Name: Oven Baked Greek Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 6-8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; 1/4 cup plain yogurt (Greek or regular); 1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of 2-3 lemons); 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar; 4-5 cloves minced garlic; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; 1 teaspoon kosher salt or coarse sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 servings

Oven Baked Greek Chicken Thighs

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Crispy on the outside, tender and flavorful on the inside, these Greek-style chicken thighs are a family favorite.

Ingredients

6-8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1/4 cup plain yogurt (Greek or regular)
1/4 cup lemon juice (juice of 2-3 lemons)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
4-5 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt or coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Prepare the marinade by mixing yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and black pepper. Whisk vigorously to emulsify the olive oil.
Sprinkle chicken thighs with additional salt if desired, then place in a zip-top plastic bag or a glass dish with a cover. Pour Marinade over the chicken and move pieces around to ensure each one is coated.
Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
To bake the chicken thighs, arrange in a baking dish, skin side up, leaving some space between pieces for more even cooking. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken in the pan. (Optional: line the baking dish with aluminum foil for easier cleanup.)
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches at least 165°F. Baking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces.
The skin should be crispy, but if you want it to brown and crisp up even more, turn on the broiler for 4-5 minutes.
Remove from oven and serve.

Notes

1. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. They can be eaten rewarmed or chopped up to add to a salad or pita sandwich.

2. You can make this recipe dairy-free by leaving out the yogurt. The lemon juice and red wine vinegar will do an adequate job of adding zing to the flavor and tenderizing the meat.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 chicken thigh
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 140Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 352mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 6g

Crispy on the outside, tender and flavorful on the inside, these Greek-style chicken thighs are a family favorite.

Classic Greek Marinade and Salad Dressing

These oven-baked chicken thighs are seasoned with the classic Greek flavors of olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, and oregano. And of course salt and pepper.

If you keep those five in mind, you can use them as the basis for tons of Greek salads, baked dishes, and more.

Here, I’ve simply added yogurt for some extra tenderization. The lactic acid in the yogurt breaks down the proteins in the meat to make it tender and juicy.

It also helps to emulsify the oil with the other ingredients in the marinade. In other words, it keeps everything well mixed, rather than separating.

You can use Greek yogurt or regular plain yogurt. I go with full fat whenever possible.

Marinate that chicken!

Once you’ve made the marinade, it needs to do the magic of flavoring and tenderizing the chicken. Longer is better, as it will give more flavor. Up to 24 hours is ideal.

Let’s be honest. I never have my ducks in a row that far ahead of time. Several hours is certainly sufficient for marinating time, and down to at least 15 minutes in a pinch. Less than that, and you’ll be skimping on flavors in the finished product.

I like to marinate my meat in a covered glass dish. Less plastic is always a vague goal that I’m working toward, although I’m not extreme. If you really want one less dish to wash, feel free to marinate the chicken in a zip-top plastic bag.

I’ll admit, the plastic bag has the advantage of more even distribution of the marinade around the chicken. I just happen to think a glass dish feels messy.

Either way, be sure to keep the chicken in the refrigerator while it’s marinating.

Bake the chicken

Once the chicken has had some time to soak, it’s ready to bake.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Move the chicken from wherever it was marinating onto a glass baking dish. Make sure the pieces are skin-side up.

For easier cleanup, you can line the baking dish with aluminum foil. I’m personally of two minds about using foil. It sure is convenient, but I’ve started to be more wary of aluminum in contact with food. I’m still on the fence on this one.

Leave a little bit of space on the pan between chicken pieces if possible. This will help the chicken cook faster and more evenly. It will also help the skin on each piece to get crispier.

After you’ve arranged all the chicken pieces in the pan, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken.

Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes. The exact bake time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces and how many you have (and anything else you might have in the oven).

The chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

If the chicken is cooked through but the skin is not yet browning and crispy, you can put it under the broiler for 4-5 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t get too singed.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

I like to serve Greek chicken thighs with a Greek tomato salad and quinoa or rice. It also goes very nicely with crusty bread, which you can dip in the drippings from the baking dish.