Authentic Greek Chicken Recipes

GREEK LEMON CHICKEN AND POTATOES (KOTOPOULO LEMONATO)

Steps:

• To prepare this Greek lemon chicken recipe, divide the chicken into 8 portions and wash thoroughly. Peel the garlic and rub on the chicken. Place on a large baking tray and season well with salt and pepper.
• Cut the potatoes into wedges and place them between the chicken. Pour in some water, enough to cover half the chicken and add the lemon juice, the white wine vinegar, the olive oil, the chopped garlic and the peppercorns. Season with salt and pepper and add a good pinch of oregano. (Tip: sprinkle the potatoes with 1 tsp semolina for crispier results)
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven 180C / 350F for 60-75 minutes in total. 50 minutes into the bake remove the aluminum foil and top the chicken with some feta cheese. Bake for another 15-20 minutes (the remaining time), until your Greek lemon chicken is nicely coloured and crispy on the outside.
• This Greek lemon chicken is ideally served with a refreshing Greek feta salad and lots of sourdough bread aside to dig into all the delicious sauce!!

GREEK CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a glass dish, mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lemon juice. Place the chicken pieces in the mixture, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat grill for high heat.
• Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the grill, and discard the marinade. Cook chicken pieces up to 15 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Smaller pieces will not take as long.

GREEK-STYLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the potatoes in a roasting tin and drizzle with half the oil. Sit the chicken thighs on top, drizzle over the remaining oil and season. Roast in the oven for 30 mins.
• Add the cherry tomatoes, olives, oregano leaves and feta, then drizzle with the red wine vinegar. Return to the oven for another 25-30 mins until the chicken is cooked through and golden.

TRADITIONAL GREEK CHICKEN GYRO WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine Greek yogurt, garlic, cumin, sugar, cucumber, and salt and pepper. Stir and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Pound chicken as thin as you can get it. Even if you have purchased the thin sliced chicken you still want to get it as thin as possible. Place chicken in a bowl and combine with vinegar, oregano, paprika, and salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• In the mean time, peel you potato and cut into 1/4 inch strips. Place cut potato in cold water for at least 15 minutes. Blanching the potatoes before frying will ensure a crispier fry.
• In a large skillet heat vegetable oil. Personally, I regulate the temperature by instinct. I let the oil heat up and test it with a drop of water; if the water shoots back I know the oil is hot enough. If you aren't comfortable with this method you want the oil to stay around 360 degrees. When the oil is hot enough drop fries inches Depending on the thickness of your fry and your temperature control your fries will take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. You want your fries to have a deep golden brown. Keep a careful eye on them and flip if necessary.
• Heat a medium DRY skillet. No oil is necessary to sauté the chicken. Begin to sauté chicken. It should only take about 1 minute on each side depending upon how thinly you pounded it. Let chicken rest under tin foil until you are ready to assemble.
• You can either toast your pita or microwave it. I prefer to microwave it so it is more pliable (only about 20 seconds). Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the tzatziki sauce and spread over pita. Then place half of the chicken, place mostly in the center, making sure that you are able to fold in the sides. Traditionally, fries are to be placed on top of chicken WITHOUT drying off the oil; however this is entirely up to you. Place fries on top of chicken and top with tomatoes, lettuce, and red onions. Serve with extra tzatziki sauce on the side for dipping.

CLASSIC GREEK CHICKEN SOUVLAKI

Steps:

• Over a medium bowl, zest the lemon, making sure you do not grate any of the pith (white part of the peel). Add the juice of the lemons.
• Mince the garlic and add it to the bowl. Next, add the olive oil, oregano, spearmint, salt and pepper. Mix well. Reserve one third of your marinade to brush on your kebabs before serving.
• Cut the red onion into quarters, separate each one into 3 or 4 sections and then set aside.
• Cut the chicken in 1½-inch cubes and add to the bowl with the lemon, oil and herbs. Mix well to coat the chicken with the marinade, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours (another trick is to mix them all in a large, zip-lock-style bag, tossing regularly).
• Prepare a grill or set a grill pan over two burners and heat over medium-high heat. Loosely thread the pieces of chicken onto the skewers, alternating the chicken with sections of onion. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken kebabs with salt and pepper. Place the skewers on the hot grill and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning a couple of times, until the chicken has nice grill marks and is cooked through. Brush some of the reserved marinade on the hot kebabs and remove to a serving plate. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
• Place the pita on the hot grill until just heated through.
• To serve, cut the pita into wedges and arrange on the plater, alongside some tzatziki sauce (made with Fage yogurt), chopped red onions, cubes of Greek Feta cheese, grape tomatoes cut in half. Generously sprinkle with some dried oregano. Add the warm kebabs on the platter and serve right away. Enjoy a real Greek feast!

GRECIAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add chicken; saute until no longer pink, 7-9 minutes. Remove and keep warm., In same skillet, heat remaining oil; add the next 6 ingredients. Cook and stir until onion is translucent, 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute more. Add water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 3-4 minutes. Return chicken to skillet; add olives. Simmer, uncovered, until chicken is heated through, 2-3 minutes. If desired, serve with orzo.