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Easy, simple and packed with delicious Mediterranean flavours, this Grilled Greek Chicken is perfect for a family meal or weekend cookout. Marinated in a blend of olive oil, fresh lemon, garlic, and herbs, it comes out tender and flavourful every time. Serve the chicken with some crispy roasted potatoes, Greek salad and homemade tzaziki for a healthy and balanced meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Incredibly Delicious: A simple yet delicious marinade gives the chicken a bold, zesty, and herby taste.
- Wood-Fired Flavour: Grilling the chicken on the Traeger Grill gives it an irresistible wood-fired flavour you just can’t replicate in the oven or on a gas grill.
- Easy to Prepare: The marinade is simple and grilling makes it easy while minimizing kitchen clean up!
- Healthy & Protein-Packed: Chicken is high in protein, making it a great option for a nutritious dinner.
- Versatile Serving Options: Pair the Greek chicken with roast potatoes, rice, veggies, or a classic Greek salad (recipe included below).
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken: I used a whole chicken that I broke down into individual parts. You can ask your butcher to do this or attempt it yourself – it’s easier than it sounds. I personally love bone-in and skin-on chicken, especially with this Greek marinade and grilled on the Traeger, but you can substitute any individual part of the chicken you like or use something boneless and skinless, such as thighs or breast.
Note: Boneless and skinless chicken will cook MUCH quicker so you will need to adjust the cooking times. I still recommend grilling it at 475F on a Traeger or a medium heat on a gas grill. Use a meat thermometer for best results. - Lemon Juice: Skip the bottled stuff and use freshly-squeezed lemon juice for the Greek chicken marinade. It will impart a much better flavour and more aroma.
- Yellow Mustard: It’s not just for burgers and hot dogs! A couple spoons of some classic yellow mustard will give the chicken a layer of colour, acidity and twang. It’s also a key ingredient in my souvlaki marinades and Slow Roast Lamb recipe
- Garlic: As always, measure this ingredient with your heart and don’t let anyone tell you there’s such a thing as too much!
- Herbs and Spices: A combination of dry thyme, paprika and crushed red pepper flakes give the chicken a simple yet delicious flavour profile.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil will not only impart a delicious flavour into the chicken and help develop a golden brown colour, but will also help prevent it from sticking to the grill.
- Salt and Pepper: I use freshly-cracked black pepper and Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt for 99.9% of my cooking. Diamond Crystal has larger salt crystals than other brands, making it less salty in taste by volume. Do not use the same measurements if you are using something finer, like sea salt.
- Potatoes: Yellow potatoes are a staple in Greek cuisine and make for an easy and delicious side dish to serve with the grilled chicken. I kept them very simple here with just some olive oil, salt, pepper and dry oregano but you can also use them to make a batch of my Roasted Greek Potatoes.
How to Prepare the Grilled Greek Chicken
1. Marinate the Chicken
In a bowl or a zip-top bag, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken, ensuring it’s fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight for maximum flavour.
2. Preheat the Grill
Heat your Traeger Grill to 475F.
*For conventional gas or charcoal grill: set up a two-zone fire with one side set to a medium heat.
**For oven: preheat it to 425F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
3. Prep the Potatoes
Peel and cut the potatoes into wedges. Place them onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, drizzle with olive oil and season with dry oregano, salt and pepper. Toss everything to coat.
4. Grill the Chicken
Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it skin-side down on the lowest grates of your Traeger. Place the sheet pan onto the grill as well. Close the grill door and cook the chicken for around 30 minutes or until the skin turns golden brown. Flip and cook the other sides until they turn golden brown and the thickest part of the breast reaches 160°F. You can cook the dark meat (thighs, drumsticks and wings) to 180F with little risk of them drying out. Cook the potatoes until they are golden brown and fork-tender, around 40 minutes total.
*For conventional gas or charcoal grill: Place the chicken, skin side-down, over direct medium heat and cook until grill marks form, around 10 minutes. Flip and cook until grill marks form on the other side, around 10 more minutes. Transfer the chicken to the indirect heat side and cook until the thickest part of the breast registers 160F, around 15 more minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. Place the potatoes on the indirect heat side and cook until golden brown and fork-tender, 35-45 minutes depending on strength of your grill and size of potatoes.
