Greek Chicken Thighs | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (2024)

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Change up your weeknight dinner with these rich lemon-garlic Greek Chicken Thighs. The flavor is out of this world, but it’s so easy to make!

Greek Chicken Thighs | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (1)

I’ve been in a chicken rut lately. Don’t get me wrong–I have a lot of favorites. Tuscan Garlic Chicken is just perfection, and you all have been making it go viral in Instagram! Fried Chicken Sandwiches have been a constant on our weekly menus for a while now.

I guess the problem is that I’m just getting sick of chicken breasts. If you’re like me, you gravitate towards them because they are lower in points and calories/fat. But I’ve recently put chicken thighs back into my rotation, and oh boy.

I forgot how much inherent flavor is in that dark meat. It’s also more tender and absorbs marinade much better than breast meat does. Not to mention that the meat browns much deeper than white meat, even without the skin. Browning that meat means even more flavor.

Greek Chicken Thighs | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (2)

Of course, a nicely seasoned cast iron skillet like this one will go a long way to help you with that browning process. But any nonstick skillet will do.

HOW TO MARINATE GREEK CHICKEN THIGHS

The process couldn’t be simpler, and the ingredients are easy to always have on hand. A combination of tons of garlic, lemon juice/zest, oregano, S&P, and a little bit of olive oil is all you need to make the most flavorful and tender chicken!

I think this comes out best if you can marinate overnight, but it’s quite good if you only have an hour to two.

Greek Chicken Thighs | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (3)

What really takes this over the top, though, is the feta sprinkled on top. The pungent yet creamy cheese counters the acidity of the lemon and the sharpness of the garlic for the perfect medley. Adding that fresh parsley really makes this taste like something you’d get at a Greek restaurant!

WHAT To serve with GREEK CHICKEN THIGHS

We love this best with Simple Rice Pilaf and a side salad. You could continue the theme by making a Greek Salad with chopped tomatoes, olive, cucumbers, and some extra feta sprinkled on top. Drizzle with some balsamic vinegar and you’re good to go! Or just add the chicken on top of your salad for a complete meal.

You could also make incredible Greek pitas, using store-bought hummus as your spread. Add the chopped chicken along with whatever veggie toppings you want and that extra feta. Yum!

Honestly, that pilaf/chicken/salad combo is our favorite, though. We’ve made it three times in the past two weeks.

Greek Chicken Thighs | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (4)

If I haven’t convinced you that chicken thighs are the way to go, don’t abandon that marinade/feta/parsley combo!

This would be great with shrimp or salmon. But I would only marinate for about an hour so that the lemon doesn’t toughen the fish too much.

We’ve also tried this to marinate steak, and it is PHENOMENAL. Of course, you could go back to those chicken breasts, too. I won’t judge you. 😉

Greek Chicken Thighs | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (5)

I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! It makes my day when you share your pics on Instagram and tag me (@litecravings). Don’t forget to use #litecravingsrecipes to make sure I see it. If I don’t get a chance to scroll through my tags quickly enough, I won’t see your post. I always make a point to look through the hashtags, though, so I’ll see it there.

Greek Chicken Thighs | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (6)

Print Recipe

5 from 7 votes

Greek Chicken Thighs

Change up your weeknight dinner with these rich lemon-garlic Greek Chicken Thighs. The flavor is out of this world, but it's so easy to make!

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

Servings: 6

Calories: 174kcal

Author: Geri

Ingredients

FOR THE MARINADE

  • 6 medium skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds for boneless or 3 pounds for bone-in)
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • zest and juice of 1 large lemon
  • 2 tbsp water or chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional if you want some spice)

FOR SERVING

  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 3 oz feta, crumbled
  • extra lemon slices

Instructions

  • Mix all marinade ingredients together. Add chicken and coat evenly.

  • Refrigerate chicken in marinade at least an hour or up to 24 hours.

  • Heat a large oven-proof skillet to medium-high. Preheat oven to 475F.

  • Remove chicken from marinade and lightly pat dry with a towel. Grease skillet with nonstick spray, then add chicken in, leaving room between each thigh so that the chicken can brown properly. Discard marinade.

  • Sear for about 4-5 minutes, or until that side of the chicken is golden brown. Flip chicken and place lemon slices throughout the skillet so they caramelize while cooking. Place skillet in oven.

  • If using bone-in thighs, bake for 10-12 minutes, or until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F.

  • If using boneless thighs, bake for 7-10 minutes, or until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F.

  • Remove chicken from oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle evenly with parsley and feta.

Notes

Click here to determine your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe (if you are logged in to your WW app, it should calculate for you automatically).

(the recipe is calculated using boneless skinless chicken thighs. Using bone-in skinless thighs may alter your point amount slightly)

WW Green, Blue, and Purple SmartPoints: 5 per thigh with the feta

(if you made these with chicken breast, it would be 1 SP per serving on Blue and Purple or 4 SP per serving on Green.)

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Protein: 23g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sugar: 2g

Greek Chicken Thighs | Lite Cravings | WW Recipes (2024)
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