Greek Lemon Chicken is a bright, savory, and comforting oven-baked dish made with juicy chicken thighs, fresh lemon, garlic, oregano, and Greek seasoning. The chicken is arranged upright in a loaf pan, allowing the pieces to bake closely together while staying tender and flavorful. It’s an easy dinner idea with a fresh Mediterranean-inspired taste.
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 1.5 hours | Servings: 1 loaf pan
Ingredients
12 chicken thighs
1/2 lemon, juiced
Zest of 1 lemon
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp Greek seasoning
1/4 cup plain yogurt, optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, salt, dried oregano, Greek seasoning, and plain yogurt if using.
Mix until the chicken is evenly coated with the marinade.
For deeper flavor, let the chicken marinate for 20–30 minutes. If you are short on time, you can bake it right away.
Arrange the chicken thighs upright in a 1.5 lb loaf pan until the pan is full.
Bake uncovered for 45–60 minutes, or until the chicken is golden on top and fully cooked through.
The chicken is ready when the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve warm with rice, roasted potatoes, pita bread, salad, or your favorite vegetables.
Cooking Note
Plain yogurt is optional, but it helps tenderize the chicken and gives the marinade a creamy texture. If you prefer a lighter lemon-garlic flavor, you can skip the yogurt and use only lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and herbs.
For extra color and a brighter lemon flavor, add a few thin lemon slices on top of the chicken before baking.
Bakeware Used
For this recipe, we used the Loaf Pan (1.5 lb) from the Diamond Texture Nonstick Bakeware Set (9-Piece). Its 9.4” × 5.6” × 2.7” size is great for arranging chicken thighs upright and close together, helping the chicken bake evenly while keeping the pieces juicy and flavorful.
The diamond texture nonstick surface also helps with easy release and cleanup after baking.
