This Greek marinade recipe with its robust lemon, herb, and garlic goodness works just dandy on grilled Greek chicken but, in true Mediterranean style, is also spectacular on fish.–Renee Schettler

Mason jar of Greek marinade with parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil on a cutting board

Greek Marinade

4.84 / 6 votes
This Greek marinade made with lemon, herbs, and garlic comes together quickly but it imparts a ton of flavor and still maintains that healthy Mediterranean vibe.
David Leite
CourseMains
CuisineGreek
Servings5 servings (makes about 1 1/4 cups)
Calories201 kcal
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, (from 3 to 4 lemons)
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1 tablespoon each chopped oregano, rosemary, thyme, and basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions 

  • Stir together the lemon juice, garlic, parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and basil in a bowl. Whisk in the oil. Use the Greek marinade right away or cover and refrigerate the marinade for up to 1 day before using.
  • To use the Greek marinade, marinate whole pieces of chicken or pork chops for at least 24 and up to 48 hours. To marinate chunks of chicken or pork, as for skewers, marinate 6 to 12 hours. To marinate fish fillets or steaks, marinate 1 to 3 hours.
Williams-Sonoma Grill Master Cookbook

Adapted From

Williams-Sonoma Grill Master

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 201 kcalCarbohydrates: 3 gProtein: 0.3 gFat: 22 gSaturated Fat: 3 gMonounsaturated Fat: 16 gSodium: 2 mgFiber: 0.2 gSugar: 1 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2011 Fred Thompson. Photo © 2012 Nuno Correia. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

This delicious marinade takes all of 12 seconds to throw together. Okay—more like 1 minute with the fresh herbs to chop. Anyway, it’s composed of fresh lemon juice, garlic, parsley, oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, and oil. Sound good? Well, it is. It’s awesome with grilled chicken but next time I must try it on grilled shrimp. It’s so light and refreshing and a lovely change from heavier sauces. Especially nice in the heat of summer. If I had scallops or squid on hand they’d be drinking up this marinade.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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21 Comments

    1. Sure, Deb. You can place your marinated chicken in a baking dish or roasting pan and cook at 375°F until cooked through.

  1. 5 stars
    I was worried about marinating chicken this long in lemon juice as it can affect the texture of the meat but it was great! So good with a basic Greek salad, orzo and more feta than one would deem appropriate.

    1. Thanks, Lindsay! We’re so pleased that you loved this. Is there ever an appropriate amount of feta??