Name: Easy Greek Chicken Marinade for Grilling
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 4 Chicken Breasts; 1/3 Cup Olive or Grapeseed oil; 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar; 1 Lemon, juiced; 6 Cloves Garlic, Minced; 1 Tbsp. Oregano; 1 Tsp. Thyme; 1 Tsp. Salt; 1 Tsp. Black Pepper

Easy Greek Chicken Marinade

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This easy Greek chicken marinade is one of my family’s favorites! It is packed with flavor from the red wine vinegar and spices. Certainly tastes like you’ve traveled abroad with each bite you take.

You just mix together all of these traditionally Mediterranean spices, some olive oil, and red wine vinegar for a different style of meal. If you know us, you know we love to try new foods and flavors in the kitchen. This recipe is no different, it’s got all the authentic flavors you would find on a vacation to Greece.

From the first sampling of this marinade recipe, the kids (and me too!) have been asking for it at least once a month. This one has become a staple in this house and allows me to explore new inventive side dishes to go with it. Believe me, I’ve found a few that are awesome! Come back later, I need time to type them up.

Required Ingredients and Supplies

You must start off with fresh chicken breasts, the fresher the better so that they are nice and juicy when they come off the grill. As for myself, I prefer chicken thighs, so I will substitute those into the recipe for myself. I leave the skin on but remove the bones.

I’m aware that the directions below say to mix everything in a bowl, but I just use my 4 cup measuring cup and skip dirtying another dish. I put the chicken into a large zip-lock bag, mix up my marinade and pour it into the bag. Super easy, and it takes about 5 minutes to get it done.

You can use fresh spices if you have them on hand. I do try to keep some oregano, basil, and thyme growing in my kitchen at all times. I also keep some lemon juice in the fridge for these kinds of spur of the moment cravings. After this, its olive oil, red wine vinegar and some garlic. What kitchen would be complete without these on hand?

Grilling Up the Perfect Chicken

Yes, it’s that good that I will call it perfect! I’ve made a ton of chicken marinades in my day, and this one is right up there tied for the number one spot. Here in this house, we eat a lot of chicken so I get as kreative as I can.

Once you have let the chicken marinate for at least 4 hours you are ready to heat up the grill. I prefer to mix this up the night before or first thing in the morning and really let those flavors soak in. The longer meat sits in a marinade, the better the flavor.

I usually grill this one over low to medium heat and on the upper rack on my BBQ. I find that the olive oil and the chicken fat from those skins I leave on like to flareup a bit. This is perfectly normal and occurs with most marinades, but it does make me uneasy unless someone is right there manning the grill.

Fully cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165F. I let the chicken get almost done then tun up the heat for the last few minutes to give it a light char. That is if it hasn’t built its own from those little flames it makes from dripping. No fear, it never loses all of its juice, its stays really moist through this process.

What Makes a Good Marinade?

There are three main ingredients to a marinade. You will have some acid, with is usually a vinegar or fruit juice. There is an oil component, those essential seasonings. The absolute easiest marinade you can get is to grab a bottle of Italian salad dressing, vinegar, oil, and seasoning are the ingredients after all.

The acids used help to break down the meat a little bit to make it more tender. Loosening up those cellular components on the surface allow for greater absorption of the flavors. They also protect the meat from gathering those harmful chemicals that meat can get from grilling over an open flame.

Using a good quality oil helps to moisturize the meat. Some spices will impart their flavors much better into the fats of the oils than they will into the water based acids. This way you can carry those flavors into the meat rather nicely. The oils will also give you some nice pretty grill marks for that presentation aspect of your meal.

Seasonings are where things can really get creative. Sure, you can use different acids and oils that have different flavors, but the real variety comes from the array of spices you use. There are literally thousands of spices in the world, but most kitchens have only about 20. The more spices you have, in different varieties, the more fun you can have when cooking.

Make sure you balance your marinade in the right proportions. You generally want three parts oil to one part acid. This particular recipe is more of a 1 to 1 ratio, with gives it a nice tang once finished. Marinades work best on thinner cuts of meat so the flavor can be evenly absorbed. Larger cuts require longer soaking times for the full effect of this best kept cooking secret.

Can you make this marinade in advance?

Yes, you can make this and store it in the refrigerator for a few days before using it. Do not store marinades in metal containers. The acids can react with the metals so be sure to use either plastic or glass to store marinades in.

Be sure to use your marinade within about 3 days. That would give it enough time to assimilate all the flavors from the seasoning and still be fresh enough to use. Who knew this easy Greek chicken marinade would be so easy?

What To Do With Leftover Chicken

Left over chicken? With this marinade?

It does happen from time to time. I like this recipe so much I always double the recipe. This way I am sure to be able to pack healthy lunches during the week. I sliced it thin and rolled it into a wrap once and it was delicious!

For just about anything left after a meal, you allow it to cool slightly and then transfer it to an airtight container. Meats will store in the refrigerator for about 3 days after you cook them. My rule of thumb is three days period. If it’s still, there on day four it goes away.

Reheat this chicken in the microwave for about 45-60 seconds for a tasty treat the next day. You can eat it just as you made it including your sides or you can get inventive. Wraps, chicken salad, sandwiches, the possibilities are all as delicious as the chicken they are made from.