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MEL'S EASY KITCHEN

Fresh Herb Greek Chicken Marinade

A bright Greek-inspired chicken marinade made with lemon, garlic, olive oil and fresh thyme, oregano, rosemary and parsley.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Minimum Marinating Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 24 minutes
Servings: 6 portions
Meal: Marinade
By: Melanie

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl and whisk
  • Resealable bag or covered dish
  • Instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

Chicken and Marinade

  • 4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts other boneless cuts change cooking time and nutrition
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 lemons juiced
  • 1 lemon zested before juicing
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano chopped
  • 2 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • Zest one lemon before juicing. Whisk the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, zest, thyme, oregano, rosemary, parsley, salt and pepper until combined.
  • Pat the chicken dry, pierce it lightly with a fork and place it in a resealable bag or covered dish.
  • Pour the marinade over the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours; because the marinade is citrus-heavy, do not exceed 6 hours.
  • Discard the used marinade and pat excess marinade from the chicken. Grill over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes per side, bake at 400-425°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or air fry at 375°F for 14 to 16 minutes, adjusting for the cut and thickness. Cook to 165°F.
  • Rest the chicken for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 532kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.7g | Protein: 68.4g | Fat: 26g | Fiber: 0.5g

Notes

  • Zest the lemon before juicing it.
  • Do not marinate longer than 6 hours because prolonged exposure to citrus can make the surface texture mushy.
Nutrition basis: Estimated per one-sixth of the recipe using boneless skinless chicken breast and counting ALL marinade ingredients, including the full amount of oil. The actual amount eaten will usually be lower because used marinade is discarded; absorption cannot be calculated reliably. For that reason, this marinade is available in manual recipe collections but excluded from automatic macro matching. Values use USDA ingredient references; coconut aminos use a label reference of 15 calories and 4 g carbohydrate per tablespoon. Fresh herb amounts and lemon yield are approximate.
Reserve any sauce for serving before it touches raw chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator, discard used marinade and cook chicken to 165°F. Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly and use within 3–4 days or freeze.
Ingredient arithmetic rechecked October 27, 2026. Calories and macros are estimates per serving; all measured oil is included.
Herb calculation uses 96 g lemon juice, 6 g zest, 2.4 g fresh thyme, 2.4 g fresh rosemary and 3.8 g parsley. Dried oregano (1 g) is the nutrient reference for the tablespoon of fresh oregano.