Oven-Baked Greek Chicken Breast

By Rena Awada | Updated On April 29, 2023

This Greek Baked Chicken Breast With Feta is moist, tender, oven-baked chicken breasts steeped in flavor from a bright, zesty lemon herbed marinade. Perfect low-carb chicken dinner recipe to serve any night of the week that’s keto-friendly.

tope view sliced chicken breast baked in a white dish with tomatoes olives and feta cheese


These Greek-style baked chicken breasts are topped with salty, melty feta cheese, crisp, colorful, and mild sweet red onion, and sliced Kalamata olives. Rich, meaty grape tomatoes provide a sweet crunch that balances the other toppings with the right acidity. Once you assemble your ingredients, this Mediterranean flavor-packed dish is so simple and absolutely delicious! Everything is easily prepared the night before, and your marinated chicken will be steeped with traditional Greek flavor when you’re ready to pop in the oven.

Ingenious, elegant, and bursting with fresh herb flavor, this easy oven-baked Greek chicken breast is a definite time-saver; from oven to table in 25 to 30 minutes.

Why You’ll Love This Baked Greek Chicken Breast

  • Authentic lemony Greek chicken breast flavor. Easy to make and full of flavor.
  • An impressive dish, that can easily be made in advance.
  • Tender and juicy: Longer marinade time increases moisture and lemon herb taste. You will enjoy tender and juicy flavored chicken breast.
  • A scrumptious, satisfying heart-healthy meal with lots of nutrient-rich ingredients
tope view sliced chicken breast with cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and olives

Equipment Needed To Make Easy Greek Chicken Bake

  • Lemon Zester
  • Measuring Cups
  • Measureing Spoons
  • Whisk
  • Small Mixing Bowl
  • Oven Safe Baking Dish
  • Meat Thermometer

Ingredients For Your Greek Chicken With Feta, Olives, And Tomatoes

  • Olive oil: we love cooking with olive oil, but you may use any other oil.
  • Lemons: you need the juice and zest of one lemon
  • Herbs: oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
  • Fresh herbs: choose between parsley, basil, or oregano.
  • Chicken breast: you may use skinless and boneless chicken thighs or drumsticks. Cooking time will vary.
  • Tomatoes: Use what you have handy but cherry or grape tomato works best.
  • Olives: for the best flavor, use kalamata olives
  • Feta cheese: You can use pre-bought crumbled feta
  • Red onion: if you can’t get your hands on red onions, use white sweet onions.
ingredients to make the greek style baked chicken breast

How To Make A Baked Greek Chicken Breast With Feta

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a small bowl whisk the oil, lemon juice, zest, seasonings, and basil or herbs of choice.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and place in a medium oven-safe dish.

marinated greek chicken breast in a white dish

Pour over the prepared Greek-style dressing. If time allows, you can marinate the chicken for 1 hour, or overnight, keeping it in the oven dish. (Just before roasting, allow it to sit for 30 minutes over the counter to get to room temp!)

Bake for 25-35 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the chicken breast.

baked sliced chicken breast in a white dish

Once the chicken is done (an internal thermometer inserted into each reads 165F), remove it from the oven. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes, then chop it into large chunks and place it back into the dish.

chopped tomatoes, olives, and onions

Top with tomatoes, olives, onions, and feta.

Serve immediately.

close up view of greek chicken breast

Greek-Style Baked Chicken Breast FAQs

Which is better for this easy Greek chicken bake recipe, cherry or grape tomato

It really comes down to personal preference; both work equally well and are interchangeable in this dish. Use what you have on hand and try the other type on the next go-round. 

Health Tip: Tomatoes are rich in cancer-fighting lycopene and a good source of Vitamins A and C. Feel free to indulge in these little nutrient powerhouses unless you are avoiding nightshades.

What is the main difference between cherry and grape tomatoes for this recipe? 

Besides the shape? One is small and round like a cherry, and the other is small and oblong like a grape. Grape tomatoes have thicker skin than cherry tomatoes and less juice, resulting in a meatier flesh that adds crunch and texture to this Greek lemon chicken bake.  The nice acid and sugar balance in cherry tomatoes creates a richer, slightly sweet, fresh garden tomato flavor.

Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh ones?

Of course, and it will still taste great! Just know the flavor profile will be slightly different as most authentic Greek lemon chicken recipes start with fresh herbs.

Remember to adjust measurements from fresh to dry, from 1 tbsp of fresh herbs to 1 tsp of dried. Dried herbs, especially “fresh” dried herbs, are very potent and have a concentrated flavor.

Can I marinate the chicken in a plastic bag instead of a baking dish?

Yes, for the spacially handicapped fridge, place your marinade and chicken in an appropriate-sized, food-safe Ziploc bag. I’d go for a freezer bag to ensure no spills or leaks from accidental piercing or tears.

Pro-Tip: Always allow refrigerated and marinated meats, at least 30 minutes for the dish to come up to room temp before baking unless the recipe specifies otherwise.

top view greek style baked chicken breast in white dish

More chicken breasts recipes you may like

top view baked chicken breast in a white dish

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top view of baked chicken breast with feta cheese olives and tomatoes

Greek Oven Baked Chicken Breast

Simple and easy to make Greek-style chicken breasts baked to perfection with tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese.
4.92 from 48 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
marinate: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 481kcal
Author: Rena

