Greek Chicken Thighs are one of those proteins that just win no matter how you serve them. With salads, pasta, or standing on their own, they’ll be a hit. But for that extra wow-factor, serve them on top of our delicious Hummus Bowls or these Greek Chicken Bowls. You’ll be amazed at how quickly a piece of chicken can be transformed to be the star of the show.
The Best Greek Chicken Thighs
There are loads Greek chicken thigh recipes out there, so we’ll consider this our humble brag for the day, but these tender and juicy chicken thighs truly are the best. Using a simple greek chicken marinade and an even simpler stove-top cooking method, you’ll quickly get dinner on the table that might just become a new family favorite.
What You Will Need
- chicken thighs – bone-in, skin-on are our favorite variety for juicy, tender bites of chicken.
- avocado oil – Feel free to substitute this for a high quality extra virgin olive oil.
- red wine vinegar – A robust tang that will make your chicken extra tender.
- fresh lemon juice – Some citrus to elevate all of the spices.
- kosher salt & ground black pepper – You can’t leave out the classics.
- dried oregano leaves – Provides a pungent and slightly minty flavor.
- dried coriander – Refreshing, tart, and citrusy.
- garlic powder – A full bodied spice that adds depth and a bit of spiciness.
- marjoram – A delicate and sweet spice that is similar to oregano.
- garlic – Fresh garlic is a must to add texture and some heat.
- dijon mustard – Tangy, sharp, and a bit of heat goes a long way.
How To Make Greek Marinated Chicken Thighs
It’s always a good idea to start by gathering and measuring all of the ingredients. There’s nothing worse than starting a recipe and realizing halfway through that you’re out of something.
Place all of your measured ingredients into a small mixing bowl. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine all of the ingredients.
What Type Of Chicken To Use
We love this marinade with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs as these added elements add more flavor, but you could easily swap them out for skinless and boneless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Place chicken of choice in a casserole dish or medium bowl and pat dry with a clean paper towel. You can also marinade your chicken in a ziplock bag or our personal favorite, Stasher bags.
Pour the marinade over the top of raw chicken, making sure that all the pieces are fully coated. For the best results, cover the container and keep it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight for the fullest flavor.
You can also marinade your chicken in a ziplock bag or our personal favorite, Stasher bags. Marinating meats in advance is one of our favorite ways to speed. up meal prep and get maximum flavor in all of our proteins.
Place a large cast iron skillet on the stove-top and bring to medium-high heat. Add a tiny bit of oil to the pan, just enough to lightly coat the bottom. Once the pan is hot, place the chicken thighs skin-side down into the pan, and sear for 3-4 minutes or until the skin is nice and brown.
Next, flip the chicken thighs over and place the cast iron skillet into the oven at 400°F for 15-20 minutes. Use an internal meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature has reached 165°F.
What To Serve With Greek Chicken Thighs
Once cooked, let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. If you’re going the classic route, serve your chicken alongside some ultimate yukon gold mashed potatoes and garlic green beans. Of if you want to get out of your comfort zone and lean into those Greek flavors, serve these thighs alongside our greek cucumber salad or on our savory hummus bowls.
Grilling Option
We didn’t forget about all those grilling lovers out there. Start by bringing your grill up to medium high heat (about 400 degrees F) and ensure grill grates are clean. Grill chicken on direct heat (directly over flame) for 3-4 minutes per side.
Note that the bigger the thigh the longer the cooking time will be. Remove the chicken from the grill once the internal temp has reached 165 degrees F. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Recipe FAQs
- grilling option – scroll down to the bottom of this post in our recipe card for the full grilling instructions or check out our full post on the topic.
- storage – Store leftover chicken thighs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
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Greek Chicken Thighs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinate Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Stove Top + Oven
- Cuisine: Greek-Inspired
Description
Greek Chicken Thighs – a delicious and easy Greek chicken thigh recipe that is perfect on its own or in a salad or hummus bowl!
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1/3 cup avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon dried coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
- 4 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- serving: Greek Cucumber Salad or serve in a Greek Hummus Bowl
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Pat chicken thighs dry (trim excess skin, if necessary) and place in a reusable silicone bag or glass container. Pour marinade over top and ensure chicken is fully coated.
- Seal/cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place a large cast iron skillet on the stove-top and bring to medium-high heat. Add a tiny bit of oil to the pan, just enough to lightly coat the bottom.
- Once the pan is hot (it should sizzle if you flick some water on it) place the chicken thighs skin-side down into the pan and let sear 3-4 minutes or until the skin is nice and brown.
- Flip the chicken thighs over and then move the skillet to the oven (middle rack and uncovered). Let cook 15-20 minutes or until fully cooked (165 degree internal temperature).
- Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with our Greek Cucumber Salad OR serve in our Greek Hummus Bowls!
Notes
- Grill Option: to grill bring grill up to medium high heat (about 400 degrees F) and ensure grill grates are clean. Grill chicken on direct heat (directly over flame) for 3-4 minutes per side (the bigger the thigh the longer you will need to cook it), flipping once. Remove from grill once the internal temp has reached 165 degrees F. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Serving: Serve with our Greek Cucumber Salad OR serve in our Greek Hummus Bowls!
- Storage: store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Cassie says
I made this once with chicken thighs and I was in love. I had a little extra marinade (that never was on the chicken) and I added about 2 Tablespoons of vegan coconut yogurt and omg is it the most delicious dressing!! Yum yum!!
Erin says
Oooh I love that idea! Sounds amazing – glad you enjoyed!