Greek Roasted Chicken Thighs Recipe

Name: Greek Roasted Chicken Thighs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup olive oil; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 3 pounds bone-in, skin on chicken thighs

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I am bonkers for Greek flavors. Seriously, whenever you combine some of the mainstay ingredients of Greek cuisine — which to me are oregano, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic or some other member of the onion family (there are many others, of course, but these are my platonic Greek ingredients) — only good things can happen.

And not just good things. Clean, bright-tasting good things. Healthful good things. Good things that adults AND kids like. Summery good things. Greek Roasted Chicken good things.

Would serving this with a Classic Greek Salad be too much? Or Greek Orzo Salad? Well, I don’t think so. Or try a Sugar Snap Pea Salad and also a bowl of Orange and Herb Orzo passed around the table. Simpler perfection would be hard to find.

Greek Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
How to Make Greek Roasted Chicken Thighs
FAQs
Pro Cooking Tips
Storage and Leftovers
What to Serve With Greek Roasted Chicken Thighs
More Baked Chicken Thigh Recipes
Greek Roasted Chicken Thighs Recipe

Greek Roasted Chicken Thighs on a pink plate with orzo and salad.

The Easiest, Most Delicious Greek Roasted Chicken Recipe: A simple marinade featuring lemon and oregano turns ordinary chicken thighs into a perfect weeknight dinner.
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Greek Chicken Marinade

I would use this Greek chicken marinade on anything, from slabs of zucchini to skewered shrimp or chicken to a piece of fish. And I would definitely think about grilling most of those things, but in this case, the chicken got roasted, and the crackling skin and the moist, dark meat were pretty much dinner bliss. And as we are crazy about Greek flavors, we are also crazy about roasted chicken thighs — probably the favorite roast chicken part in our house.

Ingredients

Olive oil – Helps the chicken skin get crispy and browned in the oven.
Minced garlic – The longer you marinate the chicken, the more garlicky the chicken will get.
Lemon juice – The acid in the lemon juice adds a bright flavor and helps to tenderize the meat.
Red wine vinegar – Another classic acidic ingredient used in Greek cooking.
Dried oregano – Gives this baked chicken a unique Greek flavor. If you have fresh oregano, that will be delicious, too. Just substitute 4 teaspoons of fresh oregano for the 2 teaspoons of dried.
Chicken thighs – Buy them with the skin still on and the bone in. Boneless and skinless may seem appealing, but you will lose out on flavor and that crispy, delicious skin at the end.

Roasted chicken thighs on a plate with salad.

How to Make Greek Roasted Chicken Thighs

Make the marinade: Mix together the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Marinate: Add in the chicken and coat entirely with the mixture. Seal the container and place it in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
Roast: Take the chicken out and place it on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Place the pan in a 425-degree oven and roast for 40 minutes or until cooked all the way through. You can check them by simply cutting into one of the pieces.

Greek Roasted Chicken Thighs on a plate with orzo salad and spinach salad.

FAQs

How long should you marinate chicken thighs?

I would say 10 hours is my recommended minimum time for marinating chicken. You still get a nice flavor, but it won’t be as deep, nor will the chicken have time to become tenderized from the acidic ingredients in the marinade. Between 12 and 24 hours is the sweet spot for the best flavor. And you don’t want to leave them marinating any more than 2 days.

How long should you bake chicken thighs?

Regular-sized chicken thighs should bake for 40 minutes at 425 degrees. Smaller ones could take 30 minutes, and extra-large ones could take 50 minutes. The best way to tell if your chicken is done is by taking the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. It should reach 165 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, it’s simple enough to tell if your chicken is done by cutting it open near the bone and observing the color. If all the pink is gone, it should be done.

Pro Cooking Tips

I like to mix the marinade right in the container or zip-top bag that I am going to marinate the chicken in.
The chicken should marinate for at least 12 hours, but I find the flavor is best if I leave it for at least 24 hours.
Don’t marinate the chicken for more than 2 days, or the acids in the marinade may start to “cook” the chicken and make it mushy.

Storage and Leftovers

The chicken can be served hot, warm, room temperature, or cold. Great on a picnic!
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can rewarm them in a preheated 300-degree oven for 20 minutes until hot, if desired.

What to Serve With Greek Roasted Chicken Thighs

Red Onion Mint Orzo

Greek Tabbouleh Salad

Green Beans with Tarragon Vinaigrette

Woman cutting Greek chicken thighs on a pink plate.

More Baked Chicken Thigh Recipes

Also, check out the recipe for Greek-Roasted Chicken Breasts!

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