This Mediterranean lemon chicken recipe is dairy-free, requires no butter, and cooks in just about 20 minutes! A quick and healthy dinner that delivers big on flavor? Yes, please!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in about 20 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights.
- It’s healthy. Instead of butter, I swap in heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil.
- Big flavors: A unique blend of oregano, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, lemon, and garlic kick off this flavor party.
- Always tender chicken: I use chicken thighs—they stay tender and juicy even with the high-heat of the grill or griddle.
This Mediterranean lemon chicken recipe is a healthy, dairy-free dinner featuring a zesty garlic-citrus marinade, a warm spice rub, and chicken thighs. Unlike traditional chicken piccata, this version uses heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. It is high-protein and gluten-free, and grills to perfection in just 12 minutes.
Some recipes are so simple I keep them on a permanent weekly rotation. This easy lemon chicken recipe is exactly that. It trades heavy creams for bright, bold Mediterranean flavors that make juicy chicken thighs sing.
Whether you’re a pro like my friend Adam—wait until you see our “grilling argument” in the video below!—or a kitchen beginner, this recipe is nearly impossible to mess up.
Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Flavor Profile
- Versatile Cooking: This chicken takes about 12 minutes to cook on an outdoor grill or an indoor griddle. I prefer using chicken thighs because they stay succulent and tender even if you get distracted making a big salad!
- The Spice Secret: To start, we coat the chicken in an aromatic blend of dried oregano, coriander, cumin, and nutmeg, and then add the citrus.
- The 20-Minute Marinade: We combine fresh lemon juice, garlic, and sliced onions to create a punchy marinade.
Pro Tip: Even a few minutes in this marinade makes a difference. However, if you have time, let it sit for two hours to let the flavors truly marry.
How to Make Lemon Chicken
- Season the chicken: Begin by placing 1 1/2 pounds of chicken to a larger bowl. Sprinkle it with kosher salt and black pepper. Add 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander, and 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
- Add the marinade: Place the chicken with 1 large diced onion in a bowl or dish, and add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, and 2 to 3 cloves minced garlic. Combine. Let it sit for 20 minutes or cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours if you have time.
Grill the lemons: Heat an indoor griddle or a gas grill over medium-high. Before adding the chicken, cut two lemons in half and grill the lemon halves flesh side down. I love to serve these alongside the chicken, both because it looks extra special and my guests can add more lemon flavor if they’d like.
Grill the chicken: Lightly oil the griddle or gas grill and cook the chicken for about 6 minutes or so on each side (or until its internal temperature reaches 165°F.) You want to see good sear marks with browned edges before flipping.
What to Serve with Lemon Chicken Thighs
- This chicken makes a great addition to my simple Pasta Primavera.
- Use them to make a grilled chicken sandwich based on our Antipasto Chicken Sandwich recipe.
- Serving it with one of these awesome Mediterranean sides:
- And I always add a little Garlickly Toum (garlic sauce) for dipping.
Can I use Chicken Breast Instead?
Chicken is a big part of the Mediterranean diet. I’ll be honest, I am a thigh gal all the way, because they stay juicy and tender even if you don’t cook them perfectly. However, I know a lot of my readers prefer chicken breasts. You can often use the two cuts interchangeably, with a slight adjustment in cooking time or preparation. Here are a few tips for using chicken breasts instead of thighs in this recipe.
To use chicken breasts in this recipe:
- You will need 3 large chicken breast halves (boneless, skinless).
- Cut the chicken breast pieces horizontally through the middle to create thinner cutlets. You should end up with 6 cutlets. The cutlets will cook quickly so you shouldn’t need to adjust the cooking time from the chicken thigh version.
- I also like to use a kitchen mallet to help tenderize the chicken breasts (this is a trick I use often to tenderize chicken breasts and prepare them for even and quick cooking. You can see how I do it in this Italian Baked Chicken Recipe.)
Chicken Recipes to Try Next
Ingredients
For Spice Mixture
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For Marinade
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, I used Private Reserve Greek EVOO
- 2 to 3 teaspoons minced garlic
For Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds (6 to 7 pieces) boneless skinless chicken thighs, you can use chicken breast (see notes)
- Kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 lemons, halved
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Mix the spices. In a small bowl, add the spices and mix to make the spice mixture.
- Make the marinade. In another bowl or large measuring cup, combine the lemon juice, olive oil and garlic to make the marinade.
- Season the chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season with kosher salt and pepper and sprinkle the spice mixture on both sides. Place the chicken in a bowl and add the onions. Pour in the marinade and work the chicken a bit to make sure all the pieces are well covered with the marinade.
- Let rest: Leave the chicken to marinate at room temperature while you heat up the grill or griddle. OR, if you have the time, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours (or up to 8 hours).
