Easy Greek Chicken Thigh Marinade
This simple Greek chicken thigh marinade combines classic Mediterranean flavors for juicy, flavorful results. Greek seasoning brings warm herbs and garlic, fresh lemon juice adds brightness, and olive oil keeps the chicken tender while helping the flavors soak in. Perfect for grilling, roasting, or pan-searing, it’s an easy, go-to marinade that delivers bold, fresh Greek flavor with minimal ingredients.
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Tips for Greek Chicken Thigh Marinade
Trimming the fat
I prefer to trim excess fat from the chicken thighs before marinating them. It makes eating them more enjoyable, since I don’t have to eat around chewy pieces of fat. However, this is a completely optional step. I have skipped this on occasion, and the chicken still turned out amazing.
What is greek seasoning?
I recently found an amazing Greek seasoning at Costco (Greek Freak by Spiceology). Using a pre-made mix makes and already easy recipe even easier. If you can’t find it or simply prefer to make your seasonings from scratch, it’s easy to mix up a homemade Greek seasoning. Checkout my Greek Seasoning Blend Recipe here.
what’s the best way to cook it?
This is all personal preference. The grill/griddle/cast iron options will give the chicken more of a charred outside. The oven roasted option will stil brown up nicely, but won’t have the typical grilled flavor. The Instant Pot version will be super tender and juicy, but won’t have a crust of any kind. We prefer to cook most of our meat on a Blackstone griddle.
Easy Greek Chicken Thigh Marinade
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 8½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ½ cup Greek seasoning (See Notes)
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup lemon juice
For Instant Pot Cooking (See below for other options)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs. Place the trimmed chicken thighs in a shallow dish. (Note: This step is optional.)8½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Add the spices and olive oil to the chicken. Mix well until the chicken is evenly coated.½ cup Greek seasoning, 2 tsp sea salt, 2 tsp paprika, ½ cup olive oil
- Add the lemon juice and mix again.½ cup lemon juice
- Cover and marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Choose Your Preferred Cooking Method (See Notes)
- Griddle/Cast Iron: Preheat on medium-high heat. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on the hot surface. Add chicken thighs and cook ~5 minutes per side (or until internal temperature reaches 165℉).
- Grill: Cook chicken thighs over medium-high heat for ~5 minutes per side (or until internal temperature reaches 165℉).
- Oven Roasted: Preheat oven to 400℉. Arrange chicken thighs in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered for ~30 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉).
- Instant Pot: Set Instant Pot to Saute and add the olive oil to the pot. Once the oil is hot, saute the chicken thighs for 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the chicken thighs and set aside. Add the chicken broth to the Instant Pot and scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn off the Instant Pot and place the trivet in the bottom. Place the chicken thighs on top of the trivet, close the Instant Pot, set to pressure cook on High for 8 minutes. Once the cooking time is up, let the Instant Pot do a natural release for 5 minutes. Quick release the remaining pressure.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup chicken broth
