Greek Marinated Chicken

What’s the easiest home-cooked recipe you can think of? For me, roast chicken would be one that comes to mind. A little salt and pepper is all a chicken needs before roasting it in the oven. {Could it get any simpler?!} I’m all for easy recipes and to give the standard roast chicken recipe a little more flair, I used fresh herbs, lemon juice, lemon zest and some garlic to make this Greek Marinated Chicken. After absorbing all the flavor these fresh ingredients have to offer, you’ll have a tender roast chicken dinner that’s just as easy and more flavorful too!

Marinades are welcomed in my kitchen. They give plain cuts of meat and vegetables an extra punch of flavor. They’re also a great way to use both fresh ingredients and spices you have on hand to elevate a standard dish into something really special. For this recipe, fresh herbs are used but you can certainly use dried too. If using dried herbs, use half of the measurement called for in the recipe below (so 1 1/2 teaspoons dried for every 1 tablespoon fresh). Any cut of chicken is great with this marinade as well. I served this with a dill and lemon rice pilaf. For those who love freezer cooking, you can add the marinade and chicken in a freezer bag and freeze. When you’re ready to prepare, defrost the night before and bake it once thawed.

1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
juice of 2 lemons
1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
In a glass dish, mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lemon juice. Place the chicken pieces in the mixture, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place marinated chicken on lined baking sheet and bake chicken in preheated oven uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (juices will run clear).

Remove from oven and serve.