Greek Chicken Tenders (Printable)
Marinated chicken tenders with Greek herbs, grilled and served with creamy yogurt dipping sauce.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken Marinade
01 - 1 ½ lbs chicken tenders
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - Juice of 1 lemon
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tbsp dried oregano
06 - 1 tsp dried thyme
07 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
08 - 1 tsp salt
09 - ½ tsp black pepper
→ Yogurt Dipping Sauce
10 - 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
11 - 1 small cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
12 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
13 - 1 tbsp olive oil
14 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
15 - 1 clove garlic, minced
16 - Salt and pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
17 - Lemon wedges
18 - Fresh parsley or dill, chopped
# How-To Steps:
01 - Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken tenders and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours for deeper flavor penetration.
02 - While chicken marinates, mix Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, dill, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until well combined. Refrigerate until serving time.
03 - Preheat grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grates to prevent sticking.
04 - Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Grill tenders for 3-4 minutes per side until fully cooked with an internal temperature of 165°F and nice char marks develop.
05 - Arrange hot chicken tenders on a serving platter alongside chilled yogurt sauce. Accompany with lemon wedges and sprinkle with fresh herbs.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The marinade does double duty tenderizing the meat while infusing it with those bright Mediterranean flavors we all crave
- That cooling yogurt sauce balances the charred, smoky chicken in a way that keeps everyone coming back for seconds
- Thirty minutes of hands-on time yields a dinner that looks and tastes like you put in way more effort
02 -
- Patting the chicken dry before it hits the marinade makes a huge difference in getting those gorgeous grill marks instead of steaming
- Letting the chicken rest for a few minutes after grilling keeps all those juices inside where they belong
03 -
- If your grill tends to flare up, keep a spray bottle of water handy and move the chicken to a cooler spot if things get too aggressive
- Room temperature chicken cooks more evenly, so let it sit out while the grill heats up