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Home / Recipes
50 minutes
4.5 from 28 votes
21 Comments

Greek Chicken Thighs

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by: Joanna Cismaru
11.09.20
Updated: 11.09.20

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pin for greek chicken thighs.

My Greek Chicken Thighs dish hosts juicy chicken with crisp skin cooked with kalamata olives, pearl onions, garlic cloves, and lots of bright lemon. An easy one skillet dish, that everyone will love!

closeup of greek chicken thighs in a skillet garnished with fresh oregano.

Don’t you all just love one pot wonders? I know I do, because I really really hate washing dishes, especially pots. This recipe for Greek Chicken Thighs is all about the Greek flavors! Lots of garlic, fresh thyme, lemons, and of course, Kalamata olives. I could eat kalamata olives by the jar!

Why This Recipe Works

  • One Pot Recipe
  • Delicious Greek Flavor
  • Foolproof Recipe
  • Juicy, Tender Chicken
  • Easy Dinner

The chicken came out perfectly! Juicy, tender, crisp skin, and so full of flavor. I served these with my skillet potatoes and what a meal this was. Made entirely in one pot, with simple ingredients, this dish is perfect for a special weekend dinner, but easy enough that you could make this any night of the week!

process shots showing how to make greek chicken thighs in a skillet.

Ingredient Notes

  • Chicken Thighs – Skin on and bone-in. If you don’t want to use chicken thighs, you can make this with any part of the chicken you prefer, just keep in mind the cook time might be different. See “FAQs & Expert Tips” for more info.
  • Olive Oil – You can use sunflower, safflower, canola, vegetable, or avocado oils instead.
  • Garlic – Fresh cloves. Use more or less as you like, but in my opinion you can never have too much garlic.
  • Pearl Onions – If you can’t find any, shallots or regular onions will work instead.
  • Fresh Herbs – I used thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, parsley, or a mixture of your favorites will be amazing. If you want to use dried herbs, you can use my Greek Seasoning recipe.
  • Lemons – You’ll need sliced lemons and fresh juice.
  • Olives – I used pitted Kalamata olives, as these are the best in my opinion.
  • Wine – A dry white such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Blanc.

How To Make Greek Chicken Thighs

greek chicken thighs being cooked in a skillet.
  1. Sear the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the chicken thighs in the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
  2. Sauté: Add the garlic cloves, onions, thyme, and lemon halves. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the garlic and onion brown. Add the olives, wine, and lemon juice. Arrange the chicken back into the skillet, making sure the chicken is touching the bottom of the skillet without anything getting in the way.
  3. Bake: Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through.

FAQs & Expert Tips

FAQs

Can I Use Other Cuts Of Chicken?

Everyone has their favorites when it comes to light or dark meat, skin on or off, with or without a bone. You can use any cut of chicken you like best for this recipe! Keep in mind that different cuts of chicken will call for different cooking times.

What To Serve With These Greek Chicken Thighs

This fresh and bright main dish deserves equally simple and flavorful dishes on the side! Try pairing it with a salad, roasted veggies, or some freshly baked bread to soak up all that delicious sauce.

How Do I Know When My Chicken Is Cooked Through?

To make this part easier, get yourself an instant read thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest piece of chicken. Once it reads 165°F, the chicken is all done!

Tips

  1. Don’t be afraid to get messy! Using your hands is the best way to ensure every crack and crevice of the chicken has been seasoned.
  2. If you’re not a fan of olives, feel free to leave them out! In my opinion, they definitely add to the flavor of the dish, so I always add extra. Substitute them with some cherry tomatoes, they’ll add a burst of freshness.
  3. If you can avoid using dry, I truly recommend using fresh herbs for this dish! It really boosts the overall flavor of the chicken.
greek chicken thighs in a skillet garnished with fresh oregano.

Leftovers

Transfer leftover Greek chicken thighs to a shallow, airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Reheating

You can reheat leftovers in the microwave. If you’re missing the crispy skin after microwaving the chicken, you can pop it under the broiler in the oven on high for a couple minutes.

You can fully reheat the chicken in the oven if you prefer. Preheat the oven to 400°F, and place the chicken in a baking dish with a splash of chicken broth. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until heated through.

Freezing

These Greek chicken thighs are also great for freezing! Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the freezer for 4 months.

If you store leftovers in the freezer, let the chicken thaw overnight in the fridge to make reheating easier.

greek chicken thighs in a skillet, along some roasted potatoes.

More Related Recipes:

  • Mediterranean Orzo Salad
  • One Pot Greek Chicken Orzo
  • Skillet Chicken and Mushrooms
  • Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
  • Maple Mustard Roasted Turkey Thighs
  • Beer Braised Chicken

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a pot of braised greek chicken thighs, kalamata olives and lemon slices

Greek Chicken Thighs

4.5 from 28 votes
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 50 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 8
Print Pin Rate
My Greek Chicken Thighs dish hosts juicy chicken with crisp skin cooked with kalamata olives, pearl onions, garlic cloves, and lots of bright lemon. An easy one skillet dish, that everyone will love!

