This simple Greek chicken recipe features traditional flavors, spices, and ingredients. Everything is made on the stovetop entirely in one pan in just 30 minutes - perfect for busy weeknights! It's a healthy, low-carb, gluten-free, and well-balanced meal packed with protein and veggies. Make this Summer recipe year-round with easily accessible ingredients!
Greek Chicken: traditional ingredients and flavors
This healthy dinner recipe features classic Greek ingredients combined together in a simple and delicious way. Serve Greek chicken with Greek orzo or Greek pasta and spinach salad.
- The skinless boneless chicken (thighs or breasts) is seasoned with smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- You will pan-fry the chicken in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop in olive oil together with sun-dried tomatoes to create even more flavor.
- Then, elevate the chicken by adding traditional Greek ingredients: grape (or cherry) tomatoes, kalamata olives, green olives, fresh basil, fresh thyme, and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Finally, you will create the best Greek feta cheese topping by mixing feta cheese with fresh herbs (basil and thyme), dried oregano, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Why you'll love it
- Nutrient-dense meal. Greek chicken is a colorful and vibrant well-balanced weeknight dinner packed with protein, vegetables, and a ton of flavor! It's healthy, low-carb, and gluten-free.
- Easy, one-pan, 30-minute dinner. This delicious recipe takes only 30 minutes to make! It's a one-pan meal, so the cleanup is minimal.
- Freezer-friendly recipe. Greek chicken with tomatoes, olives, and feta is great for meal prep, lunch, or just a simple meal to make for your family and friends. Make it ahead and freeze for up to 1 month in an airtight container.
- Beautiful presentation. It's a restaurant-quality dish that might become your new favorite chicken dinner for both kids and adults!
- Summer dinner that you can make year-round. This colorful dish will bring Summer into your home even on the coldest day of the year. It's made with easily accessible ingredients that are available year-round.
Greek Chicken
This simple Greek chicken recipe features traditional flavors, spices, and ingredients. Everything is made on the stovetop entirely in one pan in just 30 minutes - perfect for busy weeknights! It's a healthy, low-carb, gluten-free, and well-balanced meal packed with protein and veggies. Make this Summer recipe year-round with easily accessible ingredients!
Servings 4 people
Calories 592kcal
Ingredients
Seasonings for chicken
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme snipped
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more
Chicken
- 1.7 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (you can use oil from the sun-dried tomato jar)
- 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
Vegetables
- 8 oz cherry (grape) tomatoes red and yellow, sliced in half
- ⅓ cup kalamata olives sliced
- ¼ cup green olives sliced
- 1 lemon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Feta cheese mixture
- 6 oz feta cheese crumbled or diced into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme snipped
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Garnish
- fresh basil
- fresh thyme
Instructions
How to sear the chicken
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Season the chicken thighs on both sides with the seasonings: smoked paprika, dried basil, dried oregano, fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
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Heat an empty large, high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet (such as stainless steel or cast iron) over medium heat for 3 minutes. This allows the skillet to heat through.
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Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or oil from the sun-dried tomato jar) to the skillet. Add seasoned chicken thighs. Cook the chicken on one side on medium heat for 5 minutes, without moving it. This allows the chicken to sear.
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Flip the chicken thighs over, reduce heat to low-medium, add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and cook for about 5 more minutes or longer until it's cooked through. The meat thermometer should register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the chicken. Remove from heat. Remove the chicken from the skillet, leaving the sun-dried tomatoes in the skillet.
Add veggies
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Add halved cherry tomatoes, sliced kalamata olives, and sliced green olives to the skillet with sun-dried tomatoes. Add half of the lemon juice. Stir and gently reheat on low heat.
Make feta mixture
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In a medium bowl, combine cubed or crumbled feta cheese with olive oil, chopped fresh basil, dried oregano, fresh thyme, and the remaining freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Assembly
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Add cooked chicken back to the skillet, and reheat. Top the chicken and the veggies with the feta cheese mixture. Top with chopped fresh basil and fresh thyme.
Nutrition
Calories: 592kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 221mg | Sodium: 1146mg | Potassium: 1695mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1418IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 310mg | Iron: 6mg
What kind of chicken to use?
- Skinless and boneless chicken thighs are what I used. They are juicy and tender and are usually quite forgiving to cook.
- Skinless and boneless chicken breasts are your next best choice. They do tend to dry out faster, so be sure to watch your cooking times closely, ensuring that the chicken is cooked all the way through quickly, without drying out.
- Chicken tenders are also a great choice for this recipe. Make sure to avoid overcooking as chicken tenders cook fast.
When is the chicken done?
Use a meat thermometer. The chicken is done when the juices run clear, and the meat thermometer should register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the chicken.
Variations
- Veggies. You can add sliced cucumber, roasted bell peppers, or roasted Greek potatoes.
- Cheese. Use feta cheese, halloumi, mizithra, or any other Greek cheese you love.
- Olives. I used a mixture of calamata and green olives. You can also add black olives.
- Use either lime juice or lemon juice. The most important thing is that it's freshly squeezed.
- Fresh herbs. Be sure to add fresh herbs, such as fresh basil, oregano, and fresh thyme.
- Spice. Add some heat by sprinkling cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes over the ingredients.
How to store and reheat it
- Fridge. Store the refrigerated leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. Freeze this in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
- To reheat on the stovetop, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over low-medium heat, add the Greek chicken, and reheat, occasionally stirring, for about 5 minutes or until everything is heated through.
- To reheat in the microwave oven, reheat in 30-second increments until heated through.
What to serve with Greek chicken
- Rice. Serve Greek chicken over plain rice or make flavored rice, such as lemon rice with herbs, cilantro-lime rice with black beans, or sun-dried tomato basil rice.
- Orzo. One of the most delicious ways to serve Greek chicken is over the orzo (rice-shaped pasta). Take a look at this super popular Greek orzo recipe with veggies, feta, and olives.
- Potatoes. Greek chicken pairs great with Greek potatoes (roasted in the oven with olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, and lemon juice).
- Pasta. I recommend long pasta, such as spaghetti, angel hair, or fettuccine. But, really, any pasta will work. You can even serve Greek chicken with store-bought ravioli or tortellini.
Other Greek-inspired recipes
- Greek Tortellini Salad with Cucumbers and Avocados
- Greek Orzo with Tomatoes and Feta
- Greek Pasta Salad with Spinach
- Greek Tortellini Salad with Tomatoes, Avocados, Cucumbers
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