Greek Chicken

Greek Chicken and Artichokes on the Grill

Chicken and Artichokes with lots of lemon and garlic

It's Saturday morning in Murph's Kitchen and I woke up thinking a nice grilled Greek chicken would be  a great way to kick off the week end.  For many years the best Greek restaurant in Tucson was called the Olive Tree and they served some of the best food I've ever eaten.  I got to know one of their employees fairly well while putting myself through the U of A and tending bar at the Cork and Cleaver, yet another great spot now known as Jonathan's Cork.  While serving the former employee I managed to extract the ingredients of their famous marinade that I now use on both lamb chops and chicken with modest variations.  This recipe demands both dried and fresh herbs creating flavors you won't believe until you make it yourself.

I am going to make artichokes and start them out my normal way in a recipe posted previously but tonight I will finish them on the grill with a bit of the chicken marinade. Grilled artichokes are a family favorite and after boiling you simply remove the choke, brush with a litlle olive oil and garlic and voila!  You end up with a slightly smokey version of the original packed with flavor.  Greek Chicken is one of those recipes that is nearly fail safe.  In the middle of winter I will make it from start to finish in the oven covered for about 45 minutes at 325 and uncovered for another 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees.  The best way determine if chicken is done is by observing when it pulls away from the bone. The alternative is to insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken and look for a reading of 160 degrees.


Greek Chicken


Marinade Ingredients
3/4 Cup Olive Oil
4 Lemons, 3 Zested and Juiced and one quartered
3/4 Cup dry White Wine
1 tspn Sea Salt
1/2 tspn White Pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh Rosemary
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
8-10 Cloves Pressed Garlic


1 Whole Chicken cut up plus whatever it takes to feed everyone!


Make marinade early in the day by adding all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl whisking to combine well.  Depending on how much chicken you have, either place it all in a gallon ziploc bag or spread it out in a large baking dish.  Marinade for at least 8 hours and turn every couple of hours to ensure proper coverage.


Take you bag of  chicken out of the frig at least one hour prior to cooking allowing it to reach room temperature.  Cold chicken tends to burn on the outside and takes much longer to cook.  Place the chicken in a large baking pan and grab your favorite basting brush prior to heading outside.

Ready for the Grill!

Pre-heat grill to a medium low temperature and carefully place chicken pieces on the grill leaving a bit of room in between each piece to ensure even cooking.  I like to leave my grill cracked a little allowing the smoke to escape.  Make sure the grill is not so hot as to cause the chicken to flare up.  You want the skin to be crispy but not burned.  This is not a "set it and forget it" type of grilling and requires constant attention to prevent both flare ups and burnt chicken.  

Turn the chicken every five minutes or so and if one section of your grill is hotter than another move the pieces around to be certain they are all done at the same time.  Keep brushing the chicken with a long handled marinade brush each time you open the lid to turn the chicken. Frequent basting results in tender, juicy chicken. This process usually takes me about a little over and hour and I cut into a large thigh or breast to verify the chicken is done.  You can always insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the largest piece and if it reads 160 degrees, it's done.   


As mentioned above you'll have to refer to another post in Murph's Kitchen to grab my artichoke recipe.    If you choose to make both the artichokes and the chicken, place the chokes on the grill at about the 45 minute mark. I use the same marinade on the chokes right after I place them on the grill and brush both sides only once.  After they are a bit charred, remove to the same platter you will use to serve the chicken.  The combo of the chicken and the chokes makes for a very appealing presentation.


I like to serve rice or roasted red potatoes with this and it also goes well with a simple salad covered with the Creamy Lemon Salad dressing you can find in a prior post.

The Aroma is incredible and the flavors are remarkable!

Buon Appetito!