Greek Marinated Chicken Thighs

Greek Marinated Chicken Thighs are tender and juicy, marinated in olive oil, vinegar, and a blend of herbs and spices, then cooked in a skillet until golden brown, ready in under an hour!

We make chicken thighs at least once a week in this house. For more ideas, check out these Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs and Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs.

Greek Marinated Chicken Thighs are the perfect weeknight dinner, made with simple ingredients like olive oil, vinegar, spices, and fresh herbs, cooked in a skillet until golden brown. You can also use a store-bought or Homemade Greek Salad Dressing. This is one of my favorite boneless chicken thighs recipes because it has a really nice Mediterranean flavor, and it’s simple to make!

Chicken marinades are really easy to throw together because chicken goes great with a lot of different flavors. You can also try changing up this chicken thigh marinade recipe using ideas from my Marinated Chicken Drumsticks. Or to switch it up, try these Marinated Pork Chops.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Boneless Chicken Thighs. I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs, but you could also use bone-in skin-on for this recipe. The skin will actually become crispy when pan-searing.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Try to choose an oil for the marinade that also has a high smoke point, so you can use different cooking methods easily. Avocado oil or canola oil would both be good options here.

Apple Cider Vinegar. Vinegar adds flavor, and also helps tenderize the meat when used in a marinade. You could also use regular white vinegar for this recipe.

Dijon Mustard. This adds a nice flavor to the marinade. You can also use 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard or a teaspoon regular mustard or yellow mustard instead.

Spices. This recipe uses easy pantry spices that you probably already have. Granulated garlic, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.

You can also mince 1-2 cloves garlic instead of using granulated garlic. Instead of chopping the garlic, just peel it and pulse everything together in the food processor.

Herbs. We’re using common dried herbs, just dried oregano and basil. For a brighter flavor, we have fresh parsley. You could also use 1 tablespoon of dried parsley instead of fresh.

How to Make Greek Marinated Chicken Thighs

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the greek marinade ingredients until well combined.
2. Add the chicken thighs to a mixing bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs, mixing until they’re well-coated on all sides. Either store them in a refrigerated bowl covered with plastic wrap, or in a large ziplock bag in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3. After 30 minutes has passed, remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and place in a hot skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the leftover marinade over the chicken thighs if desired (but only while the pieces are still raw). Discard any other marinade that’s leftover.
4. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and the chicken thighs have reached an internal temperature of 165°F. Add more cooking time as-needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage

Refrigerate leftover greek chicken thighs for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

Freeze leftover chicken thighs for 2-3 months in an airtight storage container. Defrost in the refrigerator the day before.

More Chicken Recipes

• Dutch Oven Chicken Breast With Potatoes
• Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
• Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
• Creamy Mushroom Chicken Risotto

Recipe Variations

• This marinade makes really flavorful grilled Greek chicken! If you plan on grilling the chicken thighs instead of cooking them in a skillet, let the marinade drip off of the chicken pieces first to prevent flare-ups from the oil dripping on the grill. You can also blot them with a paper towel to remove any dripping oil.
• You can make marinated baked chicken thighs by pouring everything (including extra marinade) into a baking dish and baking it for 35-45 minutes at 400°F. You could also make these on a baking sheet, and flip them over at the 20-25 minute mark, then continue cooking until time is up.
• Make this spicy with a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
• For extra flavor, add a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon juice to make a lemon chicken marinade. You can also add some chopped green onion or shallots, or a splash of white wine.
• Use this same recipe using other cuts of chicken, like boneless chicken breast or chicken legs.

Cooking Tips

• You can use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, which would have a nice crispy skin when cooked in the skillet. I use skinless chicken thighs as a personal preference.
• Check your thighs with a meat thermometer to make sure they’re fully cooked to 165°F, and add more cooking time as-needed.
• Always refrigerate chicken as it marinates. Make sure you discard any leftover chicken thigh marinade that has touched raw chicken for food safety. Ready more about the danger zone here with the USDA.
• Unlike chicken breast, thigh meat gets more tender the longer you cook it (but it’s not impossible to over-cook). It’s better to add some more cook time and bring the chicken thighs up to an internal temperature of 175°F-195°F for a more tender chicken and juicy meat.
• Serve this chicken over rice or with a green salad. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.

If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!

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