Greek Lemon Chicken
GRILLED GREEK LEMON CHICKENš
I may have had a PSL for breakfast, but itās 84 degrees in San Diego, so Iām still holding onto summer recipes and grilling season āļø This marinade will be your new go to, as it packs your chicken with flavor and doesnāt need a lot of time to work itās magic. Find both grilling and stovetop methods below!
Grilling Tips:
When grilling chicken, I love using boneless, skinless chicken thighs as they are more flavorful and more forgiving than chicken breasts, which can dry out easily.
When using lemon juice in a marinade, you donāt want to marinate longer than about an hour, as the acid can break down the fibers in the chicken and make it tough. If you want to marinate for longer, just skip the lemon juice and add it at the end, just before grilling.
Whenever you are grilling meat, you always want to make sure your chicken is at room temperature before adding to the grill.
Even though there is olive oil in the marinade, I still use avocado oil (for its high smoke point) to oil the grates to make sure the chicken doesnāt stick. Usually, if your chicken is sticking to the grates, itās not ready to flip yet, as cooked chicken will release from the grates more easily.
Serves 3-4.
Ingredients:
For the Greek Lemon Chicken:
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Ā¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 grated garlic cloves
Ā¼ tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp avocado oil
Directions:
For the Greek Lemon Chicken:
In a large ziplock, add the chicken, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dried oregano, dijon mustard, garlic, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and mix until well coated.
Marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature (if you are going to marinate for longer, wait to add the lemon juice to the marinade until just before cooking as it can break down the fibers of the chicken. Also be sure to remove from the fridge 15-20 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature).
Heat a grill or cast iron skillet to medium high heat.
Oil the grates or pan with avocado oil (has a higher smoke point so handles high heat better than olive oil).
Add the chicken in a single layer (depending on the size of your grill or pan, you may need to do this in batches) and cook for 4 minutes, or until you get some nice charring on the first side.
Flip and cook for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.
Set aside to rest for 3-4 minutes until serving.
Serving suggestion: Slice 2 large zucchinis in Ā¼ā slices and coat with 2 tbsps olive oil. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side or until soft, but tender. Enjoy!