**For oven: Place the chicken, skin side-up, on the sheet pan lined with parchment paper and roast until golden brown and the thickest part of the breast registers 160F. For extra crispy skin, switch the oven to broil and cook an extra 2 to 3 minutes or until deeply browned. Roast the potatoes alongside the chicken until golden brown and fork-tender, around 35 minutes.
5. Rest & Serve
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving with some lemon wedges, roast potatoes and Greek salad.
Substitution Ideas
- Chicken: You can breakdown the chicken into individual pieces (as shown here) or butterfly the bird by removing the backbone and grill it whole. You can also substitute any part of the chicken you like – wings, thighs, breast, drumsticks. The Greek marinade is super versatile and can also be used on lamb chops, pork chops or for souvlaki.
- Greek Yogurt: If you have it and are not avoiding dairy, you can add 1/4 cup Greek yogurt to the chicken marinade. It will help tenderize the meat, give it a tangy flavour and develop a beautifully golden brown colour as it cooks.
- Herb Variations: Substitute dry oregano or fresh rosemary instead of the dry thyme for a different twist. Or you can use a combination of herbs.
- Lemon Juice: Substitute red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar instead of lemon juice for a more acidic flavour profile.
For Best Results!
- Use Fresh Lemon Juice: It adds a brighter flavour and more aroma compared to bottled lemon juice.
- Marinate: If time allows, marinate the chicken for at least one hour or up to a day in advance to deepen the flavours.
- Let the Chicken Rest: After the chicken comes off the grill, let it rest 5 minutes before serving to let the juices redistribute into the meat.
- Use a Meat Thermometer: Avoid cutting into the chicken to test for doneness. Instead, use a digital meat thermometer and cook the white meat to 160F and the dark meat reaches 180F for perfect doneness.
Greek Chicken Serving Suggestions
- Greek Salad: Pair the chicken with a healthy and fresh Greek village salad (Horiatiki) made with cucumbers, tomatoes, green pepper, red onion, feta, dry oregano and Kalamata olives. You can dress the salad simply with some good olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt. Or, grab a bottle of Side Dish Greek Dressing, which is the best clean-ingredient Greek vinaigrette you’ll find.
- Pita Wraps: Carve the chicken and serve it in a warm pita with some Tzatziki, sliced tomato, shredded lettuce and onion for a gyro-style meal.
- Rice & Veggies: Add a side of rice pilaf and grilled vegetables for a hearty meal.
- Tzaziki: Serve the chicken and potatoes with some homemade Tzaziki for a winning combo.
How to Store & Reheat Grilled Greek Chicken
- Store leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat leftovers in a 300F oven for 10-12 minutes or until warmed through.
- Microwave: Reheat in 30-second intervals until heated through.
Recipe FAQ’s
How long should I marinate the Greek chicken?
For best results, let the chicken soak up the Greek marinade for 1 to 6 hours before grilling. If you want to get more of a headstart, you can marinate it the day before but I do not recommend any longer than 24 hours because the lemon juice will start to give the chicken a different texture.
How long should I cook the chicken per side?
The time your chicken takes to cook will depend entirely on the strength of your grill and thickness of the meat. Instead of focusing on the exact time, I recommend you use a meat thermometer and your eyes to assess when it’s time to flip. You want the chicken to develop a golden brown colour and the thickest part of the breast should be 160F (dark meat can be cooked to 180F with little risk of it drying out).
As a rough guideline, the chicken pictured here was quite large and took around 35 minutes at 475F on my Traeger Woodridge before it developed a golden brown colour and was time to flip. It took another 20 minutes or so to develop colour on the other side and to fully cook through. A smaller chicken would likely take less time to cook.
If you are cooking the chicken on a direct-heat grill (gas or charcoal), you will more than likely need to flip the chicken sooner and more frequently to prevent the skin from burning.