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 medium lemon juiced
  • zest of 1 medium lemon
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh basil parsley, or oregano
  • 2 lb chicken breast boneless and skinless
  • kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup chopped grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives
  • 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
  • 1 small red onion chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • In a small bowl whisk the oil, lemon juice, zest, seasonings, and basil or herbs of choice.
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and place in a medium oven-safe dish.
  • Pour over the prepared greek-style dressing. If time allows, you can marinate the chicken for 1 hour, or overnight, keeping it in the oven dish. (Just before roasting, allow it to sit for 30 minutes over the counter to get to room temp!)
  • Bake for 25-35 minutes
  • Once the chicken is done (an internal thermometer inserted into each reads 165F), remove it from the oven. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes, then chop into large chunks and place back into the dish.
  • Top with tomatoes, olives, onions, and feta.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Skip feta cheese to reduce fat content and calories 
  • Use boneless and skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast.
  • any oil would work but we prefer using avocado or olive oil

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 1323mg | Potassium: 1035mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 463IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 141mg | Iron: 2mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kim H says

    5 stars
    This was delicious! And so easy to make, too. I didn’t make any changes to the recipe and it turned out great. I think the key is to use thin sliced chicken breasts which you can buy already sliced at the grocery store. I didn’t cook the veggies either, just spread them out over the chicken along with the feta immediately after taking the chicken out of the oven. I let the dish rest for about 10 minutes before serving and that was enough to warm up the veggies without taking away the fresh taste they impart. Will definitely be adding this recipe to my rotation!

  2. Shalor Dimitriou says

    4 stars
    Very flavorful! It took about 30 minutes for what I considered fairly thin breasts, but I did start checking around 15 minutes just to avoid overcooking. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the basil – though very tasty, it just didn’t seem like Greek chicken to me and I would use more oregano instead of that next time. My Greek husband and MIL voted for more garlic and more oregano – and no more basil in anything Greek I make

  3. Zoey says

    5 stars
    Yummy. I used Greek seasoning without salt (Amazon) Kalamata olives in brine and olive oil (TJ’s) and added marinated artichoke hearts (TJ’s). Served with cucumber salad.

  4. Carol Ziegler says

    4 stars
    Delicious! I used only 1 Tbls of olive oil and approx 1/4 chicken broth (instead of oil) to make it healthier and less fat. I also used 2 cloves of pressed garlic on top. A weird phenomenon happened that has never happened to me before (& I’ve been cooking for decades!) Due to the citrus of the lemon, the garlic turned blue! I searched it and it is safe to eat. So if you don’t want blue garlic bits on top of your chicken, omit the fresh garlic or use garlic powder instead. I also used very thin breasts, and the meal was done in 15 minutes at 350. I will definitely make this again. SOOOO EASY!!!

  5. Ruth says

    This marinade is delicious! I made two changes to the recipe – (1) I used a whole container of tomatoes, not just one cup (we love tomatoes and one cup was just not enough for four people), and (2) I baked the veggies with the chicken. Served it over rice. Will be using leftover chicken to make chicken bowls.

  6. Amanda says

    4 stars
    Nice recipe but 15-17 minutes is NOT correct. Chicken was 100% raw and I had to put back in for an additional 20 minutes.

    • Sarah says

      I had the same result. I am hoping it’s a typo. We are 25 minutes in and the chicken is still not cooked through.

      • Rena Awada says

        It depends on the thickness of the chicken breast and your oven. I updated the time but it is best to check with a thermometer until the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees.

  7. kazy says

    5 stars
    I never made traditional Greek oregano chicken before so I consulted my Greek friend whose mother made this all the time and the one thing her mother did which made all the difference in making this dish was to brine the chicken first, which is what I did. She also eschewed the idea of using breasts. She used a whole chicken or parts like the thigh and drumstick due to its richer flavor and higher moisture content which makes it a much better choice than breasts. I’m not fond of breasts myself. The fat difference is negligible and the fat from thighs is part of a healthy diet. In fact, dark meat has many health benefits and offers many more nutrients in quantities that white meat lacks, besides breasts are unforgiving when cooking due to them being so dry tasting, they are so easily overcooked. So I switched the breasts out to bone-in-skin on chicken thighs, which you cannot go wrong with. Needless to say, I did not chop them into chunks and served whole. I also increased the amount from a serving of 4 to 8 servings. I also used fresh lemon slices and fresh garlic. I baked them for 30 minutes, then topped with tomatoes, olives, onions, and baked for an additional 15-20 minutes. Plated, then added the feta to each serving. My Greek friend said it was keeper and tasted like her mother’s although her mother was much more minimalist and didn’t include tomatoes, olives and onions in it. Thanks for sharing. It’s going into my file folder as a repeat dinner. Mmmmm…..good!

    • Debra Carter says

      4 stars
      I totally agree with you. I cooked some breast and some thighs. Everyone loved the Thighs the best. It did take much longer to cook than the recipe called for. about 45 minutues would be right. My family loved it! I served with a greek salad, and greek potatoes and tzatziki sauce. I didn’t put the tomatoes and olives on it because I have picky eaters.

  8. sherri says

    5 stars
    Although it was very good, the cooking instructions for 15-17 minutes are wrong. It was more like 45 minutes.
    Next time I will sautee the onions first or cook them with the chicken.

  9. Lynn Miller says

    5 stars
    Took the chicken out early and added the last ingredients (also added chopped garlic) to cook with the chicken for the last 10 minutes (cooked the whole breast so took about 40 minutes).
    Really liked the lemon juice in the marinade

  10. Deeps says

    Didn’t cook the chicken well even when I used convection 350F. I think this is better cooked at 400. Stops so much water from accumulating as well. I had the dish marinating on the counter for half an hour before I put it in the oven, so it started at room temp.

  11. Maria says

    I’m about to try this delicious looking recipe but I have a question: the tomatoes onions olives are just chopped, nothing else is done to them before I place them on the hot chicken? So all raw and cold?

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