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
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Prep Time: 10 mins -
Cook Time: 12 mins
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Total Time: 22 minutes
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Yield: 8 -
Category: Entree -
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
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: 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.
- 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.
Suzanne Abbott says
I 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
The onions are discarded here, Suzanne.
Melissa says
made 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
Wonderful, Melissa! Thanks for sharing
Lisa says
YUM 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
Awww! Thanks so much, Lisa! This is such a sweet comment 🙂
Nilha Pearce says
Everything about this recipe is perfect! My family and I loved it. This is definitely a keeper.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thank you for giving it a try! So glad to hear y’all enjoyed it!
Rokaya Abdel-Kader says
i 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
Here is the link for the Labneh recipe: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/homemade-labneh-recipe/
Linda says
Do I have to have green cardamom or can I use regular cardamom?
Sheila Boyd says
So allergic to dill. Can you adjust the recipes to not use dill?
Suzy Karadsheh says
Sure 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
Hi, 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
Sheila says
MAking this recipe this morning. What do you do with the red onion?
Suzy Karadsheh says
Sorry, Sheila, I just saw your question. Typically the onions are discarded.
Lori Lehtola says
This recipe is absolutely delicious! I made it for my very picky family and they all loved it. ?. I did make one change, only because no one but me likes dill; I used cilantro instead, and it turned out fabulous. The chicken was served with a summer couscous salad; I can’t wait to eat the left overs tomorrow!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Wonderful, Lori! Thank you for sharing!!!
Sandra says
Loved the marinade for the chicken! Delightful blend of aromatic spices. The dill sauce, not so much. Way to much dill. Used 1/3 cup and added diced, drained English cucumbers.
★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thanks for sharing Sandra. You can try a different sauce like Tzatziki: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/tzatziki-sauce-recipe/
MJ says
Our family of five recently switched to a Mediterranean diet and as I was searching for dinner ideas I came by your recipes. This chicken recipe was great and our whole family loved the sauce! I cooked the chicken on the stove in a regular frying pan for a total of 10 minutes and then put it under the broiler for a couple
of minutes to get the chicken charred a little. It turned out great! I served it with whole wheat pita bread and cooked kale. Nice healthy meal for our family.
Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
MJ, thanks so much for sharing your adaption of this recipe! And I am so glad to have you and family here. Happy cooking!
Anita says
I absolutely love this recipe! Thanks for sharing it
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Awesome! Thanks so much, Anita!
Victoria says
Do you think this would work using my broiler in high? I can’t grill where I live and this sounds delicious!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Victoria. You can bake it for a bit, then broil on high to get some color. Enjoy!
Annie says
I love it, it’s so delicious and the sauce makes it so special. Can I cook this in the oven though? Thanks!
★★★★★
Melissa Hansen says
I really love the dill/yogurt sauce. I tried it with baked chicken thighs. I definitely think it would be better grilled as per the recipe. I look forward to trying it in the spring when we have our grill out. You don’t need much yogurt sauce to top the chicken. Great flavors and different!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Wonderful, Melissa! I am so glad you enjoyed it. The sauce is something, isn’t it?
Leslie says
Hi! I’d love to try and make this today as we’re stuck at home with a storm outside. Sadly I’m missing a few ingredients! Any suggestions for substitutions of the ff?
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground green cardamom
Sorry they seem like the key ingredients too, but crossing my fingers!
May I also use regular yogurt instead of Greek?
Thanks so much!
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hey, Leslie! So sorry I wasn’t able to get to this question as you were cooking. I hope you were able to still make this? eliminating a couple of the spices is usually okay, and maybe adding a little pinch more of the rest. This recipe has a lot of flavor.
Lauren says
My family loved this so much I mad it 3 weekends in a row!
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
That’s awesome, Lauren! Glad to hear it!
vander oliveira says
simply delicious i love the way the spices complemen the dark meat
very delicate very delicious
thank you
★★★★★
Suzy Karadsheh says
Thanks Vander! So glad you enjoyed it!
Judy says
What to do since I don’t have a gas grill or any other kind of grill?
Thank you!
Judy
Suzy Karadsheh says
Hi Judy, if you have a cast iron skillet, you can probably do this stove-top. Or, try this easy baked Greek chicken and potato recipe: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/greek-chicken-and-potato-dinner/