Greek Chicken with Tzatziki & Garlic Turmeric Rice
Total Time: 3 ½ hours I Servings: 6
Instructions
For the chicken/marinade: Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the thighs in a large bowl or gallon-sized zip-top bag.
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs and toss until evenly coated. Allow to marinate for 2-6 hours.
For the tzatziki: While the chicken is marinating, prep the tzatziki.
Cut the ends of the cucumber off and discard. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, gently scrape out and discard the soft, seedy center.
Finely grate the seeded cucumber halves and place the grated cucumber in a fine-mesh strainer. Using a paper towel, firmly press down on the cucumber to squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible. This keeps your tzatziki from becoming soupy—don’t skip this step!
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, allowing the flavors to meld together.
Once the chicken has finished marinating, preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
For the rice: While the grill is preheating, combine all the rice ingredients in the Instant Pot, stir to combine. Set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 3 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure before opening the lid.
While the rice is cooking, grill the chicken until it has reached an internal temperature of 165° F. Serve immediately with the rice and tzatziki.
Notes
*There are several serving options but we highly recommend trying all of the optional serving suggestions together. The best thing about this recipe is that it reheats beautifully, making it the perfect Sunday meal prep for the busy work week.
We have always loved attempting homemade Greek chicken, but it wasn’t until we visited Greece that I realized I had been overcomplicating it. The marinade is incredibly simple, with more herbs than I ever would have thought to add, yet the chicken comes out juicy, tender, and packed with flavor every time. Served with a tzatziki sauce I’ve been making for years, fresh vegetables, and garlic turmeric rice (my own little twist to a traditional meal), this recipe brings a little piece of our travels home. It’s a meal that takes us right back to Greece, and I hope it brings a little taste of our travels to your kitchen, too.
Ingredients
For the Chicken/Marinade
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper, for seasoning
⅓ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 small lemon
2 tablespoons dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
For the Tzatziki Sauce
1 small english cucumber
1 cup plain greek yogurt, 5% milkfat
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh dill
Salt to taste
For the Rice
1 ½ cups jasmine rice
2 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Optional Serving Suggestions*
Green Bell Pepper
Red onion
Tomato
Pita Bread
Feta
Greece was absolutely incredible. Not only was this mine and my husband's first trip to Europe together, I received an email stating I passed my low voltage electricians exam the day we landed in Athens. We were on our dream vacation and my career was at an alltime high.
We tried a few different restaurants but after one or two sub-par restaurants we ended up going to the same restaurant twice. EATERY Aiolou 29. The photos on their Google page speak for themselves. The grilled souvlaki and hummus were out of this world. I still dream of their grilled platter. Plus, who doesn’t love the fact that they serve fries on everything? I will forever be romanticizing Athens in my mind.
Check out EATERY Aiolou 29 on Google!
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