Lemon Garlic Chicken – It’s all Greek to me

Mediterranean flavour and freshness in a two-step recipe that’s perfect for the oven or the grill.  Big garlic punch and bright lemon flavour inspired by Greek cuisine, Lemon Garlic Chicken makes weeknight cooking a breeze.

I usually remember to take something out of the freezer for dinner on my way home from work. (Facepalm moment.) After one too many hurried thawing sessions I decided to take a more structured approach to meals with a little bit of forethought and planning.

A Little Menu Planning Goes A Long Way

My idea was to work two days ahead so that I could have one meal defrosting while another is ready to roll when I get home.  Meals had to be easy as well as tasty so, when it came to chicken in particular, I started using a few more freezer bags and a plethora of marinades for great flavour and finish as well as easy fridge storage.  Now I’m less rushed, have more time from family and passion projects and… dinner gets on the table with little fuss and whole lot of flavour.

OPA!

In this recipe I dialed back the lemon from a traditional Greek chicken recipe in favour of a lighter, less acidic brightness.   The resulting Lemon Garlic Chicken is fresh and clean.  It’s as easy as make the marinade in the bag put the chicken in and let it chill overnight until you pour the whole works out into a pan and roast it to a flawless finish.

Good food doesn’t have to take forever.

Lemon Garlic Chicken – It’s all Greek to me

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• Author: Cori Horton
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: Serves 4

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Description

Mediterranean flavour and freshness in a two-step recipe that’s perfect for the oven or the grill.  Big garlic punch and bright lemon flavour inspired by Greek cuisine, Lemon Garlic Chicken makes weeknight cooking a breeze.

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Ingredients

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• 4 chicken breasts (legs, thighs or a whole chicken parted out)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
• 4 – 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, divided
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 lemon, sliced for garnish

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Instructions

1. In a zippered freezer bag combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper for your marinade. Pierce chicken with a fork all over so that the marinade better penetrates the flesh, then add chicken pieces to the bag, remove as much air as possible and zip closed. Smooch chicken and marinade in the bag a bit to be sure all pieces are well coated then refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours – preferably overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Spray your roasting pan with non-stick spray, to coat. Add half your fresh oregano and 2 tablespoons of water to your marinated chicken and smooch everything around again to be sure the herbs are well distributed. Place chicken pieces, skin side up, on the pan and then empty whatever marinade that remains on to the chicken and into the pan. Roast for 30 – 40 minutes at 400°F (205°C) until golden brown, being sure to temp check before serving to ensure internal temperature of the chicken is 165F, or above.
3. Serve immediately, with remaining fresh oregano and lemon and a drizzle of pan drippings to finish

Notes

Try with Greek pita, hummus, some roasted garlic potatoes or big, fat juicy olives on the side with this Lemon Garlic Chicken. Meals in minutes.

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Greek