Name: Oven-Roasted Greek Chicken Breasts
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients: 1 7-oz. container Greek yogurt (198g); 1/3 cup Kalamata olive juice (79mL); 1/3 cup water (79mL); ¼ cup chopped fresh oregano; 3 garlic cloves (smashed); 2 tsp kosher salt (12g); 2 tsp lemon zest (4g); 2 tsp ground black pepper (12g); ¼ tsp chile flakes (500mg); 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts; 2 tbsp olive oil (30mL); 2 lemons (halved); Garnish: fresh oregano

You’ll love these tender oven-roasted Greek chicken breasts! Juicy and flavor-packed Greek Chicken made in a simple marinade and perfect served with your favorite salad greens and a lemony vinaigrette.

An overhead shot of Greek chicken on a serving plate

Chicken breasts are everyone’s go-to choice for a healthy protein, but they’re lackluster in the flavor department, and notorious for drying out quickly in the oven. I solved that problem by marinating them in a mixture of Greek yogurt and olive juice, which tenderizes the meat and infuses them with flavor all the way through.

Starting them on the stovetop gives you a nice golden brown color that you can’t get from the oven alone. Try this chicken over your favorite salad greens with a lemony vinaigrette, or sliced over the pasta of your choice. Swap out the oregano for rosemary, if you prefer.

Using Yogurt to Marinade Chicken

Unlike citrus juices that often toughen meat, yogurt slowly tenderizes the meat and gives it the most delicious and juicy texture. It’s extremely easy to do and it’s perfect for low prep meals.

All you need to do is mix the yogurt and raw chicken in a ziploc bag and place it in the fridge to marinate. Let the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours but the longer the better, I recommend leaving it overnight if possible.

Adding Different Seasonings

The great thing about marinating chicken this way is that you can easily switch it up and try out different seasonings. For this Greek chicken recipe I love to keep the seasonings very simple and fresh just like authentic Greek chicken. I used a mix of fresh oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic and lemon zest but you could try anything you like from paprika to cumin or even fresh chili for extra heat.

How to Make Oven-Roasted Greek Chicken Breasts

Stir together yogurt, olive juice, and water until smooth. Stir in oregano, garlic, salt, zest, pepper, and chile flakes.
Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag; add yogurt mixture. Seal bag, turning chicken to coat. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large cast-iron skillet; heat over medium-high heat.
Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Place chicken in hot skillet; add lemons cut side down. Cook until browned on one side, about 4 minutes (lemons may brown more quickly).
Turn chicken and lemons over; transfer skillet to oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through. Serve with lemons; garnish with fresh oregano

How do I Know when the Chicken is Cooked?

Make sure your pan is really hot before adding the chicken so the chicken sears properly. Once you’ve browned the chicken on one side it’s then cooked in the oven for 15-20 minutes which is enough time to cook the chicken breasts right through (make sure to preheat your oven).

If you are unsure if the chicken is cooked through you can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. Once it reaches 165F you know the chicken is cooked through. Alternatively, you can cut one of the breasts at the thickest part to double check but I try to avoid that, see why below.

Why you Should Rest Chicken Before Serving

Once chicken is cooked it’s important to rest it for at around 5 minutes before serving, this allows the juices and flavor to sink back into the meat. If you cut meat straight after cooking all the juices will run straight out of it and the meat will dry out you’ll also lose a lot of flavor.

What to Serve Greek Chicken with?

This dish is perfect served with your favorite salad greens and a lemony vinaigrette you could also add in some feta, fresh sliced tomatoes, cucumber and olives for a complete Greek Salad. Grilled vegetables would also work really well, I especially love grilled eggplant, zucchini or tomatoes.

Top Tips for Making Oven Roasted Greek Chicken

Let the chicken marinate for as long as possible ideally overnight
Bring the chicken out of the fridge 10 minutes before cooking so it doesn’t toughen up
make sure your pan is extra hot before adding the chicken so it sears and the lemons get a nice char on them
Remember to preheat your oven
If you are unsure if the chicken is cooked use a meat thermometer
Don’t substitute fresh oregano with dried as it doesn’t have the same flavor. If you can’t find it use another fresh herb such as thyme
Make sure to use high-quality meat for the best results and flavor

If you’ve tried these oven-roasted Greek chicken breasts then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

5 from 3 votes