Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs are juicy, tender and absolutely delicious! Chicken thighs are tossed in a simple lemon marinade and oven baked with tomatoes, Kalamata olives and Feta cheese. This easy one pan baked chicken recipe is easy and always a family favorite!
Take a look at these chicken thigh recipes Roasted Chicken Thighs and Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms.
This post first appeared over at The Salty Marshmallow where I am a contributor.
Chicken thighs are so flavorful and one of the most succulent and tender parts of the chicken. Chicken thighs are hard to over cook which is always a plus!
This baked chicken recipe starts with bone-in chicken thighs that are tossed in a simple 5-ingredient marinade. You can marinate the chicken for 15 minutes or up to 24 hours. I like to place the chicken thighs in a zip top bag and add the tasty lemon marinade ingredients into the bag for easy clean up.
After marinating, I place the chicken skin side up and oven roast it. Before the chicken thighs are completely cooked through, I add the tomatoes, olives and Feta cheese and bake until the oven roasted chicken thighs are tender and the skin is golden brown. The tomatoes blister to juicy perfection and the feta cheese gets warm, creamy and soft. Definitely pure deliciousness!!!
Greek Lemon Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs is one of those chicken recipes I make over and over again. This baked chicken recipe is such a wonderful dinner option during busy days.
How Long To Cook Chicken Thighs in the Oven
- I bake skin on, bone in chicken thighs, uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35 – 40 minutes.
- As per safety guidelines, bone in chicken thighs should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
How To Make Greek Lemon Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Place the chicken thighs in a bowl or a large zip top bag.
- Make the marinade by tossing olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, plain yogurt and salt and pepper. The yogurt, although it is a very small quantity – with the rest of the ingredients produces the most delicious pan sauce. Trust me you will want to drink the sauce with a spoon!
- Marinate the chicken at room temperature for 15 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Place the chicken thighs skin side up on a baking dish or on a cast iron skillet. Pour the marinade over the chicken.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and top the chicken with the Kalamata olives, Feta cheese and tomatoes. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Greek Chicken Thighs Recipe Tips
- You can use boneless chicken thighs for this roasted chicken thigh recipe. Bake the chicken for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- You can use any small tomato variety like cherry tomatoes.
Take A Look At These Other Greek Recipes:
- Baked Greek Meatballs
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Ultimate Greek Chopped Salad
- Roasted Greek Potatoes
- Greek Spanakopita Recipe
- Greek Baklava Recipe
- Greek Style Lamb Chop Recipe
- Easy Flatbread Recipe
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Greek Lemon Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 4 ounces Feta cheese, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup small tomatoes (cherry or grape tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives
- Lemon slices for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- To make the marinade, place the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, yogurt, oregano, 1 teaspoon of salt and ground black pepper in a zip-top bag or a non-reactive bowl.
- Lightly season the chicken thighs with salt. Place the chicken into the marinade and mix to combine making sure the chicken is evenly coated. Marinate for 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the chicken, skin side up in a cast iron skillet or baking dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the skillet/baking dish from the oven and add the Feta cheese, tomatoes and Kalamata olives on top and in between the chicken pieces.
- Return to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the oven, garnish with lemon slices (optional) and serve.
Video
Chef’s Tips
- As per safety guidelines, bone in chicken thighs should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Julia Unitt says
This is the bees knees. Thank you for sharing! I made my own take and used three pieces of chicken with an entire small container of cocojune vanilla chamomile yogurt and of course added cayenne pepper for taste and I added in a can of carrots to cook with the chicken as well.I also must have squeezed in about 3 lemons. Tastebuds on fire just plop that baby on a pile of rice and you have heaven. Cheers fellow foodie🧸
Kathy says
Thank you!
Dennis Erickson says
Definitely will make this again!! So easy and the flavors go so well together! A new family favorite!!
Kathy says
Thank you Dennis!
Kathy says
Thanks Dennis! Happy to hear that.
Gerri says
This is a definite keeper! The marinade is awesome and I will double it next time. I served it over brown rice that I cooked in chicken broth. Also, I like the idea of adding artichokes and will try it next time…soon!
Kathy says
Thanks Gerri!
Katie says
this is my new favorite recipe! I’ve made it 4 times now.. i like to add in chopped red onion instead of olives and i’m adding in mushrooms tonight as well. Also makes the most delicious leftovers. So so good!!
Kathy says
Great additions Katie! Make it your own! Thanks for the feedback.
Lindsey Schneider says
Love this recipe! I love to add a can of artichokes and some capers. One of my favorite meals
Kathy says
So happy to hear you liked it. I love capers and artichokes!!
Ramona Eadens says
Amazing recipe and so easy! We loved it. Thanks!!!!
Kathy says
Thanks Ramona! I’m so happy you liked it.
Julie Webster says
This will be our “go to” recipe! So quick and easy to make! Not only did I make it with chicken thighs, but also a fried Tofu square for the vegetarians! I put the chicken and Tofu on a bed of fresh cooked Spinach…This added a nice under flavor to the dish.
Kathy says
Sounds amazing Julie! Thank you!!
Barbara says
This was amazing!!! I am gong to double the marinade next time tho..
Kathy says
Thank you!
Antonella Panella says
This recipient was a success in my family! Definitely re-doing it again!
Kathy says
Thank you Antonella. I am so glad to hear you all like the chicken! xo
Katrin Nappe says
Will be making this meal for my friends on Thursday.
Just a question: The oven is fan forced or normal over/under heat?
Sounds soooo delicious! Thank you so much from the very south of Chile!
Kathy says
Hi Katrin, therecipe is written for a conventional oven not convection oven. Of course you can adjust the temperature and timing and use a convection oven without a problem. As a rule of thumb I set convection oven temp 25 degrees lower than what the recipe says. Hope that helps
W.S. says
I’ve made this recipe so many times since I came across it on Salty Marshmellow. It is absolutely delicious. My husband asks for this dish at least 2x a month. I double the sauce to add over broccoli and potatoes. Easy, simple, and delicious. I do broil the chicken for a few minutes to crisp the skin, but other than that I don’t change a thing!
Kathy says
Thank you so much for the feedback! I am glad you found us!
Kelly says
can u use capers instead of olives and if so how much?
Kathy says
Yes you can. You can use both also. As many capers as you would like! I love capers so I would probably over do it with 1/4 cup! lol