A simple, zesty Greek chicken marinade is my first line of defense any time I find myself sliding into a chicken breast rut or simply can’t decide what to do with it for dinner. With minimal effort, I have the most unbelievably flavorful chicken dinner bursting with lemony, garlicky, herby aromas. Talk about a weeknight win!
And it gets better still. There are several options for cooking. I love tossing the marinated chicken breasts into a casserole dish and baking them because the marinade cooks into a dreamy sauce (plus, it’s the most hands-off method). But when time is of the essence, the grill makes a great option. And when I don’t want to turn on the oven, the air fryer is a great alternative.
How Long Should You Marinate Greek Chicken?
Greek chicken marinade is packed with big, bold flavors from a duo of lemon zest and juice, garlic, and a generous shower of dried herbs. The chicken will pick up flavor from the marinade in as little as 30 minutes. But if time is on your side, I do recommend letting it marinate for an hour or up to three hours.
How Should You Cook Greek Chicken?
You’ve got a few options here. The recipe includes instructions for baking the chicken in the oven, and in the notes section, you’ll find instructions for cooking the chicken on the grill or in the air fryer. Regardless of how you plan to cook the chicken, it’s a good idea to pound each chicken breast to about 1/2-inch thick to ensure it cooks evenly.
- Bake. This is a great option for when you don’t want to tend to the chicken during cooking. You’ll add the chicken breasts and marinade to a baking dish, slide it into the oven, and pull it out about 20 minutes later. The best thing about baking the chicken breast with the marinade is that you get a super-flavorful sauce for serving.
- Grill. If speed is the name of the game, and you want dinner fast, the grill is the way to go. The chicken cooks up tender and juicy in just about 10 minutes.
- Air fry. When you need a method that doesn’t involve the oven, I love the air fryer.
What to Serve With Greek Chicken
Marinated Greek chicken breast cooks up tender and juicy, bursting with lemony, garlicky, herby flavor. And what this means for choosing sides is that there’s no shortage of options. Everything from potatoes to rice to salads is all fair game. If you bake the chicken, you’ll also get some great sauce, so serving it with rice, orzo, potatoes, or anything to mop up the sauce is a tasty idea.
