This easy grilled chicken with feta recipe will be your favorite way to marinate chicken! The chicken has a burst of Middle Eastern flavors by perfectly marinating the meat with variety of spices that you already have in the pantry. The most unique part of this dish is that it’s marinated in Feta Cheese Brine that results in juicy, tender and savory chicken!
This recipe is great for those that are unsure how to season your chicken thighs properly. This recipe is so easy, you can’t mess up the flavors. The seasonings are the perfect marinade if you like lots of flavor and is inexpensive to do. You need to make this chicken recipe if you’re a fan of middle eastern flavors or love easy meals!! If you love chicken recipes, I recommend this One Pot Creamy Garlic Chicken or this One Pot Chicken Chicken Rice.
Ingredients:
Here’s a look at what you need to make this easy grilled chicken at home. The highlights are here but the full ingredient list and quantities of each are in the recipe card.
- Chicken thighs – they are juicy and is forgiving if you accidentally cook the chicken too long. The extra fat from the thighs also create a nice crust on the exterior!
- Feta cheese water from the tub – If you don’t have the water that comes from the tub- mix ½ cup water and 80g feta cheese together. The feta cheese acts as a brine for the chicken for making it more tender, salty and juicy!
- Salt – you don’t need to add too much salt to the chicken because there’s already salt in the feta cheese.
- Smoked paprika – adds a nice peppery taste to the chicken thighs.
- Cumin – adds lots of flavor and a must have for seasoning your chicken.
- Turmeric – gives a nice peppery flavor and a golden color to your chicken.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you don’t have feta cheese or feta cheese water, you can use yogurt. The yogurt makes the chicken extra tender with a slight acidity and is mild like feta.
- You can also use chicken breast instead of chicken thighs. Just remember to use the same proportion as the thighs. Keep in mind the cooking times may vary depending on how your chicken is.
Directions:
Step 1. Marinate chicken thighs with feta cheese water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Pour out water and dab dry with a paper towel.
Step 2. Add all seasonings in a bowl and mix together.
PRO TIP: If you marinate the chicken too long in the feta water, the chicken can get mushy depending on how acidic the feta water is. Take it out after 1 hour!
Step 3. Generously add the seasonings on both sides of the chicken.
Step 4. Heat pan to medium heat and fry on 3-4 minutes on each side.
Serve the chicken with garlic sauce or your favorite dip. The grilled feta chicken is great on top of salad, rice or pasta!
Expert Tips
- Dry your chicken with a paper towel so that you can develop a nice crust on the exterior of the chicken on a grill or a pan.
- Don’t brine the chicken for longer than 1 hour. Depending on your feta cheese, the acidity and saltiness of the cheese may make your chicken too tender and mushy.
- Get the pan or grill hot (you see smoke!) before you add your chicken thighs, it creates nice grill marks and a nice golden crust!
- Add a creamy cilantro sauce on top for extra flavor! Your chicken will remain moist and it goes great with salad and pita bread.
Recipe FAQs
If you don’t have feta, yogurt, you can skip the brining process. Even though it’s recommended, you can still season your chicken with the recipe and it will be delicious!
Yes, you can! Try to use 1.5 pound chicken breast so the proportions of the ingredients is the same as the recipe. You may need to increase the cooking time of the chicken to ensure that the chicken is cooked throug
You can use salt water and some vinegar instead. Use 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon vinegar. With this brine, make sure you rinse your chicken afterwards to ensure it’s not salty. Do this for 30 minutes!
Store any leftover chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
You can serve this easy grilled chicken with rice, salad or both! I recommend to try these dishes with the chicken: Cold Sesame Noodles , One Pan Garlic Shrimp, Turkish Style Eggs with Yogurt Sauce, PF Chang’s chicken lettuce wraps or Hikiji Sesame Salad for a feast!
Check our more delicious chicken recipes:
Easy Grilled Chicken With Feta
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken thigh
- ½ cup feta cheese water can substitute with yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust if needed, depends on feta/yogurt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoke paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Marinate chicken thighs with feta cheese water (can substiute with yogurt) for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Pour out water and dab dry with a paper towel.
- Add salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, black pepper in a bowl and mix together.
- Generously add the seasonings on both sides of the chicken.
- Heat pan to medium heat and fry on 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Serve with garlic sauce or your favorite yogurt dip. Add on top of salad, rice or pasta and you’re in for a treat!
Notes
- Dry your chicken with a paper towel so that you can develop a nice crust on the exterior of the chicken on a grill or a pan.
- Don’t brine the chicken for longer than 1 hour. Depending on your feta cheese, the acidity and saltiness of the cheese may make your chicken too tender and mushy.
- Get the pan or grill hot (you see smoke!) before you add your chicken thighs, it creates nice grill marks and a nice golden crust!
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