Lemon Oregano Greek Grilled Chicken

Lemon Oregano Greek Grilled Chicken made with just four simple ingredients, is one of our summer favorites. Juicy and flavorful, this spatchcocked chicken is so easy to cook on the grill. The tart lemon halves only add to the the deliciousness of the chicken when squeezed over before serving.

 

Summertime grilling is pleasure in my book. It lets me escape the heat of the kitchen and head to the heat in the yard…but hey…at least it’s still outside! I love guessing what my neighbors are having for dinner and sometimes they also entice me to get my fire started. Everything smells so glorious in summer…just like when you are outside of the worst Chinese restaurant in the world and then the aroma of garlic comes through and instantaneously you are hungry! Have you ever noticed that?

Well, this Lemon Oregano Greek Grilled Chicken has the same effect. This chicken begins with making a simple marinade of 4 ingredients. It is amazing how 4 ingredients can transform something ordinary into something magical. But lemon, garlic and oregano seem to do just that. A part of the marinade is left for drizzling over the chicken when it is taken off the grill. And besides that and the squeeze of a fresh grilled lemon, the hardest thing when making this recipe is cutting the backbone out of the chicken.

Cutting the backbone out of a chicken is called spatchcocking. Kind of a funny term but when it comes to chicken, this is the secret to cooking chicken faster and to getting a crispier skin. It is much easier to lay the bird on the grill without a backbone, which  allows the skin closer contact to the grill. Trust me, when I started doing this years ago it was truly a game changer. Since then my favorite kitchen tool has been my kitchen shears. If you don’t have a pair get one!

Now you don’t need to worry about getting mismatched pieces of chicken. When you cook a whole chicken everything is the right size unlike getting a huge breast and then a teeny one…which happens to me all the time. Chicken tastes so much better when it is cooked whole. It is juicier and when done the proper way, it is easier to flip an entire chicken over rather than worrying about each individual piece. This Lemon Oregano Greek Grilled chicken was served every year at the Greek festival where I grew up. The Greek festival was something to look forward to in Kankakee and we used to hang out in the yard next to the church and eat chicken and souvlaki and steal tiny ouzo glasses with hopefully something still in them, from the picnic tables.  Oh, were we bad. But in a good kind of way. Just like this chicken.

Check out some more Grill Food Ideas. I’ve made a Grilled Caesar before and it really is good. This version from Family Food on the Table is similar to mine. There is nothing like cheese on the grill and halloumi cheese is the best. This Grilled Halloumi with Strawberries and Herbs from Boulder Locavore sounds heavenly. And the ultimate grill food with a ginger teriyaki sauce from Princess Pinky Girl would be this Grilled Rib Eye Steak . 

Plus Some More I can’t wait to make again this summer!

Grilled Mexican Pork

Grilled Icelandic Lamb with Honey Herb Chimichurri

Grilled Wild Mushroom Pizza

Please Eat and Pin and Share!

Print