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Is there anything better then firing up a grill during the summer?!
I grew up eating the finest grilled steaks and burgers, grilled on a charcoal grill by my Dad. Now that my husband and I have our own charcoal grill we enjoy grilling as much as we can. Usually we just grab some brats or burgers from the store and grill them up for an easy meal. Delicious, simple, summer food.
Nothing wrong with that.
If you’re like me though, you might want something lighter than burgers or brats, also, a complete meal, fully cooked outside – then this Greek grilled chicken with zucchini is for you.
Tender chicken breast that’s marinated in a Greek yogurt marinade with Greek seasoning. Along with zucchini that’s grilled until tender in the middle and a little crunchy around the edges. The zucchini is topped with kalamata olives and chunks of salty feta cheese. All of this is brought together with some grilled lemon halves, for drizzling on top of everything. The acidity of the lemon juice mellows out quite a bit, making the juice sweeter. So good!
Get your grills ready, friends, because you’re not going to want to miss this recipe!!!
Ingredients for the Greek yogurt marinade:
- chicken breast
- plain, fat free, Greek yogurt
- juice of a lemon
- olive oil
- honey
- Greek seasoning
- garlic
- kosher salt
- black pepper
That’s all you need for the marinade portion! It’s so easy to mix up in a bowl. Then you pour it into a Ziplock bag, along with the chicken and move it around to coat the chicken.
How long should I marinade my chicken?
For at least 15 to 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours.
Obviously the longer you marinate the chicken the more tender and more flavorful it will be. But, even just 15 to 30 minutes or marinating time will still give the chicken a leg up on flavor.
What does Greek yogurt do to the chicken?
Greek yogurt is acidic so it helps to tenderize the chicken, which makes it more juicy and delicious.
Plus, the Greek yogurt adds flavor and moisture to the chicken.
Bottom line: Greek yogurt makes a great marinade for chicken. It’s one of my favorites!
Should I use charcoal grill or a gas grill for my Greek grilled chicken?
Use whatever you have on hand, or whatever you prefer to use.
We personally love the flavor of a charcoal grill, so that’s what we use. But, gas does a lovely job as well.
Can I use an indoor grill pan?
Yes! Of course, use what you have, and make it work for you.
An indoor grill pan is a great option when weather isn’t ideal. Or if you live in a setting where you don’t have access to an outdoor grill.
Reasons why you will love Greek grilled chicken with zucchini:
- it’s Bursting with summer flavor
- it’s a fun recipe to make
- it’s an easy complete meal all in one
- it’s great for serving to guests
- it’s naturally gluten free
- it’s healthy
- the chicken is tender, juicy, and flavorful
- the zucchini is tender and crunchy, with the olives and the salty feta – (honestly, it’s the best part!)
- the grilled lemon adds so much extra flavor for drizzling
- it’s impressive
- yet, simple.
When you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment below, along with a star rating. This helps my blog to rank higher in google, and I LOVE hearing from you. Thanks, friends! 🙂
More chicken recipes you will love:
- sonoma chicken salad
- lighter orange chicken
- chicken broccoli stir fry
- honey buffalo baked chicken wings
- curried chicken salad in cantaloupe boats
Greek Grilled Chicken with Zucchini (Yogurt Marinade)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Marinating time: 15 mins to 3 hours
- Cook Time: 28 mins
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: entree, chicken, grilling, dinner
- Method: grilling, slicing
- Cuisine: gluten free, egg free
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A new summer favorite. This Greek grilled chicken is marinated in Greek yogurt so it’s tender, and flavorful. The grilled zucchini makes a delicious side that brings everything together.
Ingredients
Chicken and marinade
- 2 pounds chicken breast (4 chicken breast)
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use fat free)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning (see notes)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
zucchini
- 2 to 3 zucchinis
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Greek seasonings
Final touches
- 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
Instructions
- Marinade the chicken: Marinade the chicken for at least 15 to 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours. Place the chicken breast in a gallon ziplock bag. To a medium sized mixing bowl add the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, Greek seasoning, garlic, kosher salt, and pepper – stir until well combined. Pour the marinade mixture into the ziplock bag with the chicken. Seal up the bag and use your hands to mix the marinade around so that it evenly coats the chicken. I like to place the bag into a 9×9 baking dish so that the chicken can lay flat, to be covered by the marinade, and the baking dish is there to catch any potential leaks. Place in the fridge to let it marinate. The longer you marinate it the more flavorful, tender and juicy it will be. But, if you’re in a pinch, then marinating for 15 to 30 minutes is just fine.
- Prepare the zucchini: Slice the root and stem ends off the zucchini. Then slice the zucchini into 1/2 inch thick slices longways. I got 3 to 4 zucchini slices, this will depend on how thick your zucchini is. Transfer the zucchini to a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, Greek seasoning, salt, and pepper – toss so that the zucchini is well coated in the oil and the spices.
- Prepare the finishing touch ingredients: At this time also get your feta cheese crumbled, drain your olives, and slice your lemons in half. Set the olives and the cheese aside.
- Grill the zucchini: Heat an outdoor grill to medium high heat (or an inside grill pan), once heated, lightly grease the grill with oil. Place the zucchini on the grill and grill for about 6 minutes per side, or until tender – it depends on how thick you slices are. Also grill the lemons, cut side down at this time, about 5 minutes, or until nice grill marks appear on the lemons.
- Keep the zucchini warm: Once the zucchini is grilled, remove it from the grill and place it on a serving platter. Sprinkle the feta cheese, and the olives on top of the zucchini, cover with foil – the feta cheese gets warm and a bit soft, which is so tasty.
- Grill the chicken: 30 minutes before you are going to grill the chicken, place it on the counter to sit at room temperature. This allows the chicken to warm up so that it gets fully cooked in the thicker parts of the chicken. Place the chicken on the grill and for 8 to 10 minutes on the first side, flip and grill for another 4 to 6 minutes – or until the internal temp reaches 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes.
- To serve: Add the grilled lemon halves to the serving platter (or individual serving plates), and serve alongside the zucchini. Both the chicken and the zucchini are tasty when drizzled with a little grilled lemon. The tartness of the lemon really mellows out when it’s grilled. The grilled zucchini is nice when enjoyed with the feta cheese and the Kalamata olives, alongside the chicken. Delicious!
Notes
Greek seasoning: You can use store bought Greek seasoning. However, I really love this easy recipe from Inspired Eats. I always keep some on hand.
Cooking time: You could cook the zucchini and the chicken at the same time, if your grill is big enough – just keep an eye on the them with the different cooking times.
Zucchini serving size: When just Paul and I ate this recipe, we ate all of the zucchini in the first sitting each time, and then we had plenty of chicken leftover. If you are actually feeding 4 people, and you like zucchini a lot, then I would suggest doubling the amount of zucchini, especially if you have a large grill. Or, just keep in mind that you might want another easy side, like a simple side salad to go with the meal.
How much olive oil do you use in your marinade? It was not included in the ingredient list.
Hi Natalie, sorry for the delayed response. I use 1/4 cup of olive oil for the marinade. Thanks for pointing out that typo. Let me know if you have anymore questions. 🙂