Greek Chicken Marinade

At a glance

What stands out: This flavorful Greek chicken marinade is made with pantry staples so it’s straightforward to whip up whenever you have chicken on the menu. It’s one of our favorite marinades! The chicken always turns out so tender, juicy, and flavorful.

How long it takes: just over an hour
Equipment you’ll need: bowl
Servings: makes enough marinade for up to 4 pounds of chicken

If “Greek chicken marinade” makes you immediately think: red wine vinegar, olive oil, and oregano, you’re halfway there! This straightforward marinade recipe has those signature Greek flavors, along with a secret ingredient that takes it to the next level: Greek yogurt!

That said, this is actually a versatile recipe. You can lean into the Greek-ness (is that a word?) of it all and serve it alongside Greek orzo salad or garnish it with kalamata olives or crumbled feta. You can also pair it with a simple side like sautéed zucchini, or even incorporate it into an Italian dish like chicken Alfredo. This is our go-to chicken marinade and we think you’ll find yourself making it frequently too!

Best Greek Chicken Marinade

It uses pantry staples. This grilled chicken marinade is one of our favorites because we always have the ingredients we need in our pantry and refrigerator.

Yogurt tenderizes the chicken. We often use yogurt in our marinades because it makes the chicken extra tender and juicy. Calcium and lactic acid work together to gently tenderize the chicken. It’s a must-have in our marinade for our chicken tawook and it works great in this recipe as well.

The marinade adds great flavor. This Greek chicken marinade never disappoints. The oregano, garlic, oregano, and red wine vinegar combination is so flavorful. Look for the same combination in our favorite Greek chopped salad and Greek pasta salad, both of which are great sides to go along with the chicken. Be sure to try our Greek salad dressing recipe, too, which can also be used as a marinade.

The chicken can be grilled or baked, or use your air fryer to cook it. The recipe card has instructions for all three cooking methods.

Deb Said:

“This was rich. The chicken was so moist and tender. This recipe is a keeper!”

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What goes in

• Red wine vinegar: A pantry staple, red wine vinegar is what makes red wine vinaigrette zippy and bright, and it will do the same for this Greek chicken marinade.
• Olive oil: If you have a workhorse olive oil (meaning inexpensive), you can use it for this marinade.
• Plain Greek yogurt: Plain regular yogurt will also work in this recipe. Use any unflavored yogurt you have in the fridge.
• Seasoning: Dried oregano is the star here because it’s one of the flavors most often associated with Greek food. You’ll also need garlic powder, ground black pepper and kosher salt.
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Actually, you can use any cut of chicken you like. There will be enough marinade for four pounds of chicken.

How it comes together

Make the marinade. Add the red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper to a bowl and whisk well until combined.

Marinate. Add the chicken to the marinade and stir well so the chicken pieces are completely coated. Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to overnight. For longer marinating, we like to pour everything into a large resealable bag. Put the bag in a pan or bowl in case of leakage.

Cook. Remove the chicken from the bowl or bag and wipe off the excess marinade; discard the rest. Grill the chicken, bake it in the oven, or air fry it.

Tips For This Recipe

Cut large chicken breasts into smaller portions. If the chicken breasts are large, cut them in half or butterfly them before adding them to the marinade.

Keep the marinade from leaking. If you use a bag to marinate your chicken, place it in a large bowl or baking dish to catch any drips.

Don’t over-marinate the chicken. If you marinate the chicken for too long, it can become mushy. That said, because this yogurt-based marinade is gentle, the chicken can marinate in it overnight. Many marinades are too acidic to leave on the chicken for extended amounts of time because they end up toughening the chicken instead of tenderizing it.

Don’t reuse marinade. We know it’s tempting, but once the Greek chicken marinade and raw chicken have been in contact, it’s not safe to use the marinade again. Get rid of it!

Ways to serve it

• Potatoes/Grains. We think these dill roasted potatoes with lemon have Greek vibes that pair well with the Greek chicken marinade. Serve the chicken over Instant Pot basmati rice or Israeli couscous salad.
• Salads. Keep it simple with a basic green salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, or try this tabbouleh salad. This chicken recipe also goes well with fattoush salad or chopped Greek salad.
• Veggies. Grilled vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, or bell peppers are always a tasty accompaniment to marinated chicken. Grilled vegetable salad is also fantastic! We love to serve this Greek-marinated chicken with Mediterranean chickpea and halloumi sheet pan dinner (you can bake them at the same time!).
• Pita bread. Serve the chicken with pita (or from-scratch flatbread!) and tzatziki sauce or hummus for a Greek-inspired dinner.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: If you happen to have leftover chicken, lucky you! It’s wonderful the next day, too. Slice it up and make a sandwich or add it to a salad or bowl. Cover or wrap the chicken and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Freeze: The cooked chicken can be frozen, securely wrapped, for up to 2 months. Defrost in the refrigerator.

Reheat: Gently reheat the chicken in the microwave. We like to slice it first so it heats up evenly. Don’t overheat it because that makes it dry and tough. And by the way, it’s good cold, too.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #85. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list.

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• Yield: 4
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Total: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil (another mild flavor oil can be substituted)
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (plain regular yogurt is fine, too)
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder, more to taste (see note)
• ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (or up to 4 pounds)

Method

1. Mix marinade ingredients together in a large bowl until completely blended.
2. Add chicken to the marinade and mix until the chicken is coated. Cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to overnight. If you prefer, put the chicken and marinade into a large resealable bag and set the bag in a bowl or pan in case of leakage.
3. Remove chicken from marinade, wiping off excess with your hands. Discard marinade. Cook the chicken using one of the methods below.
4. To Grill : Grill chicken over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once, until cooked through (internal temperature should be 165°F on an instant read thermometer). Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of meat and grill temperature. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
5. To Bake : Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken in greased baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Baking time depends on thickness of chicken pieces.
6. To Air Fry : Preheat the air fryer at 380°F for five minutes. Arrange the chicken in a single layer and cook for 10 minutes. Flip, and continue to cook for 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces, or until chicken is done. Remove thinner pieces as they get done. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Feel free to use fresh garlic. We usually use garlic powder because it yields just enough flavor without the punch that fresh garlic gives.

Cut the chicken into serving size pieces. If chicken breasts are large, cut them in half or butterfly them before marinating. This makes enough marinade for up to 4 pounds of chicken.

About nutrition information: Keep in mind that most of the marinade is discarded so the nutrition information is misleading.