Baked Greek Lemon Chicken | Mediterranean Style Baked Chicken with Thyme & Oregano
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Greek
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3-4 Servings
 
Ingredients
  • Chicken thighs - 8, skinless & bone-in
  • Garlic - 8 to 10 cloves, finely minced
  • Lemon - 3, small to get about ¼ cup of lemon juice
  • Extra-virgin olive oil - ⅓ cup
  • Dijon mustard - 2 tsp
  • Dried thyme - 1 tbsp
  • Dried oregano - 1 tbsp
  • Salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. First, we will make the marinade for our baked Greek lemon chicken. In a small bowl, add the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, dried thyme & oregano and salt & pepper to taste.
  2. Give everything a good mix using a wire whisk to make a homogeneous marinating mixture for your chicken.
  3. Take the washed and pat dried chicken thighs in a large mixing bowl. Then pour the prepared marinade over the chicken.
  4. Massage the chicken with the marinade to ensure each chicken thigh is generously coated with the liquid mixture.
  5. Leave the chicken marinated for at least 2 hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
  6. When you are ready to bake your Greek lemon chicken, preheat your oven to 190 C / 375 F and place the wire rack at the middle of the oven.
  7. While your oven is preheating, transfer the marinated chicken to a baking dish arranging the pieces in a single layer. Then pour the leftover marinade over the chicken.
  8. Bake the Greek lemon chicken at 190 C / 375 F for 40 minutes, basting them with the marinating liquid halfway through cooking.
  9. After about 40 minutes, move the baking dish up one level in the oven and turn on the broiler (which is simply turning on the heating element on top) and reduce the temperature to 180 C / 350 F.
  10. Broil the chicken thighs for 10 more minutes until the top becomes crispy and golden brown and chicken is completely cooked through.**
  11. Take the baked chicken out of the oven; garnish with fresh thyme leaves and lemon slices. Your dish is ready to serve!
  12. Serve the Greek lemon chicken with a generous serving of fresh Greek salad or herb roasted potatoes on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
Pro tip: To check the doneness of the chicken, poke the meat with the edge of a knife. If the meat cuts easily and there is no trace of pink your chicken is fully cooked.
If you have a meat thermometer, check if the internal meat temperature registers at least 80 C / 175 F; then your chicken is cooked perfectly.
Recipe by Flavor Quotient at https://flavorquotient.com/2025/12/greek-lemon-chicken/