This deliciously easy Greek chicken recipe is full of lively sunshine flavours and absolutely effortless, baked in the oven for a perfect hands-off, fuss-free dinner.
Greek chicken one pot
I adore this dish. It’s a dinner packed full of sunshine and colour, and it tastes divine. That’s quite a lot to ask of an easy, one pot, throw-it-all-in recipe, but I promise you that it works, and the hands-on time is about 5 minutes making it perfect for an after work dinner!
See also
- My chicken skewers are another delicious reminder of holidays in the Med.
- For another easy one pan dish with all those vibrant Greek flavours, try this Greek salmon.
- Honey roast chicken thighs is a delicious one pot that’s full of flavour.
- This easy Greek chicken and rice recipe produces deliciously tender chicken with the flavour infused through the rice.
When you visit Greece as a tourist, you could perhaps be forgiven for coming away with the idea that the Greeks live on grilled meat. Scratch the surface, though, and you realise that home cooking is at least as much about casseroles and slow cooked dishes.
This Greek chicken thigh recipe is just bursting with Mediterranean flavours. Lemons, olives, herbs, tomatoes and feta baked with golden chicken thighs produce so much flavour, fragrance and colour that I defy anyone not to want to dive right in when you bring this to the table.
This is a self-saucing dish, so you don’t need to worry about making gravy.
Serve with a fresh green salad with plenty of herbs and crusty bread for the easiest of dinners or try it with Parmentier potatoes or rice.
Quantities are for two hungry people or 4 if served with plenty of vegetables and potatoes.
Why make Greek chicken
- An easy after work one pot – you can make this in an oven proof frying pan!
- About 10 minute hands on time
- Packed with vibrant flavour and colour!
- Everyday ingredients that you can get from the small supermarket
Greek chicken thigh ingredients
- Chicken thighs – skin on and bone in, full of flavour, juicy so that they don’t become dry and less expensive than breast meat. Pat them dry before cooking for best results.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
My preferred cut of chicken for most dishes is the thigh. Cheaper, moister and more flavoursome than the breast as they have more fat. I use skin on and bone in, but generally for a dinner or supper party you can use skinned and/or boned. If you fillet them yourself, then freeze the skin and bone to make chicken stock for anther day.
- Feta cheese – fresh and salty (so go easy on the salt when it comes to seasoning), half a regular packet.
- Tomatoes – full flavoured cherry tomatoes need minimal cutting and trimming. Never keep your tomatoes in the fridge, as it robs them of all their flavour.
- Lemon – unwaxed
- Onion and garlic
- Olive oil
- Olives – For authenticity Kalamata Greek olives, but they are not essential. I’ve used a mix here.
- Seasoning – black pepper and a Mediterranean dried herb mix such as my Greek seasoning (with olives and feta in the mix you won’t need salt, but you can add a little sea salt at the end if necessary)
- Fresh parsley (not shown) – for garnish
How to make Greek chicken – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas Mark 4.
Put the olive oil in a shallow pan or skillet (about 24 – 30cm / 10-12″) and warm over a medium heat. You can make this dish in a heavy frying pan, providing that the handle is oven proof. You do not need a lid.
Then add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Fry until the skin is golden and starting to crisp. The trick is to let them sit and not move them at the start of cooking for a good few minutes. If they release a lot of fat then put them onto a plate and pour the excess fat away before returning them to the pan.
While the chicken is cooking, peel and slice the onion and peel and chop the garlic. Cut the feta into cubes, halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the olives. Cut the lemon into wedges.
Step Two – Remove from the heat and flip the chicken pieces over so the skin side is up, discarding any extra fat.
Arrange the ingredients, fitting everything in between the chicken pieces, sprinkle over the herbs/seasoning mix and salt and pepper, finishing with the lemon wedges nestled between the chicken pieces.
Bake uncovered for 40–50 minutes until fragrant and juicy.
Step Three – When the chicken is tender and cooked through, and the dish fragrant, remove from the oven.
Check and adjust seasoning as needed, I like to remove the lemon, squeezing to add the juices to the dish, and replace with fresh wedges and garnish with freshly chopped parsley to serve.
Helen’s Pro Tip
If you are not yet confident cooking meat and poultry, use a probe thermometer to check that the meat is cooked correctly and safe to eat. 175–180°F (80–82°C) is perfect for chicken thighs.
Serving suggestion
Serve hot.
Enjoy your Greek chicken with a green salad and crusty bread or with steamed greens and roast or baked potatoes or rice.
Variations
- Add a little chilli for a touch of heat.
- Add fresh leafy herbs.
- To make the dish go further add a can of drained and rinsed white beans or chickpeas, placing under the chicken thighs before adding the other ingredients.
Storage
Fridge – Once cool, you can cover and store your Greek chicken for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Freezer – This Greek chicken recipe will freeze, though you may find the texture of the feta can be slightly impaired.
Reheat your Greek chicken in the microwave, on the hob or in the oven. To restore the crispness of the chicken skin, remove the chicken pieces once reheated and fry for a minute or two. Check that the chicken is hot all the way through before eating.
Hints and tips
- For best results, pat the chicken thighs with kitchen paper to remove any moisture before frying.
- When crisping the chicken skin leave them in the pan to cook, you do not need to constantly be moving them as they cook.
- Make a whipped feta dip with the other half of the packet of feta.
FAQs
You really do need to fry it first if you want that delicious crisped skin and all the extra flavour that first few minutes brings. It really doesn’t take long.
Greek cuisine is full of aromatic herbs. You could skip or pull back on the dried herb seasoning and add sprigs of thyme, oregano and rosemary, or perhaps some fresh dill.
Related recipes
- Greek lemon potatoes – an irresistible accompaniment or mezze dish
- Greek rice – perfect fragrant rice every time
- Greek orzo salad – a fresh and juicy Greek style salad with cheese, vegetables, pulses and pasta grains
- Baked feta and tomatoes with garlic – a rich and delicious mezze dish
Greek Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 100 g feta cheese
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 3 tbsp olives
- 1 lemon (unwaxed)
- 2 tsp Greek seasoning (or other dry mixed Mediterranean herbs)
- black pepper (freshly ground)
- sea salt (optional, to adjust seasoning)
- fresh parsley (to garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas Mark 4.
- In the casserole dish, heat the olive oil. Fry the chicken thighs, skin side down until golden and starting to crisp. Nudge just occasionally.1 tbsp olive oil, 4 chicken thighs
- While the chicken is frying, peel and slice the onion and peel and chop the garlic. Cut the feta into cubes, halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the olives. Cut the lemon into wedges.1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 100 g feta cheese, 12 cherry tomatoes, 3 tbsp olives, 1 lemon, 2 tsp Greek seasoning, black pepper, sea salt
- Now add all of the ingredients except the parsley. Tuck everything in between the chicken pieces, finishing with the lemon wedges.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes until fragrant and juicy. When the chicken is tender and cooked through, and the dish fragrant, remove from the oven.fresh parsley
- Check seasoning and adjust if necessary. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.
Notes
Storage
Fridge – Once cool, you can cover and store your Greek chicken for up to 3 days in the fridge. Freezer – This Greek chicken recipe will freeze, though you may find the texture of the feta can be slightly impaired. Reheat your Greek chicken in the microwave, on the hob or in the oven. To restore the crispness of the chicken skin, remove the chicken pieces once reheated and fry for a minute or two. Check that the chicken is hot all the way through before eating.Hints and tips
- For best results, pat the chicken thighs with kitchen paper to remove any moisture before frying. Leave them to fry, moving only occasionally. You don’t need to nudge them all the time.
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