The perfect grilled chicken recipe, prepared Mediterranean-style! The secret is in the marinade with lots of great Mediterranean spices. And the dill Greek yogurt sauce is a must-try. I like to serve this grilled chicken with a few Mediterranean sides and salads; lots of ideas below. Be sure to watch the video for how to make this grilled chicken recipe.
More Grilling Recipes to Try: Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs, Kofta Kabobs, Easy Lemon Chicken, Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables, Grilled Cod Gyros
This time of the year, what mostly occupies my mind are things like the farmers' market, warm weather dinners, and firing up the grill. And one of my absolute favorite grilled dinners is this Mediterranean grilled chicken with a side of Greek dill yogurt sauce...and while the grill is on, I don't mind throwing on whatever vegetables I can get my hands on to make a lovely large grilled vegetables platter.
I'm telling you, this is summer dinners at their finest! And luckily, so easy to pull off!
Why this Grilled Chicken Recipe works
I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this grilled chicken 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 and marinade!
To give it bold Mediterranean flavors, 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 Recipe
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Mediterranean Grilled Chicken + Dill Greek Yogurt Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: serves 8 1x
Description
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 ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon or lime
- Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
- Salt, if needed
For the Grilled Chicken:
- 10 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ 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
- Cook's Tip: For best flavor, allow 2 to 4 hours for the chicken to marinate (refrigerated)
- 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,
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Oh. WOW! Seriously, this might be the best chicken I've ever tasted. Thank you! I can't wait to try more of your recipes!
So glad you enjoyed it, Kristy!
I’ve made this recipe 20+ times and we love it every time. We pair this recipe with the tzatziki and a tomato cucumber salad and enjoy leftovers for several days <3
★★★★★
So glad to hear it, Elise! Thank you so much for sharing
Really flavorful.
But docked a star for the poorly done instructions.
1) the recipe says 10m to Prep. 22m Total time. No mention of the 2-4 hours the chicken should marinate. I’ve Retyped the recipe for my personal files.
2) this is kind of on the shirttails of #1 - but the yogurt sauce can be done AFTER you set the chicken to marinate.
I’ll be sure to read the full instructions before deciding to use another of the recipes from this site again.
Really put a dark spot on tonight’s plan since we had to wait a couple of hours to marinate the chicken.
★★★★
Thanks for sharing. We've noted the inactive marinating time in a couple of different places.
I made this and it came out great but to speed up the marinading time I put the onion in the food processor. Now I a, doing this all the time for other dishes lol. Thanks Suzy for your healthy and oh so yummy dishes. You are truly gifted and you have made a chore (cooking through Covid-a LOT of cooking) more fun 😘
★★★★★
Thanks for sharing your tip :). So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Step 3 says 2-4 hrs or overnight.
Is there any recco for a non dairy substitute for the yoghurt?
There are non-dairy yogurt substitutions out on the market, some made from soy milk. But I haven't tried a particular one that I can recommend. Tahini sauce will work well with this recipe, if you can't have the yogurt sauce: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/tahini-sauce-recipe-how-to-make-tahini/
I have bone in chicken thighs how would,I adjust the cooking time. Looks wonderful and I have everything else
Thanks
This sauce is delish. I made kabobs and realized I had no cucumber for sauce Tstziki (mis-spelled I know). So I found your sauce recipe and made it. It's very good!!! I cheated and made the chicken with a bottled sauce. Will try yours next time for sure.
Your blog is wonderful and will be bookmarked. Thank you
★★★★★
Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have :). So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Cathy!!
can I cook this in pan instead of grilling?
Absolutely, Stephanie. I'd add a little extra virgin olive oil and cook on medium-high (adjusting the heat as needed.)
Hi!!
I live in Australia and i'm always looking for something different to bring to our table.
We absolutely love this recipe, actually we love all we have tried so far. I love having a variety of different flavours which you have brought to our dinner table. There is never anything left for lunches the next day, hence I have to do extra! I am slowly working my way through all your recipes. Thank you for such a great website!
Jenny
★★★★★
Jenny, thank you so much! I so appreciate you sharing
Simple but delicious!!!
★★★★★
So glad!
This is really delicious! The spice blend has a complex flavor that is really well rounded. like others, i grilled my onions and they were delicious. I also added some sprigs of dill and fresh parsley as a bed in the marinade. It gave a subtle herb finish. I served it with grilled vegetables. The dill sauce is super. It would be really good with grilled salmon as well. This recipe is a keeper!!!
★★★★★
So glad to hear it, Marilyn! thanks for giving this a try.
Loved this chicken dish - was hoping for leftovers but family 5,10, & 11 finished it off in one go! We also grilled the onions - can recommend that. Couldn’t get dill sauce to work... Was watery and bitter for some reason... but would try again and definitely make the chicken again!!!
★★★★★
So glad the chicken was a hit! I'm sorry about the sauce. Hope you do give it another try!
How much of the yogurt sauce does this make? I want to thin it out a little and use it for greek grilled chicken salads? And is it really 1 cup of dill? When I think of doubling it, 2 cups of dill seems like a lot 🙂 Thank you!
Hi Patti, so if you plan to double it the sauce, you can just increase the fresh dill a little bit.
love your recipe .
★★★★★
Thank you, Sonia! So glad you enjoyed it.
Delicious! We grilled the onions too
★★★★★
Great, Victoria! Thanks for sharing.
Hi, I don't have a grill. Can this be cooked in the oven? If so, any tips?
You can make these in a pan or skillet on stove-top. Add a little extra virgin olive oil and warm over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking and cook the chicken till done (turning over once). Internal temp should be at 165 degrees F. Enjoy
What is the purpose of the onions and olive oil at the bottom of the dish?
Hi Renee, they are part of the marinating process, imparting lots of flavor.
So, throw out the red onion after the marinading?
Yes. You can discard those
Delicious !!!
★★★★★
Thank you! Enjoy!
Hi Suzy! This recipe looks great! I don't have a grill but would like to know if this could be made in the oven? If so, what temperature would I roast the chicken at? By the way, I have a roast option on my oven besides bake and broil. Thanks!
Hey Sheila, a couple thoughts...You can make these in a pan or skillet on stove-top. Add a little extra virgin olive oil and warm over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking and cook the chicken till done (turning over once). Internal temp should be at 165 degrees F.
Also, here is a baked chicken recipe that you can use as is: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/easy-italian-baked-chicken-recipe/
How do you feel about using dried dill?
You can use it in this recipe, just know it is a bit stronger, so use a less. Start with 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp or so and adjust as you need.
Amazing! Loved it. Especially the sauce. Please add me, want more recipes. Woohoo!
★★★★★
Great! Glad to hear it!