Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Thighs
The perfect grilled chicken recipe, prepared Mediterranean-style a bold marinade bursting with flavor from garlic, lemon juice, and spices! Serve it with the dill Greek yogurt sauce (unless you have some tzatziki to use up). Add your favorite salad and a delicious Mediterranean side like roasted tomatoes or zucchini boats (lots more suggestions in the post).
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the Dill Greek Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup fresh dill, stems removed, chopped
- 1 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon or lime, juiced
- Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
- Kosher salt, if needed
For the Grilled Chicken:
- 10 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground green cardamom
- Salt and pepper
- 5 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 lemons, juiced
Instructions
- Make the dill Greek yogurt sauce. Combine the minced garlic, fresh dill, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and cayenne pepper in a food processor. Run the food processor until all the ingredients are well blended and a smooth thick sauce or dip develops. Test and add salt if needed. Transfer to a small bowl or container, cover and refrigerate.
- Make the seasoning and season the chicken. In a small bowl, mix together the minced garlic, spices and 3 tbsp olive oil. Pat the chicken thighs dry and rub each with the garlic-spice mixture.
- Make the marinade and add the chicken. In a large dish with sides (to hold the marinade), add the onions, lemon juice, and the remaining olive oil. Place the chicken on top of the onions and toss for a bit so the chicken is coated in the olive oil and lemon juice.
- Marinate the chicken. If you have the time, cover and refrigerate the chicken for 2-4 hours. If not
- Heat a gas grill to medium-high. Place the chicken thighs on the grill. Cover for 5 minutes, then turn the chicken over and grill for another 3 to 5 minutes covered.
- Rest. Allow the grilled chicken about 5 minutes to rest before serving. Chicken is ready with its internal temperature, taken at the thickest part, should be 165 degrees.
- Serve with a side of the dill Greek yogurt dip you prepared earlier! And check out my side and salad suggestions!)
Video
Notes
- Browse Our Shop for quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils and spices to use in this recipe.
- If you have the time, do marinade the chicken! For best flavor, marinate in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours (you can try overnight, just add the lemon juice only 1 to 2 hours before cooking the chicken).
- You can make the dill Greek yogurt sauce one night ahead. Store it in the fridge in a tightly closed mason jar or a covered glass bowl. Give it a quick stir before serving.
- Can you use chicken breast instead in this recipe? Yes, you can make this grilled chicken recipe with boneless skinless chicken breasts. Chicken breast will tend to dry out more quickly, so to be sure that doesn't happen, remove the chicken breasts from the heat when their internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F. Allow the chicken breasts to rest, covered, for about 5 to 10 minutes (the temperature will continue to rise, but the juices of the chicken will redistribute. This makes for juicier grilled chicken breasts).
Nutrition
Calories: 271.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.4g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 15.5g | Saturated Fat: 2.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9.3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 108.9mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 447.8mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Vitamin A: 552.9IU | Vitamin C: 22.9mg | Calcium: 77.9mg | Iron: 1.7mg
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