Greek Chicken with Lemon and Feta (Printable version)

Tender lemon-marinated chicken topped with crumbled feta and fresh parsley for a bright Mediterranean meal.

# Ingredients list:

→ Marinade

01 - 1 lemon, juiced and zested
02 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
03 - 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
04 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
05 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper

→ Chicken

08 - 1 pound thin-sliced chicken breast
09 - Pinch of sea salt

→ Topping & Garnish

10 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
11 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
12 - Lemon wedges for serving

# Steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, dried oregano, smoked paprika, sea salt, and black pepper until well emulsified. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for serving.
02 - Add thin-sliced chicken breast to the bowl with remaining marinade. Use tongs to coat the chicken thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
03 - Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Place marinated chicken in the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown on one side.
04 - Flip the chicken and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until cooked through and juices run clear.
05 - Transfer chicken to a serving plate. Drizzle with reserved marinade and sprinkle with chopped parsley and crumbled feta cheese. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It transforms boring chicken into something that tastes like you spent the day in a sun-drenched Greek kitchen, even though you were just standing at your stove for ten minutes.
  • The marinade does all the heavy lifting while you go fold laundry or scroll your phone, then dinner practically cooks itself.
  • Feta and lemon make everything feel like a celebration, even on a random Tuesday.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving some of that marinade before the raw chicken touches it, that fresh lemony drizzle at the end is what makes people scrape their plates clean.
  • If your chicken breasts are thick, pound them thinner or slice them in half horizontally, otherwise the outside will be rubbery before the inside is done.
  • Let the pan get properly hot before adding the chicken, a good sear means flavor, and a cool pan means sad, steamed poultry.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon before you juice it, it's faster and you won't lose any of those fragrant oils in the process.
  • If you don't have thirty minutes to marinate, even ten minutes will do, the thin chicken soaks up flavor quickly and won't punish you for being in a hurry.
  • Always taste the reserved marinade before drizzling it, if it needs more salt or lemon, fix it now while you still can.
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