Need something easy and flavorful for dinner this week? This Greek Chicken is IT. I use my favorite yogurt marinade to make budget-friendly chicken pieces extra juicy and tender, with lemon, garlic, oregano, and parsley adding bright, Greek-inspired flavor throughout. The oven does most of the work, roasting the chicken until the edges are golden and the pan juices smell garlicky, tangy, and irresistible. I always make this recipe in the oven, but feel free to fire up the grill if the weather’s good! With over 200 5-star reviews and counting, it’s clear I’m not the only one who loves this easy Greek chicken. 😋
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“This was SO good! I used boneless skinless thighs and it was juicy and tender. I broiled it for a few minutes to get a nice char and sprinkled some sea salt before serving. Can’t wait to make again, thanks!”
Stella
A Tried-and-True Greek Chicken Marinade
If you told me when I first posted this Greek marinated chicken recipe all the way back in 2013, how popular it would become, I wouldn’t believe you. It’s STILL one of my regular dinner rotations. The marinade starts with the same yogurt base I use in my chicken shawarma, but this version swaps the warm spices for bright lemon and savory herbs. It takes just a few minutes to stir together and creates an absolute explosion of flavor. It’s incredible.
I only marinated my chicken in this magical mix for 30 minutes, but the flavor was still loud and clear. Because there’s lemon juice in the marinade, I wouldn’t let it go longer than a day max. A short marinating time gives you tender, flavorful chicken, but too long can start to change the texture of the meat. Once marinated, you can grill the chicken over an electric or charcoal grill, or bake it in the oven like I do. Either way, you’ll get a super flavorful, juicy end product! And if you end up with leftovers, the chicken is perfect for turning into Greek chicken wraps with fresh veggies and hummus the next day!
Recipe Success Tips
- I use bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks because the dark, fattier meat is much more forgiving in the oven. You can also use chicken breasts if that’s what you’ve got. The yogurt marinade will help keep them juicy, but they can overcook more easily. I recommend pounding chicken breasts to about ½-¾ inch thick before marinating and baking at 425°F for 18-20 minutes, or until they reach 165°F, as we do in our baked chicken breasts recipe.
- Marinate in the fridge. 30 minutes is enough to give this marinated Greek chicken great flavor, which keeps this recipe quick enough for a weeknight! For a deeper flavor, 4-12 hours is the sweet spot. I wouldn’t go longer than 24 hours because the lemon juice can start to break down the meat and make the texture mushy.
- Don’t pour extra marinade over the chicken. I remember doing this the first time I made this recipe, but I later realized it made the chicken take longer to brown. Your chicken will already have plenty of flavor from sitting in the marinade, so no need to pour excess from the bag over top. Any leftover marinade from the bag should be thrown away as it touched raw chicken.
- Check a few pieces for doneness. Bone-in chicken pieces can cook at slightly different speeds, so I always check more than one piece with an instant-read thermometer. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F, and the juices run clear. Avoid touching the bone with the thermometer, since it can give a false reading.
- Broil for more color. If your chicken is cooked through but looks a little pale, broil it for about 5 minutes at the end. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn! Greek yogurt can also affect browning because it’s thicker and sits on top of the chicken more, but it’ll still taste great.
Greek Chicken
Cost $9.71 recipe / $1.21 serving
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain yogurt ($0.64*)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.44)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced, $0.16**)
- ½ Tbsp dried oregano ($0.08)
- 1 medium lemon ($0.64)
- ½ tsp salt ($0.02)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.05)
- ¼ bunch fresh parsley ($0.20)
- 3½ to 4 lbs. chicken pieces ($7.48***)
Instructions
- To make the marinade, combine the yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a bowl.
- Use a fine holed cheese grater or a zester to scrape the thin layer of yellow zest from the lemon skin into the bowl. Also add the juice from half of the lemon (about 1-2 Tbsp). Stir until the ingredients are well combined.
- Roughly chop a big handful, or about 1/4 bunch, of parsley and stir it into the marinade.
- Add the chicken pieces and marinade to a gallon sized zip top bag. Remove as much air as possible, close the bag tightly, and massage the bag to mix the contents and make sure the chicken is well coated. Refrigerate the bag for 30 minutes.
- After marinating for 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 375℉ in preparation to bake the chicken.
- Place the marinated chicken pieces in a large casserole dish (9×13). Bake the chicken (uncovered) in the preheated 375℉ oven for 45-60 minutes, or until golden brown on top and the internal temperature reaches 165℉.
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Notes
Nutrition Information
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Greek Chicken step-by-step photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Prepare the marinade: Combine 1 cup plain yogurt, 2 Tbsp olive oil, ½ Tbsp dried oregano, 4 minced garlic cloves, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper in a bowl.
Add the zest from 1 lemon and the juice from about half of it (1-2 Tbsp). Stir these ingredients until well combined.
Roughly chop a handful (about ¼ bunch) fresh parsley.
Add the chopped parsley to the marinade and stir to evenly combine.
This is your finished Greek-style marinade (or a REALLY awesome dip!). I love this with fresh cut veggies and chips when I’m not making this easy chicken recipe!
Marinate the chicken: Add 3½ to 4 lbs. chicken pieces and the marinade to a large, gallon-sized zip top bag and mix it around to make sure the chicken is well coated. Refrigerate the bag for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
For an even stronger flavor, you can marinate this chicken for 4-12 hours in the fridge. I’d avoid going past 24 hours, since the lemon juice can affect the texture of the chicken.
