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!
Oven-Roasted Greek Chicken Breasts
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
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, 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.
- Preheat oven to 375F. 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, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve with lemons; garnish with fresh oregano.
Notes
- 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
Nutrition
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I tried this recipe today & everyone loved it! I couldn’t find some Kalamata olive juice at the grocery store. However, I used other juice from some green olives I had.
I tried this recipe today & everyone loved it! I couldn’t find some Kalamata olive juice at the grocery store. However, I used other juice from some green olives I had.
Fantastic recipe! It came out great and my husband loved it! I usually overcook chicken because I’m afraid to under cook it, but with all the helpful cooking tips John gives and the way the marinade infuses the chicken with flavor and moisture, it all came out awesome! Thank you, John! 🙂
I love Greek food with passion, and this delicious chicken recipe is a winner! Moist and tender and amazingly fragrant chicken!
The marinade makes the chicken so tender and juicy I loved it!
This looks amazing! Will you be doing a video for this?