Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Recipe

When it comes to choosing a great protein to cook, chicken is usually at the top of a lot of people's lists. This meat is super versatile, and the options for serving and seasoning it are endless. And guess what? One of the most refreshing ways to dress up your chicken is with a Mediterranean marinade that has freshness written all over it. All you need to do is coat the chicken with olive oil, lemon, and a melody of spices. Set a little bit of time aside to let the delicious flavors marinade and soak into the meat, infusing it with flavor. This dish is great over a salad, in between pita, or on served its own!

Recipe developer Ting Dalton of Cook Simply UK came up with this fantastic dish you will need to try for your next lunch or dinner. "The flavor combination of zesty lemon with fragrant oregano, parsley , garlic and paprika means this grilled chicken is super tasty and brings a ray of sunshine to anyone who eats it," Dalton raves. "Versatile and easy — you can marinate the chicken well ahead of grilling — so perfect if you're hosting a BBQ or family dinner." 

To begin, head to the grocery store and load your cart or basket with a few simple ingredients. All you need are chicken thighs, olive oil, a lemon, garlic, parsley, paprika, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.

Select a large dish or bowl and add the chicken thighs. Now, it's time to add the marinade and infuse that wonderful flavor into the meat. Start with olive oil and lemon juice, both of which are pretty standard in Mediterranean cooking. Then, add the spices. This includes oregano, parsley, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix well to ensure each piece of chicken is coated well in the marinade.

Cover the chicken with plastic wrap o and pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes. If you want to marinade the chicken longer, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. "The longer you leave it the more intense the flavor," Dalton notes. 

Once you finish marinating the chicken, it's go time. To cook the chicken, you can either use a grill or a stovetop grill pan — it's just based on your preferences. "If you don't want to use a grill you can pan-fry or bake in the oven," Dalton notes. "Grilling fires give it a smokier flavor." 

Dalton opts to grill the chicken, so go ahead and turn the heat to medium and let the grill or pan get hot. Carefully place the marinated chicken thighs on the grill or grill pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on the first side. Then, flip the chicken and cook for another 4-5 minutes on the other side. To ensure that the chicken is cooked through, you can insert a thermometer and make sure it reads at least 165 F.

Remove the chicken from the grill or grill pan and slice it into smaller pieces. Now, the only thing that's left to do is dig in! "Serve with green salad or as part of salad. In wraps or even alongside potatoes or french fries," Dalton suggests. To stay on the Mediterranean theme, consider serving this chicken with pita bread, alongside some tzatziki sauce.

Another great thing about this dish is that leftovers are definitely good. "Leftovers can be eaten cold for up to three days — keep refrigerated. You can freeze for up to 3 months," Dalton notes.