Bake: Place the marinated chicken pieces in a large casserole dish (9×13). Don’t pour any excess marinade from the bag over the chicken, as this can stop it from browning well in the oven. Throw away any leftover marinade from the bag. It can’t be reused since it’s been in contact with raw chicken.
Bake the chicken, uncovered, in a preheated 375℉ oven for 45-60 minutes, or until it is golden brown. It’ll smell SO good!
Serve your Greek marinated chicken with all your favorite sides (I share my favorites below!) and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
I always serve this Greek marinated chicken with my lemony cucumber and couscous salad, which is the perfect cold summer side, and incorporates both starches and vegetables into the meal. Two birds with one stone! This recipe makes about 8-10 pieces of chicken (3.5-4 lbs. total), so it’s great for feeding a group or stretching into leftovers for the week. You can easily halve the recipe if needed, or plan on 1-2 pieces per person, depending on the size of the chicken and what you’re serving with it. I love it with fluffy rice or creamy mashed potatoes to soak up all of those garlicky, lemony pan juices. For a crisp, colorful side, try it with a Greek salad or my crisp Mediterranean coleslaw for the perfect summer dinner.
I also like to slice any leftovers and tuck them into a Greek chicken wrap, pile them over a salad, or add them to a rice bowl with veggies and feta!
Storage & Reheating
Store any leftover cooked Greek marinated chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, place the chicken in a baking dish, cover with foil, and warm in a 350°F oven until heated through. You can also reheat smaller portions in the microwave, or pull the chicken off the bone and warm it in a skillet on the stovetop until hot.
You can also freeze the cooked chicken for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating so it warms evenly and avoids drying out.
Try These Greek Chicken Recipes Next:
- My Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables is an easy meal prep dinner because the roasted chicken, veggies, and rice hold up well in the fridge!
- Greek Chicken and Orzo uses boneless chicken thighs, which stay juicy and add extra flavor to the pasta as it simmers.
- This Greek Chicken Pasta Salad is a full-meal pasta salad with garlicky marinated chicken thighs, fresh vegetables, tangy feta, and plenty of lemony oregano dressing.
More Easy Baked Chicken Recipes
Our Greek Marinated Chicken recipe was originally published 6/22/13. We have updated it to be the best it can be and republished 5/20/26.
This recipe was prepared by our friends, and was an absolute delight! The yogurt adds a dimension of flavor while keeping the chicken moist and tender. Will definitely be having this tasty treat again.
This goes with our our review of a most delicious meal!
I made this for the 1st time and it won’t be the last! My family LOVED it. The marinade was super flavorful and kept the chicken moist! We browned the chicken once it was done at oven temp to brown and crisp the skin. It will be a regular recipe for our family! Thank you!
We made this recipe tonight wow just wow total 5 stars. Will definitely be making this again for sure.
I made this with some chicken breasts to put with lemon feta pasta. Not sure if all the flavours will go together but it smells awesome while cooking and the chicken is very juicy and tender. I find plain yogurt is often marked down or is cheaper than sweetened yogurt so it feels affordable too for a marinade. I’m going to use my remaining yogurt for overnight oats
Hi
I just had a quick question. What is the serving size for this 2 pieces of chicken or just one?
It depends on the size and amount in your packages, but it should be around 1 per serving.
This recipe is a favorite in my house.
If I cut these into bite size pieces after baking how would you suggest I warm them before serving without them possibly drying out Would like to serve at a shower.
I made this today in my meal prepping for the week! We’ve had it multiple times and it’s delicious.
This recipe SAVED THE DAY! A fam-pak of chicken drumsticks that I’d bought on sale was staring at me from the refrigerator. I had all of the ingredients on hand (nice, because ice + snow outside); did swap 1 t. dried for the fresh parsley and marinated for 3 hours/baked 45 minutes. Paired it with T.J.’s Israeli couscous-recipe on back of box-and cooked carrots. Home. Run. Meal. Thank you, Beth!!!
Love the fresh taste of this recipe!
I couldn’t get it to brown very well, even at 60 minutes and the chicken is quite dry/chewy at the 60 minute mark so I’m not sure I could leave it to brown further, but still yummy!
E.L. Everyone’s oven is different. Next time you cools heat a cast iron skillet. Brown the chicken skin side. Flip and straight into the oven to finish. Or after cooking in the oven, put them under the broiler for about 5 minutes.
Can you marinate this longer than 30 minutes
Hi Jacklyn, You can marinate in the fridge for up to 8 hours,
Question has anyone ever made this in a crockpot?
Now I’m curious about this too! I wonder if the yogurt + lemon juice would hold up or curdle over a few hours though.
Has anyone adjusted this recipe to chicken breast vs. bone-in? Just wondering what I may adjust the cooking time/temp to…
I’m trying this boneless and in a crockpot. I will post how it turns out.
Can this be a freezer meal?
We haven’t tried this dish as a freezer meal, and freezing chicken in marinades isn’t something we do very often. Since we haven’t tried this method, I hesitate to give you any specific suggestions that may not be successful. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a shot! If you do, let us know how it goes. Good luck! ~ Marion :)
Can you use Greek yogurt?
Greek yogurt has quite a bit less moisture than regular yogurt, so you might find that it coats the chicken too thick.
I’ve always used Greek yogurt, the first time by accident, without issue. Turns out perfectly moist every time! I’ve been using this recipe for years and come back to it every time.
I add a little water to thin out my plain Greek yogurt. Since, I only like and buy plain Greek yogurt. It works and tastes fine. :)