Can I Prepare the Greek Chicken in Advance?
The chicken tastes best when served hot off the grill but can be prepared up to 4 days in advance for easy meal prep.
You can also get a head start on the cooking process by marinating the chicken up to one day ahead of time. The chicken takes around 45 minutes total cooking time and if you’re cooking on a Traeger Grill, most of that time is hands-off since the grill does most of the work for you and there’s very little risk of burning because Traegers use indirect heat.
Can I cook this without a grill?
Yes! If you don’t have a grill you can roast the chicken in the oven. I recommend placing the chicken skin side-up on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and roasting it at 425F until it’s golden brown and the thickest part of the meat registers 160F, around 45 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and cook, rotating the sheet pan as needed, until the skin is lightly charred and slightly crispy, around more 3 minutes.
What’s the best way to keep the Greek chicken from drying out?
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature and avoid overcooking.
- Cook the white meat (breast) to 160F and the dark meat (thighs, drumsticks and wings) to 180F. The higher internal temperature allows for collagen to break down better in the dark meat.
- Let the chicken rest 5 minutes after grilling before serving.
Should I use bone-in or boneless chicken? Skin-on?
I personally prefer this recipe with bone-in and skin-on chicken because the skin gets nice and crispy and the meat stays very juicy. However, you can use whatever cut or type of chicken you prefer. What’s important is that you pay attention to the cooking times. Bone-in chicken will take longer to cook than boneless. That’s why it’s important you use a meat thermometer.
Grilled Greek Chicken
Ingredients
For the Grilled Greek Chicken:
- 3.5- pound whole chicken, legs, wings, breasts, backbone and thighs separated
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1.5 teaspoons dry thyme, substitute dry oregano or use half of each
- 1.5 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for serving
For the Roast Potatoes:
- 2 pounds yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
For the Greek Village Salad:
- 4 Persian cucumbers, roughly cut into discs
- 3 tomatoes, roughly cut into large chunks
- ½ green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon dry oregano, substitute 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, substitute fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons brined capers, drained and rinsed
- 3 ounces feta cheese
Instructions
For the Grilled Greek Chicken:
- In a bowl or zip-top bag, combine the chicken, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, thyme, paprika, red pepper flakes and black pepper and toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 6 hours.
- Preheat your Traeger Grill to 475F.
- Transfer the chicken to the lowest racks of the grill, skin side-down at first, and cook until golden brown, around 35 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until golden brown all over and the thickest part of each piece reaches 160F, around 20 more minutes. Note that cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken and smaller parts like wings will cook more quickly.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving platter along with some lemon wedges for squeezing. Serve the chicken with the roast potatoes and village salad.
For the Roast Potatoes:
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the potatoes, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Spread the potatoes into a single layer with one of the cut sides down, transfer the sheet pan to the preheated 475F Traeger along with the chicken and cook, undisturbed, until the bottoms of the potatoes are golden brown, around 30 minutes. Flip the potatoes and continue cooking until they are fork-tender, around 10 more minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with the grilled Greek Chicken.
For the Greek Village Salad:
- In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, onion, and oregano. Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar and season to taste with salt. Toss everything to coat, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper or vinegar, as desired.
- Add the olives and capers and top with the feta cheese. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over top of the feta and lightly season with another pinch of dry oregano. Serve with the grilled Greek chicken and roasted potatoes.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
I follow the Primal Gourmet on IG and he sent me this chicken recipe after I saw it on one of his reels. It was the most delicious and easiest healthy dinners to make. The chicken was juicy and flavorful and the grill gives it some tasty crispy edges. Will continue to be a an avid follow and looking forward to more of his content.
This was the best chicken I’ve ever made…overnight marinated and it came out amazing
I made what I call my “Big Greek Feast” using your recipes and it was huge success! So much so that it was requested for our after church pot luck this Sunday! Thanks for the opportunity to share this cultural treat with my Church Family!
Making this tonight! I changed up a few things. I used chicken thighs, omitted some of the ingredients in the salad (my husband is picky lol), and added lemon zest to the potatoes. Yum!