Mediterranean Chicken Thighs are a must-have for an easy weeknight dinner!
Marinate the chicken in a delicious seasoning blend and bake with vegetables and fresh tomatoes—this one pan is always a hit!
Mediterranean Chicken Video
After enjoying this classic chicken dinner, my new obsession is chicken cacciatore and lemon greek potatoes!
If you're a fan of flavorful one-pan chicken dinners, try my go-to chicken parmesan, lemon caper chicken, or 30-minute creamy Tuscan chicken.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
PRO TIP: If you don't have all the spices or time for marinating the chicken, just use one herb, like thyme or oregano, along with garlic, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Even with just these basics, your chicken and veggies will be flavorful.
- Skin-on, Bone-in Chicken Thighs: For the best juicy results.
- Vegetables - use the basics: Potatoes, cherry tomatoes, carrots, and red onion. Or add more vegetables: briny olives, capers, spinach, mushrooms, or bell peppers (for this, use a 9-inch baking dish)
- Seasonings and spices: Feel free to use Italian seasoning or a Mediterranean spice blend to season the chicken. I like to use at least one herb: fresh or dried oregano or thyme, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, cumin, and a bit of lemon juice and maple syrup.
- Chicken stock or vegetable broth to keep the dish nice and moist.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Make sure it is of good quality.
5 Star Review
Wow, this dish is so flavorful and delicious, easy to make, and the whole family loved it. We're going to have it all the time now!
- Ron, our reader
How To Make Mediterranean Chicken Recipe Step-by-Step
- Marinate the chicken. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss in the chicken thighs until they're completely coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Assemble the casserole. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the chicken in the middle of an 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Surround the chicken with veggies and pour any leftover marinade and chicken broth on top. For an extra crispy touch, you can sear the chicken on both sides in a skillet before baking.
- Time to bake! Pop the dish into the oven and let it bake for 25 minutes. After that, take it out and add the tomatoes, a little drizzle of olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Then, back into the oven it goes for another 30 minutes.
- Remove the old thyme and serve while it's still warm. For extra flavor, add fresh parsley or thyme and crumbled feta cheese. Enjoy your meal!
Tips For The Best Mediterranean Chicken
- Doneness. Chicken is ready when a kitchen thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 165°F.
- Use a pan that fits everything snugly. If it's too spread out, the sauce will evaporate too much when baking.
- Optional add-ons. Like my lemon chicken, capers and Kalamata olives are favorites in Mediterranean food recipes. Add about ¼ cup of each to the dish for an extra burst of flavor.
- Don't forget to add a few stalks of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, or basil) before baking and replace them with fresh ones when serving.
Julia's Tip
If you have large, thick boneless chicken breasts, you can stretch them further by turning them into cutlets.
Just lay the chicken breast flat on a cutting board and hold it in place with one hand. Then, carefully cut the chicken breast lengthwise into two pieces using a sharp knife. Doing this near the edge of the cutting board can make it easier.
Tip: Marinating the chicken for at least 4 and up to 12 hours is the key.
However, even 30 minutes will give excellent results and flavor if in a rush.
Storing Leftovers
- To Store. Store Mediterranean Chicken and veggies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- To Make Ahead. Prepare the chicken in the morning, and slice the potatoes and carrots. Store them in a container filled with clean water in the fridge, all set for cooking when the evening rolls around.
🍅 Have too many cherry tomatoes? Make a marinated salad or Freeze them for later!
My Favorite Tools For This Recipe
- Instant Read Meat Thermometer
- Baking Dish - use 9 x 13-inch baking dish (you can also use a glass baking dish)
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Juicy Mediterranean Chicken Recipe (In Oven!)
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INGREDIENTS
- 1 ½ pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
Chicken Marinade
- ¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, or use 1-2 freshly minced garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For Vegetables
- 6 medium potatoes, cut into thinner wedges or 1-inch cubes.
- 1 larger red onion, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup chicken stock, or broth
- 2 medium carrots , medium thick slices
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 cherry tomatoes, or plum
- 3-4 fresh thyme stalks
For Serving
- lemon wedges
- fresh herbs
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Toss the chicken in the mixture until it's well-covered.1 ½ pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoon dijon mustard, 2 teaspoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 2 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3-4 fresh thyme stalks
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend and make the chicken extra tender. Ideally, the chicken should stay in the marinade for 4-6 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the chicken in the middle of an 9x13-inch baking dish and arrange pre-cut veggies around it. Season the veggies with salt. Pour in the chicken broth and the remaining marinade on top.6 medium potatoes, 1 larger red onion, ¾ cup chicken stock, 2 medium carrots, 1 teaspoon salt
- Cook the chicken for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and add fresh tomatoes (cut in half) or whole as you prefer.5 cherry tomatoes
- Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for another 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. To be safe to eat, chicken should register an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. The chicken should be golden brown and crispy outside, and the veggies tender.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Remove the old thyme and garnish with fresh instead (or good old fresh parsley). Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side, gluten-free grains, rice, or Mediterranean couscous.lemon wedges, fresh herbs
VIDEO
NOTES
- The recipe yields about 3 servings (868 kcal); the nutrition value should be less if using chicken breast or thigh fillets.
- Chicken thighs alternative: you can use boneless skinless thigh fillets or chicken breast. Chicken breast isn't the best choice as it tends to dry out easily and its cooking time can vary a lot. If you use one of these substitutions, add them to the pan for the last 20 minutes of baking.
- Make-ahead instructions: Prepare the potatoes and carrots a day ahead by cutting them and storing them in cold water in the fridge.
- Don't skip: Marinating the chicken for a day or two will enhance its flavor and result in incredibly tender meat once baked.
- Storing instructions:
- Allow the chicken to cool.
- Cover it with plastic wrap.
- Store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- I wouldn't recommend storing them for longer, as the veggies will become soggy, and this dish will lose its nutritional value.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
FAQ
The chicken will cook for 30-40 minutes at 350°F.
You'll know when it's ready when a kitchen thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 165°F.
How long should I marinate chicken?
A good rule of thumb is to marinate the chicken for at least 4 and up to 12 hours.
However, even 30 minutes will yield great results and flavor if you are in a rush.
Serve it with yellow rice, Mediterranean couscous, green beans, tabbouleh, greek salad, roasted eggplant or crunch garlic bread.
If your chicken feels slimy, smells bad, or looks yellow, green, or gray, it's gone bad.
Throw away any chicken that's past its use-by date, has been in the fridge for more than 2 days raw or 4 days cooked, or has been left out in at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Acid helps tenderize raw meat, allowing the oil and spices to penetrate.
While many marinades use vinegar, lemon juice is more effective because it also adds a citric flavor.
Marinades with only lemon juice as the main ingredient should only be used for 4 hours. Lemon juice helps tenderize the meat but leaving it too long can make the meat tough or mushy.
However, in this recipe, lemon juice is mixed with other ingredients, giving us some flexibility to increase the marinating time. This adds a nice citrus smell and taste while still keeping the meat tender.
Angela
Hello,
This dish was so delicious! I will definitely be making this again. Absolutely scrumptious!
Thank you
Julia
Thank you Angela, so happy you liked it!