- Grill the lemons: When ready, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat (or an outdoor grill over medium-high heat). Do not add oil yet to the pan. Add the lemon halves, flesh side down, and grill briefly. Remove the grilled lemons and set aside for now.
- Grill the chicken: Now, brush the grill pan or outdoor grill with a little oil. Using a pair of tongs, add the chicken pieces in one layer (discard any remaining marinade). Cook for 6 minutes on each side or until chicken or until the chicken reaches 165°F. Adjust heat to medium, if needed. If using an outdoor grill, carefully oil the grates and cook the chicken over medium-high heat for the same amount of time.
- Serve. Transfer the grilled lemon chicken to a serving platter. Add the grilled lemons (which you can squeeze for a little more juice), and garnish with parsley. See notes for serving ideas.
Video
Notes
- To use chicken breast instead: You’ll need up to 3 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves. Be sure to cut them horizontally through the middle to create thinner cutlets. I also like to use a kitchen mallet to help tenderize the chicken breasts.
- Make it a Meal? This lemon chicken is great with Greek Green Beans, Greek potatoes, or Lebanese rice and a large Greek salad or Balela Salad. A little roasted garlic hummus or tzatziki sauce are the perfect addition.
- Leftovers? Leftover lemon chicken can be refrigerated in a tight-lid container for 3 to 4 days.
- Visit Our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
Nutrition
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*This post has been recently updated with new media and information for the readers’ benefit.
can I bake instead of grillling the mediterranean chicken thighs? We are having 14 people for dinner and I wanted something I didn’t have to do last minute. They sounded really good, better than plain roasted chicken.
Absolutely! Simply transfer the chicken and marinade to a sheet pan or baking dish. Bake in a high-heat oven (425 degrees F or so). Check at 20 to 25 minutes to see (chicken is done when internal temp registers 165 degrees F.)
This was delicious!!! Very flavourful. I don’t get two step process of the dry spice rub on the chicken and then pouring the wet marinade over top. I’ll definitely make this again, but I’ll add the spices to the marinade.
What a waste of an onion! Why not just use some onion powder??
Hi, Deb. We always recommend using fresh onion vs. onion powder when possible. Onion powder loses several nutrients during dehydration, and real onions gives a more fresh taste tot he dish.
I agree! Always use fresh ingredients in your marinade, peeps! Your taste buds will thank you. 😉
Amazingly flavorful! I served this with sautéed onions, Greek horiatiki salad, and toum. I swear I could eat this for every meal. Thank you!
Absolutely delicious; thanks for the recipe!
Silly me, I now see the 2x button to click! Nevermind my earlier question.
Hi! If I want to double this recipe, do I double all the other ingredients?
Yes, I would double the other ingredients, as well! Enjoy!
wheres the video
Hi, Safir. Unfortunately, some web browsers block pop ups which, for some reason, also blocks instructional videos. You may need to adjust your browser settings, or try a different browser on your end in order to see them.
Absolutely delicious, I only used the marinade and spices, not the onions etc but let me tell you the chicken was so juicy. I should have read about using chicken breast and tenderising them, lesson learned read it all first. Thank you Suzy x
I’ve just served this with buttered carrots, I know it’s supposed to be healthy, I just couldn’t resist! It’s delicious I made the whole batch, as there is only the two of us, there is some left for tomorrow! This is going to be my go to chicken dinner, and also my BBQ bake (mwah) x
I love your recipes—so easy, tasty and healthy. I’ve been impressing my wife since I discovered your site a couple of months ago!
I was wondering if the chicken can also be frozen in the marinade. Thawing overnight in fridge should still infuse the flavours?
Hi, Lili. You can certainly try that, but just be aware that sometimes the lemon in the marinade can affect the texture of the meat if left to sit too long.
I cubed large skinless boneless breasts and marinated in gallon plastic bag. i used grill pan on stovetop and did it in 2 batches. it all browned in 3-4 mins per side and was SUPER DELICIOUS!
Had it with Israeli couscous.
All of your recipes are AMAZING!!!!
Love that idea, Linda! Thanks for sharing!
This was easy to make and so flavorful! And the best part is that all the ingredients are items we generally have on hand. I love all the healthy meal ideas posted on The Mediterranean Dish.
This was really tasty! I served this for a dinner with friends and it was a big hit, even with the four-year-old. I skipped the grilled lemons, but I would definitely include them next time- it would have really put this recipe over the top. Served with roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables. This one is definitely going into our recipe rotation. Thanks for yet another winner!
You are very welcome, Kristinka! So glad you enjoyed it!
Hello! Is there a way to do this in the oven? Thanks!
Hi, Esther. Sure! Simply transfer the chicken and marinade to a sheet pan or baking dish. Bake in a high-heat oven (425 degrees F or so). Check at 20 to 25 minutes to see (chicken is done when internal temp registers 165 degrees F.)