The perfect grilled chicken recipe, prepared Mediterranean-style! The secret is in the marinade with lots of great Mediterranean spices. The dill Greek yogurt sauce is a must-have! I like to serve this grilled chicken with a few Mediterranean sides and salads (see suggestions below!)
This time of the year, what mostly occupies my mind are things like the farmers market. The fresh bounty of green produce tucked under my arms. Warm-weather eats. And of course, the tantalizing aroma of this Mediterranean grilled chicken.
Why this Grilled Chicken Recipe works
I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe. It’s a personal preference; and I feel that you simply can’t go wrong with boneless thighs, they are cheaper and juicier than chicken breasts.
But the big secret is really in the spices!
To give it flavor, I make a nice rub with lots of minced garlic and spices like allspice, nutmeg and cardamom. Then the spiced chicken thighs are placed in a large dish with lemon juice, olive oil and red onions. I prefer to let the chicken marinate in the fridge overnight, but if that is not possible, then for 2-4 hours or so before grilling.
When I made this grilled chicken last week, I almost whipped up a side of Tzatziki sauce (which would have been excellent), but I took a little detour and made this dill Greek yogurt dip or sauce on the side.
There are many easy savory Greek yogurt applications that I enjoy, this dill Greek yogurt sauce is certainly one of them. Two ingredient stars: dill and garlic! If you are garlic-shy or garlic-friendly, you can certainly adjust the amount of garlic to your liking.
Every bite of this juicy, flavor-packed grilled chicken coupled with the dill yogurt sauce is absolute bliss! I hope you give it a try this weekend or sometime soon.
What else to serve with this Mediterranean Grilled Chicken?
There are many great sides and salads that compliment this grilled chicken recipe. Here are just a few ideas: Greek potatoes; Mediterranean Potato Salad; Italian Roasted Vegetables; Roasted Garlic Hummus; Balela Salad; Greek Salad; Watermelon Salad with Cucumber and Feta.
Watch How to Make this Mediterranean Grilled Chicken
Mediterranean Grilled Chicken + Dill Greek Yogurt Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: serves 8 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
The perfect grilled chicken recipe, prepared Mediterranean-style! The secret is in the marinade with lots of great Mediterranean spices. The dill Greek yogurt sauce is a must-have! I like to serve this grilled chicken with a few Mediterranean sides and salads (see suggestions below!)
Ingredients
For the Dill Greek Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup chopped fresh dill, stems removed
- 1 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
- Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
- 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 olive oil, divided
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 medium size red onion, sliced
- Juice of 1–2 lemons
Instructions
- First 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.
- 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.
- Place the spiced chicken thighs in a large dish on a bed of sliced red onions with lemon juice and the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or overnight.
- When ready, heat a gas grill to medium-high. Place the chicken thighs on the grill. Cover for 5-6 minutes, then turn the chicken over and grill for another 5-6 minutes covered.
- Serve with a side of the dill Greek yogurt dip you prepared earlier!
- To complete this light meal, add Greek potatoes or pita bread and a salad like Fattoush Salad.
Notes
- Recommended for this Recipe: Our Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil (from organically grown and processed Koroneiki olives!)
- Recommended for this recipe: All-natural ground Paprika, All-Spice, Cardamom, and Nutmeg.
- SAVE! Create your own 6-pack of spices here Or try our Ultimate Mediterranean Spice Bundle.
- Visit our store to browse our spices, olive oils and bundles!
- The dill Greek yogurt sauce will keep well overnight, but you may have to discard any extra moisture that shows up on top. Give it a quick stir before serving.
- To be sure the chicken is done, your thermometer, testing the thickest part of the chicken, should register 165 degrees F.
- You can use chicken breasts if you prefer, adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Category: Entree
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Grilled Chicken, Mediterranean Chicken, Dill Greek Yogurt,
Vikki says
May 28, 2019 at 6:19 pmHi, I am planning to make your Mediterranean grilled chicken with Greek yogurt dill sauce tomorrow. I see you put the chicken on the red onions and let marinate overnight, I don’t see that you do anything with the onions after you put the chicken on the grill. Do you just pitch them?
Suzy Karadsheh says
May 29, 2019 at 10:16 amHi Vikki. Onions are discarded after marinating.
Shannon says
May 27, 2019 at 7:26 pmWonderful! We grilled up the onions to put on the side. Super delicious.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
May 29, 2019 at 10:23 amThanks for sharing, Shannon! Glad you enjoyed it!
Brian Dix says
May 24, 2019 at 3:08 pmGreat taste and healthy too !
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
June 6, 2019 at 3:33 pmAwesome, Brian! so glad
Linda Martin Desy says
May 24, 2019 at 2:38 pmNot really a comment….a question: does the lemon juice in the marinade start breaking down the chicken if marinated overnight? That is a problem with breasts, I know…..it had happened to me.
