In early August, Hurricane Isaias rolled through at its tail end as a tropical storm. Even as a tropical storm, it brought heavy wind, which knocked down two big tree limbs in our backyard, taking out part of the fence. Large tree branches came down all over the state and millions of us were left without power. We are of the few percentage in our town that doesn’t contribute to noise pollution with excessively annoying generators, so we stayed without power, which meant we also stayed without air conditioning. Unfortunately, that also meant us fretting over losing an entire freezer full of meat, vegetables, and leftovers, but luckily, stuffing it with ice got us through the couple of days before power was restored!
Anywho, so we’re without power, without air conditioning, and it’s August. The last thing we wanted to do was cook inside. I had my delish coconut curry chicken planned for that night but quickly scrapped that as the power continued to stay off. We’re a tiny town; we’re usually one of the last to have power restored 🙄.
So we needed a meal we could whip together with ingredients on hand and grill, and so, this recipe was born. It actually formulated really quickly in my head. My garden was exploding with herbs, I had a bowl full of lemons, and boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I was going to use for the curry. People don’t use boneless, skinless chicken thighs enough, and it’s a shame because they have so much more flavor and moisture than chicken breasts… and they’re harder to screw up and overcook!
I made a marinade with the lemon juice, fresh oregano, rosemary, and garlic. OMG, I cannot even begin to tell you how flavorful this dish is. Marinating for a few hours, the chicken fully absorbs the flavor and really pops. For a side, I made rice with lemon juice. Now, I’ve had rice with lime juice at many Mexican establishments, but I have never considered adding lemon juice. It is worth it! The lemon juice really works with the rice, which then really compliments the chicken!
I grilled up some green peppers I had growing in the garden and threw some shallots on the grill with it. But, I also had the craving for a Greek salad. Romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and feta with a lemon vinaigrette… what a compliment to the chicken and rice! You can make the salad ahead of time and plop it in the refrigerator for several days; just don’t add the vinaigrette until you’re ready to serve.
If you want a lower carb, Keto-friendly meal, skip the rice. There is so much other deliciousness that you will be well sated!
This is a great end of summer meal!
Enjoy!
Juicy Greek Oregano Chicken Thighs with a Greek Salad & Lemon Rice
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Mediterranean, Grilling
- Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients
Chicken Thigh Marinade
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 lemons, zested & juiced
3 TB fresh oregano, minced
1 TB fresh rosemary, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 green peppers, cut into 1 to 2” pieces
6 medium shallots, halved
Greek Salad
1 ½ heads romaine lettuce, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, cut in eighths
1/2 large cucumber, chopped
½ red onion, chopped
~3 oz crumbled Feta
1 TB fresh oregano
2 cloves garlic
1 medium shallot
1 lemon, juiced
2 TB white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch of salt and pepper
Lemon Rice
1 ½ cups water
1 cup jasmine rice
1/2 lemon, juiced
Instructions
In a large bowl or ziplock bag, prepare the marinade by combining the following ingredients listed under “chicken thigh marinade”: lemons, oregano, rosemary, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Place the chicken thighs in the marinade and mix to thoroughly cover the thighs. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Prepare the salad. In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and feta. In a food processor, add the oregano, garlic, and shallots. Chop until well minced. Add the lemon juice, wine vinegar, and olive oil. Pulse to combine. Pour over the salad and toss to coat evenly. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat. (If you are making the salad that is going to sit for more than a couple of hours, do NOT add the vinaigrette until ready to serve).
When ready, prepare the rice. Heat the water in a pot with a tight fitting lid. Once it’s boiling, add the jasmine rice and stir to evenly cover with water. Cover with the lid and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the pot sit on the burner for an additional 10 minutes. When done, add the lemon juice and fluff the rice.
Meanwhile, heat the grill to a temperature maintained between 350° and 400°. Put the shallots and peppers on skewers. Place the chicken thighs, shallots, and peppers on the grill. NOTE: the olive oil in the marinade will likely cause flames to flare. If you have a gas grill, turn off the burner that is flaring. Once it settles down, turn the burner back on. If using a coal grill, let the marinade drip off and then reposition the chicken onto a different part of the grill. Grill with the lid closed, maintaining the temperature. If necessary, open the lid to cool the temperature back to within the temperature range. Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes per side or until an internal temperature reads 165° at the thickest part. Before removing, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Turn over the chicken and cook an additional minute. The flames may flare again at this point, but this time its okay! Turn the vegetables often while cooking. Remove when they reach your desired doneness.
Serve with the rice and salad.
Enjoy!
Keywords: Greek Chicken, Grill, Oregano Chicken, Greek Salad, Lemon Vinaigrette, Lemon Rice
