Greek Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Name: Greek Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup full-fat Greek yogurt (✅); 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 medium lemon, juiced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon oregano (✅); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (✅); 1/4-1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

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Greek Chicken Thighs is a mouthwatering and easy-to-make chicken dish. Made with a blend of Greek-inspired herbs and spices, these juicy and flavorful chicken thighs are sure to be a hit. And the best part? They’re cooked in the oven, making this recipe simple and fuss-free. Whether you’re cooking for a family dinner or a casual get-together, this dish is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Forget about those dried out chicken recipes. With these Greek style chicken thighs, you never have to worry!

Cooking chicken thighs in your crockpot is also a great cooking method if looking for a recipe you can dump the ingredients then leave to simmer throughout the day.

Table of Contents

Greek Marinated Chicken Thighs

This boneless chicken recipe is made with the best yogurt marinade. The tanginess of the Greek yogurt combined with the tart lemon juice and salty kalamata olives creates a marinade that is hard to beat.

You can also use to marinate boneless skinless chicken breasts, pork chops, fish or shrimp. The yogurt coats any protein to keep juicy, tender and flavorful.

We stick with boneless skinless thighs for baked Greek chicken because it keeps this meal quick and easy. As the chicken marinates and cooks, we can toss together any desired sides.

Plus, it gives us time to snack on a few olives! We could eat kalamatas by the jar, which is another reason we frequently feature this recipe.

To get started, gather the equipment and ingredients then follow the written instructions or printable recipe card. Enjoy!

chicken thighs, greek yogurt, spices, olive oil, garlic, lemon and olives on a counter

Ingredients

1/3 cup full-fat Greek yogurt ✅
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium lemon, juiced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano ✅
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs ✅
1/4-1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

Gluten-Free Guide: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten.

minced garlic, spices, olive oil and yogurt in mixing bowl

whisk stirring yogurt mixture in glass bowl

How To Make

Place the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk.

Marinade the chicken thighs

Place the chicken thighs in a shallow pan. Add the marinade, mixing with tongs to coat the whole thigh. Let sit for 30 minutes.

tongs coating chicken thighs in Greek yogurt mixture in glass baking dish

tongs placing coated chicken thighs in skillet

Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Cook the chicken

Using tongs to remove the chicken thighs from the marinade. Place them into an oven-safe skillet. Add the kalamata olives and lemon slices if desired. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature hits 165°F.

skillet with raw chicken thighs coated in Greek yogurt and lemon slices

chicken thighs seasoned with lemon slices, broth and olives in skillet

Serve

Serve as is or on top of your favorite rice or quinoa blend.

What To Serve with Chicken

The great part about this Greek Chicken Marinade recipe is that there are a ton of great side dishes that can be served with it if looking for options beyond rice and quinoa.

And don’t forget about dessert! The family or your guests will be thankful when they see a batch of No Bake Cookies (without Peanut Butter), a fluffy Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake or fresh fruit to dip into Oreo Dip.

chicken thighs in skillet with lemon slices and olives

Storing Greek Chicken Thighs

In the fridge: Place in a covered container for up to 3 days.

In the freezer: Place in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.

Reheating Instructions

Microwave: Add leftovers to a microwave-safe plate or bowl and microwave in 30-second increments until heated through.

Skillet: Add leftovers to a preheated skillet over low heat for 5-6 minutes or until hot.

Oven: Place in a 350°F preheated oven for 7-10 minutes or until hot.

Substitutions & Variations

If kalamatas aren’t your thing or you have kids refusing to eat olives, omit or swap with cherry tomatoes.
Turn dairy free by swapping the Greek yogurt with a dairy-free yogurt.
Use another cut of chicken such as chicken breasts, tenders or drumsticks. Adjust cooking time as needed.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the thighs before serving to elevate the flavor even more.
Opt for bone-in skin-in chicken thighs if preferred. Adjust cooking time as needed.
Thaw frozen chicken thighs in the fridge overnight or by running under cool continuous water in the sink then use for this recipe.
Use a stainless steel skillet or cast iron pan.

spatula scooping seasoned chicken thigh from skillet

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do you cook chicken thighs on the stove top to know that they are cooked completely?

The key to making certain that chicken is cooked all the way through is to use a meat thermometer and check the internal temperature. Chicken is considered done and safe to eat once your meat thermometer shows 165 degrees. (Don’t worry, learning how to cook chicken isn’t hard!)

Do you need to marinate the chicken thighs overnight for this greek lemon chicken?

No, this is a great part of this recipe. There is no overnight prep that has to be done at all. As long as your chicken is thawed and ready to go, you can move forward in cooking and preparing with ease.
If you decide that you do want to use a lemon-pepper seasoning or other types of blends for this recipe, that may require you to marinate overnight.

Can I use coconut oil to cook the chicken thighs rather than olive oil?

If you want to swap out the oil from olive oil to coconut oil, you absolutely can. Just know that since coconut oil has a sweeter taste typically, it may change the flavor of the recipe a bit at the end.

Is there a difference between chicken thighs and other chicken pieces?

There is actually quite a difference between boneless skinless chicken thighs and other pieces or cuts of chicken. Chicken thighs are dark meat which usually means that they are more tender and moist to chew. It’s all about preference when it comes to whether you like to eat light or dark meat! Most kids love dark meat because it’s always juicy and hard to overcook.

Kids In The Kitchen

Cooking tips and suggestions for kids making this recipe.

Marinades are added to chicken to make the meat more tender and juicier. This yogurt marinade is just one of many options to coat chicken.
Whip up a side dish (pick from the recipes above) while you wait for the chicken to marinate.
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temp of the chicken has reached 165°F before serving.
Let the chicken rest for approximately 5 minutes after baking. This will keep the juices locked into the chicken.

More Chicken Thigh Recipes

CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.

The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.

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Greek Chicken Thighs

Greek boneless skinless chicken thighs are flavor packed with garlic, kalamata olives and a creamy Greek yogurt sauce served over your favorite rice blend. Gluten-free.

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5 from 3 votes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 55

Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients

1/3 cup full-fat Greek yogurt ✅
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium lemon, juiced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano ✅
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs ✅
1/4-1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

Instructions

Make the marinade. Place the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk.
1/3 cup full-fat Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 medium lemon, juiced, 4 cloves garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Marinade the chicken thighs. Place the chicken thighs in a shallow pan. Add the marinade, mixing with a tongs to coat the whole thigh. Let sit for 30 minutes.
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
⭐️Cook the chicken. Using a tongs remove the chicken thighs from the marinade. Place them into an oven-safe skillet. Add the kalamata olives and lemon slices if desired. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature hits 165°F.
1/4-1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
Serve. Serve as is or on top of your favorite rice or quinoa blend.

Notes

If kalamatas aren’t your thing or you have kids refusing to eat olives, omit or swap with cherry tomatoes.

Turn dairy free by swapping the Greek yogurt with a dairy free yogurt.

Use another cut of chicken such as chicken breasts, tenders or drumsticks. Adjust cooking time as needed.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the thighs before serving to elevate the flavor even more.

Opt for bone-in skin-in chicken thighs if preferred. Adjust cooking time as needed.

Thaw frozen chicken thighs in the fridge overnight or by running under cool continuous water in the sink then use for this recipe.

Use a stainless steel skillet or cast iron pan.

CCK Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.

The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.