Ingredients

  • 8 chicken thighs skin on and bone-in
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 cloves garlic peeled
  • 8 oz pearl onions peeled
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 lemons cut in thirds
  • 1 cup kalamata olives pitted
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  • Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides.
  • In a large 12 inch skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Arrange the seasoned chicken thighs in the skillet, and cook on both sides for about 5 minutes per side or until the chicken is golden brown. The chicken will not be cooked through at this point. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside for a few minutes.
  • Add the garlic cloves, pearl onions, fresh thyme sprigs, and the lemon halves to the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions and garlic begin to soften and start to brown a bit.
  • Add the olives, then the white wine and lemon juice to the skillet. Add the chicken back to the skillet, arranging the chicken so that it sits directly on the bottom of the skillet.
  • Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Recipe Notes

  1. You can use skinless and boneless thighs, or even chicken breasts or drumsticks for this recipe.
  2. Transfer leftover Greek chicken thighs to a shallow, airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  3. These chicken thighs are also great for freezing! Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the freezer for 4 months.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1servingCalories: 341kcal (17%)Carbohydrates: 8g (3%)Protein: 19g (38%)Fat: 25g (38%)Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)Cholesterol: 111mg (37%)Sodium: 498mg (22%)Potassium: 348mg (10%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 184IU (4%)Vitamin C: 21mg (25%)Calcium: 41mg (4%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Course:Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine:Greek
Keyword:chicken thigh recipes, chicken thighs, greek chicken thighs
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. Helen T says

    January 28, 2021 at 7:49 am

    5 stars
    This chicken dish is the BOMB!!! Made it last night for my family. They all said it was a keeper. They even said it looked like it came out of a restaurant kitchen. Thanks so much. Love your recipes – they’re always so flavorful and easy to follow!

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      January 28, 2021 at 9:28 am

      Awesome to hear! So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  2. Anna Mesaikos says

    December 2, 2020 at 7:14 am

    Easy and tasty

    Reply
  3. Pat Brown says

    November 16, 2020 at 10:38 am

    Making this tonite. I know It’ll be a winner. I also hate peeling those little pearl onions so I buy pre-peeled in a bag in the frozen veggies section. Maybe that’s tacky but it works!

    Reply
  4. RALUCA PLOOG says

    November 10, 2020 at 7:00 pm

    5 stars
    I LOVE 1 dish recipes, and even they taste award winning…well, you’ll have to try it to believe me. It’s bomb!

    One thing I did not like: peeling the pearl onions. Dang! That was tedious, so I only used like 1/2 the container. I’ll prepare/plan better next time.

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      November 11, 2020 at 8:05 am

      Me either, Raluca. Glad you liked it though. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Rita says

    November 10, 2020 at 2:48 pm

    5 stars
    I took out chicken thighs and thought….what will I make? Making the Greek chicken thighs tonight!! Looks delish! (Like all your recipes ❤)

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      November 10, 2020 at 2:52 pm

      Thanks, Rita!!

      Reply
  6. Paul Morello says

    September 30, 2019 at 6:02 pm

    Simple, easy, fast and absolutely delicious!

    Reply
  7. Sherry says

    December 28, 2018 at 4:16 pm

    5 stars
    So delicious and easy to make!

    Reply
  8. Marielle says

    February 8, 2016 at 10:11 am

    5 stars
    Hi there…made this the other night…..the recipe went directly into my go to fav’s….so good with the olives & lemons!

    Reply
    • jo says

      February 8, 2016 at 10:22 am

      Glad you liked it Marielle! 🙂

      Reply
  9. maude says

    January 31, 2016 at 6:52 pm

    luv those olives too! buy in a big jar [Costco=not paid am I]. luv one pan dishes. I always seem to use tooo many pans for some reason. this dish will be in my next thigh dinner; can’t wait. will let you know. tnx maude

    Reply
  10. mila says

    January 29, 2016 at 9:21 pm

    Sounds soon good Jo!!!! And I love seeing the new stove in the background 🙂 Have a great weekend darling!

    Reply
    • jo says

      January 29, 2016 at 9:58 pm

      Thanks! Same to you, Mila 🙂

      Reply
  11. Mariana @TheCandidKitchen says

    January 26, 2016 at 10:31 am

    One-pot dinners are the best! I love the addition of black olives.

    Reply
  12. Nagi@RecipeTinEats says

    January 25, 2016 at 3:36 pm

    5 stars
    Well! This one has my name ALL OVER IT! Must be one-pot-Greek-week? I’m pretty obsessed with kalamata olives too. Olives generally. Actually, Sicilian is my fave. They’re so buttery!

    Bring on the skillet potatoes.

    Reply
    • jo says

      January 25, 2016 at 4:25 pm

      LOL yeah olives are awesome. I actually know someone who hates olives, how is that even possible?

      Reply
  13. Adina says

    January 25, 2016 at 10:56 am

    I want to cook pretty much all the recipes you have posted during the past weeks. But there just isn’t so much time and we cannot possibly eat so much. Are you taking a vacation soon? 🙂 This chicken looks way too good and I actually have all the ingredients at home….

    Reply
    • jo says

      January 25, 2016 at 11:00 am

      LOL Adina, vacations are for the weak! Make this for dinner tonight, won’t regret it!

      Reply
  14. Liz says

    January 25, 2016 at 8:43 am

    Thank you Jo. Sounds good.

    Reply

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I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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