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Best Greek Grilled Chicken Recipe

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This Greek grilled chicken is a delicious and easy meal that’s perfect for summer time evenings. The Greek grilled chicken marinade is made with just 6 simple ingredients, takes just a few minutes to prepare, and leaves the chicken super JUICY. Then marinate, grill, and EAT! Serve this grilled Greek chicken with Greek cucumber salad, Greek potato salad, Greek chickpea salad with feta cheese, or Mediterranean pasta salad and grilled bread or air fryer pita bread for a quick and nutritious meal.

Be sure to try my Greek meatballs, grilled chicken drumsticks, grilled chicken thighs, ground beef kofta, or lemon garlic grilled chicken breasts next time. And if you’ve got leftovers, turn any of these chicken recipes into cherry chicken pasta salad!

Plate with grilled Greek chicken and Greek salad.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

What You’ll Love About Greek Grilled Chicken

  • Juicy and flavorful chicken
  • Just 5 minutes prep time
  • Made with just 6 simple ingredients
  • Versatile main dish

Greek Grilled Chicken Marinade Ingredients

We’ll talk about chicken below, but here are the ingredients you’ll need for the Greek marinade for grilled chicken:

  • Greek yogurt – Use plain Greek yogurt, 2% or full fat if you can find it for best flavor.
  • Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves for best flavor or frozen garlic cubes for convenience.
  • Lemon zest – Use a fresh lemon as we’re using the zest from it. Save the lemon juice for something else.
  • Red wine vinegar – This gives the chicken great flavor, but you could also use apple cider vinegar or white balsamic vinegar.
  • Olive oil – Use high quality olive oil for best flavor.
  • Oregano – Use dried oregano, this gives the chicken classic Greek flavor.
  • Sea salt
Ingredients to make Greek grilled chicken marinade and chicken.

How to Make Greek Grilled Chicken

You can mix up this marinade in just a few minutes:

  • Mix up Greek yogurt marinade. In a large bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, lemon zest, red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, and sea salt until smooth.
  • Marinate chicken. Add chicken to bowl and toss together so that chicken is evenly coated. Transfer to refrigerator if marinating for longer than 30 minutes.
Chicken in Greek yogurt marinade.
  • Grill chicken. Preheat grill over medium high heat and place chicken legs over direct heat. Flip half way through grilling and grill until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 185 degrees F. (See FAQ below)
Grilled Greek chicken on grill grates.
  • Rest chicken. Let chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I cook it to 185 degrees F instead of 165 degrees F?

So this is interesting and something I learned while researching grilled chicken thighs. While most chicken recipes are cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, we’re actually cooking thighs and dark meat to 185 degrees F. This allows the higher fat and collagen content in thighs get a chance to “baste” the white meat, which makes it super juicy and flavorful. I’m a convert and you will be too!

What does Greek yogurt do to chicken?

Greek yogurt marinades help to create a juicy and tender chicken. “Harsher” lemon juice or vinegar based marinades work quickly, which can actually toughen meat up instead of making it tender.

The yogurt works a little slower, which creates a tender meat, as well as imparting delicious, savory flavor.

What cut of chicken can you use with this marinade?

You can marinate any cut of chicken in this Greek yogurt marinade. I’ve used drumsticks for this recipe, but it’s really up to you. I’ve also done chicken thighs which were amazing! The cooking time will vary based on cut, size, grill temperature, etc. so I recommend using an instant read meat thermometer but here is an estimated cooking time:

  • Drumsticks – about 20-25 minutes
  • Thighs – about 20-25 minutes
  • Breasts – about 45 minutes
  • Boneless and skinless chicken breasts – about 10 minutes

How long should you marinate chicken before grilling it?

Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes if you have time. You can also marinate this grilled chicken Greek style for up to overnight. Some marinades will turn mushy if it’s marinated too long, but this doesn’t happen with yogurt marinades.

Plate with Greek grilled chicken.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover chicken in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

How to reheat

Reheat chicken in a 350 degree F oven or air fryer or serve cold or at room temperature.

Can you freeze grilled chicken?

Yes, you can freeze grilled chicken. Store in an airtight container (stasher bags work well) and freeze for 2-3 months.

How to Serve Greek Chicken to the Whole Family

I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in. 😉

I think chicken drumsticks are a great option for kids and because this marinade is pretty mild, I think your kids will love it as much as mine. Be sure to serve the meal alongside a few items you know they will eat (milk, fruit, bread, etc.) and start them off with a small piece of chicken if they are unsure of it or if it’s a new food.

All of my articles on feeding kids can be found here and if you want a FULL list of all of the videos I have with hacks, tips, scripts, and ideas for feeding kids, check out my instagram or tiktok page.

Plate of grilled Greek chicken with parsley garnish.

What to Serve with Greek Grilled Chicken Recipe

Serve this Greek yogurt grilled chicken with a simple side dish:

More Easy Grilling Recipes

If you like this Greek marinated grilled chicken, you might also like some of these other easy grilling recipes:

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Plate with grilled Greek chicken and Greek salad.
Print
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Plate of grilled Greek chicken with parsley garnish.

Greek Grilled Chicken Recipe

  • Author: Emily Dingmann of myeverydaytable.com
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Marinating Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: about 8 drumsticks 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Grill
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean
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Description

This Greek grilled chicken marinade leaves you with JUICY and FLAVORFUL chicken! Serve grilled Greek chicken with a simple side for an easy meal.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium lemon, zested
  • 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tsp. oregano
  • 2 tsp. sea salt
  • 2 lbs. chicken legs (drumsticks)


Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, lemon zest, red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, sea salt together until smooth.
  2. Add chicken to bowl and toss so chicken is evenly coated in marinade. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
  3. Pre-heat grill to medium high heat. (Make sure it’s clean and oiled!)
  4. Place chicken legs over direct heat and cook for 15 minutes, flip over and cook for another 10 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees.
  5. Let rest for at least 5-10 minutes.


Notes

  • Cooking time is approximate and will vary based on cut of chicken, size of chicken, and grill temperature. Using an instant read meat thermometer is recommended. 
  • Nutrition facts are for an average sized chicken drumstick. 

Keywords: Greek grilled chicken, grilled Greek chicken, Greek grilled chicken marinade

This post may contain affiliate links. They do not add any charge to you, but I will make a very small commission from them. I only link to products I use and recommend. Thank you for your support!

Photo Credit: All photos in this post were take by Loren at Sweet Rustic Bakes

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