Suzy Karadsheh says
June 6, 2019 at 3:34 pmI’ve not had this issue personally using chicken thighs…I do believe up to 8 hours is okay. One thing you can do is add the lemon juice the next day but still allow a little marinating time.
Sarah Lane says
May 24, 2019 at 2:16 pmHi there! This looks delicious and I am excited to try it with my family this weekend.
I do have a question. Is the nutrition information on this correct? It seems like there would be more protein than 5-6 grams per serving.
Thanks!
Suzy Karadsheh says
June 6, 2019 at 3:41 pmHi Sarah, there are 33.1 g per serving in this recipe. I’ve gone back and checked for you.
Allison says
May 23, 2019 at 11:36 amThis looks like a great recipe with fresh, simple ingredients! It is just what I was looking for! I have a question I hope you can answer. I plan to use this recipe to feed 50 people and would like to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and roast in the oven in large roasting pans without layering the pieces of chicken. The sauce would be served On the side. Do you think this recipe would work for my situation? If so, do you know of any adjustments I would need to make? Thank you!
Suzy Karadsheh says
June 6, 2019 at 3:44 pmHi Allison, I don’t typically feed 50 people, but I think your idea will work fine. If you’re looking for bite-sized roasted chicken…or for the method, at least, check out this chicken shawarma recipe: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/chicken-shawarma-recipe/
Lea says
May 20, 2019 at 7:53 pmThis was quick and delicious and my family loved it. I used boneless chicken breasts because that was what I had and it was still excellent. I made it as a quick weeknight meal with rice and will make it again.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
May 23, 2019 at 9:53 amLea, I’m so glad to hear it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Cathy says
April 25, 2019 at 8:58 pmExcellent! So delicious and will be making it soon again !
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
May 10, 2019 at 4:53 pmWonderful, Cathy!
Suzanne Abbott says
February 9, 2019 at 12:37 amI will be trying this recipe this weekend. What do you do with the onion after marinating? Do you discard it or cook it?
Suzy Karadsheh says
February 11, 2019 at 11:56 amThe onions are discarded here, Suzanne.
Melissa says
February 8, 2019 at 7:57 ammade this the other night with roasted veggies, it had such great flavor and the yogurt/dill sauce made it spectacular! Will make this again and again!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
February 8, 2019 at 1:00 pmWonderful, Melissa! Thanks for sharing
Lisa says
September 23, 2018 at 7:27 pmYUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM … Did I happen to mention…
YUM!!!
Really great flavor in the chicken and the sauce is great! I made the Mediterranean couscous couscous salad to go with the chicken and put some of the dill yougurt sauce on the salad….AWESOME!
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
September 25, 2018 at 9:22 pmAwww! Thanks so much, Lisa! This is such a sweet comment 🙂
Nilha Pearce says
September 11, 2018 at 9:09 pmEverything about this recipe is perfect! My family and I loved it. This is definitely a keeper.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
September 14, 2018 at 4:08 pmThank you for giving it a try! So glad to hear y’all enjoyed it!
Rokaya Abdel-Kader says
September 1, 2018 at 1:26 pmi would like to know how to make labneh. I saw a partial video but could not find it again.
I also Egyptian living miami …..i love your tecepies they remind me of how hom and how they are cooked.
thank
Rokaya
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
September 25, 2018 at 10:39 pmHere is the link for the Labneh recipe: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/homemade-labneh-recipe/
Linda says
August 30, 2018 at 8:31 amDo I have to have green cardamom or can I use regular cardamom?
Sheila Boyd says
August 9, 2018 at 11:56 pmSo allergic to dill. Can you adjust the recipes to not use dill?
Suzy Karadsheh says
August 26, 2018 at 5:47 pmSure thing, Sheila! You can use mint in place of dill or try this Tzatziki Sauce recipe to go along: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/tzatziki-sauce-recipe/
Jim Mann says
July 30, 2018 at 10:09 pmHi, I don’t want to sound too inexperienced (I am) but in step 3 do you put the lemon juice & olive oil on the chicken or on the onions ?
I can read it either way.
Thanks
Judy C. says
May 28, 2019 at 4:16 pm#3 State, “Place the spiced chicken thighs in a large dish on a ‘bed’ of sliced red onions with lemon juice and the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or overnight.”
Put the onions, olive oil, and the lemon juice in the dish and lay the chicken, (once spiced as instructed in #2), on top. Then the whole shabang gets covered and marinates in the fridge for 2-4 hours or overnight.
Sheila says
July 29, 2018 at 1:39 pmMAking this recipe this morning. What do you do with the red onion?
Suzy Karadsheh says
August 1, 2018 at 12:40 pmSorry, Sheila, I just saw your question. Typically the onions are discarded.