretty regularly. Thanks for sharing this recipe. It’s easy and it’ll definitely be in rotation!
Thank you for this recipe! We made it in the Greek Chicken Gyro Salad and it was phenomenal. I usually can’t eat leftover chicken because it has a really weird taste to me, whether I reheat it or eat it cold, so my husband is usually stuck with all chicken leftovers. I didn’t have that issue with this chicken at all when I had some leftovers for lunch the next day. It was really easy and quick to prepare, too. I think this is our new go-to chicken recipe!!
This is by far the easiest and greatest chicken marinade. It is foolproof and delicious. I am hardly a good cook and every time I make this chicken( which is once a week) it comes out tender and flavorful. Please post more recipes using Greek yogurt. It does wonders for chicken!!
This really is the best Greek marinade recipe! I enjoyed these chicken breasts more than any other that I’ve grilled before. So juicy and flavorful. The yogurt was the perfect addition. Thank you!
Hello,
I absolutely love this receipt however I am wanting to know the nutritional information. Thank you
When bakeing do you leave it in all the marinade?
So tasty — Easy and delicious grilled chicken marinade!
We were short on lemons so I didn’t grill the slices of 3 lemons. It was still really tasty! I enjoy chicken dishes that have been baked with lemon slices so will have to give this recipe another try with the slices/grilled lemon.
I am also curious about whether it is better to bake the chicken in the marinade or take it out before baking. We absolutely love this recipe and usually grill it which is amazing, but I am taking to my parent’s place where grilling is not an option.
Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you for the 5-star rating Cindy! If you want the chicken to brown, take it out of the marinade first. But! It would probably be really good baked in the marinade too :) just not as brown.
I am Dairy Free – is there something else I can substitute the greek yogurt with
Same! Wanted to reply to say that Ive just kicked out the dairy [in other similar recipes] and it was great. Did you find a solution that works for you too?
Daiya Plain Greek Yogurt Alternative.
jusecujusecu
jusecu jusecujusecufdsv jusecu
How long will these marinade keep? Should it be refrigerated?
Hi Nancy, the marinade will keep for quite a while when refrigerated. General rule of thumb would be 1 week, but I’ve kept if for up to a month and haven’t had any problems since there’s acid from the lemons that should kill bacteria. However, to be safe…keep it at a week.
This is a classic marinade for Greek chicken! I do something similar at home, except I don’t always use the Greek yogurt. I also find that this marinade tastes especially great when the meat is grilled.
I wonder if sour cream could be subbed for the greek yogurt in the marinade?
We used Crema Mexicana And it worked great.
The chicken was very flavorful but a tad dry. It just screams for a mushroom sauce. Next time I’ll try it.
Try it with Tzatziki!
Yes! Here’s my fave Tzatziki recipe https://www.foodiecrush.com/easy-chicken-gyros-with-tzatziki-sauce/
Thanks for your amazing receipe.
I am trying it for the first time.Thank you
always in the market for a new chicken marinade since it’s one of my regular proteins, so love this version, have never made a Greek version, especially one that’s a butter to my nutter, etc, thank you
What happens to the other 3 lemons? Are they grilled or put into the marinade?
Hi Jackie, thanks for catching that. The other three lemons are all juiced as well and added to the marinade. You can also grill an extra lemon to squeeze on top if you’d like. I’ve fixed the recipe, too. Thanks again for reading!
I absolutely loved this recipe! I have made it twice and I only made one adjustment. I doubled the recipe both times, and the first time i found the lemon juice a bit too strong. The second time i made it, instead of doubling the lemons as well, I only used 7 lemons instead of 8 and it was perfect for me.
Btw, the recipe description still doesnt tell you what to do with the other 3 lemons. I read the comments to figure it out.
Great recipe! Thanks so much for sharing
The recipe is not fixed. Still says one lemon??
Thanks I was also wasn’t sure . . . prep right now can’t wait to try this recipe
that’s confusing, because it says to “Slice the other three lemons and set aside” and then: “During the last 5 minutes of cooking add the 3 sliced lemons to the grill, turning once or twice:
I don’t see that the recipe has been adjusted for the amount of lemons at all? What am I missing? Guess I’ll just wing it and go with 4
During the last 5 minutes of cooking add the 3 sliced lemons to the grill, turning once or twice. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serve with the grilled lemons.