This Greek chicken with tzatziki sauce takes just 20 minutes to make and it’s a super easy and tasty Keto recipe.
Hey Foodies,
Today I will show you how to make one of the best Greek chicken recipes. And I consider it one of the best because it’s super tasty and flavored, and you can make it in just 20 minutes.
Well, you know me already, I’m a sucker for tasty and super easy recipes. Even though I cook for a living, for some reason, I never liked spending too much time on a single recipe.
Now you might wonder why is it so easy and tasty?!
More easy chicken recipes:
This Greek chicken recipe is so easy because I pan seared the chicken breast which is one of the simplest yet delicious ways to cook it. And I’ll tell you more about pan searing later in the article.
Furthermore, it’s tasty because I made this Greek chicken with Tzatziki sauce, feta, olives and tomatoes. Moreover, I marinated the chicken before cooking it, and all these combined added loads of flavors.
And I will also tell you more about the marinade in the Tips & Tricks below. Moreover, I will tell how to make the Tzatziki sauce, how to cook chicken breast in a pan, what to serve with this pan seared chicken and which ingredients can be replaced.
So keep reading if you want to make the best Greek chicken with tzatziki sauce.
How to make Greek chicken with tzatziki sauce – Best Tips & Tricks
I know that many people don’t know what tzatziki is, or what goes in it, so first, let’s clear that one out.
1. What’s in tzatziki sauce
Tzatziki is a classic Greek sauce or dip and it is made of plain yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, salt, lemon juice or vinegar and fresh herbs like dill, mint, parsley, chives and thyme.
For best flavor, you should use full-fat yogurt and different kinds of herbs. I only had dill in my kitchen so I made the classic tzatziki, but you definitely need to try it with basil, chives, cilantro or parsley.
Now that you know what’s in tzatziki sauce, let’s see how to cook chicken breast in a pan.
2. How to cook chicken breast in a pan
The best way to cook chicken breast is in a pan because it’s the easiest. However, there are several methods to do that, some easier and healthier than others. In a pan, you can deep fry, or sear the meat.
Out of these, searing is the easiest and healthiest and it’s exactly how I cooked this Greek chicken today.
Yet the problem with searing is that sometimes it dries the chicken breast making it hard to swallow. To avoid that and to ensure you get a moist and tender chicken, you need to follow these easy steps:
- Start by taking it out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes before cooking and let the chicken reach room temperature. This step is very important because if you cook the cold chicken into a heated pan, it will dry up and get overcooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside. Meat at room temperature cooks more evenly and fewer juices leak out or evaporate during cooking.
- Preheat the pan to medium heat and drizzle a bit of oil to keep the meat from sticking.
- Cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until it’s cooked through. You’ll know when it’s done if the inside juices run clear and the middle is no longer pink. Or, if you insert a meat thermometer right down to the middle, it should read 165F/75C.
The cooking time depends on how thick the cut is. If it’s really thin or pounded, it needs just 4 minutes on each side and if it’s thick, 7-8 minutes on each side should be enough. If you put the lid on, it might cook faster and it’s always best to have a meat thermometer handy.
You should now have a better idea of how to cook chicken breast in a pan, so let’s see how to make this pan seared chicken more tasty and flavorful.
3. Quick Greek chicken marinade
Greek chicken with tzatziki sauce is already a flavorful dish but marinating will take it to a whole new level. Furthermore, it will also make it more tender.
The best and easiest way to marinate chicken is in olive oil. You would have to rub it with your favorite spices, like dried oregano, paprika, garlic, and salt, then drizzle olive oil. Next, you’d have to refrigerate it for up to an hour, or even better, overnight.
But as mentioned above, don’t forget to take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and let it get to room temperature.
4. What to serve with pan seared chicken breast
This pan seared chicken is a full dish and it has all the good stuff: proteins, loads of veggies, cheese, and tzatziki sauce. So it’s quite a filling meal.
But if you are super hungry, you can serve it with roasted smashed potatoes, which would go perfectly with tzatziki sauce. Furthermore, you can add any roasted veggies like asparagus, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc.
It’s worth mentioning here that if you serve it with potatoes it won’t be a Keto recipe anymore. As for the rest of the veggies, you would have to watch their macros as they too may contain plenty of carbs.
5. Which ingredients can be replaced in this easy Greek chicken recipe
This easy Greek chicken recipe is so versatile because you can literally change all ingredients. For instance, you can use any of your favorite chopped veggies, like bell peppers, romaine salad, radish, celery, jalapenos, etc.
And you can also change the meat. You can use chicken thighs, turkey, steak or even salmon fillets.
It wouldn’t be called a Greek chicken recipe anymore, but hey, we shouldn’t let names and titles limit our creativity, right?
There’s one ingredient though, that I’d recommend you to keep, and that’s the tzatziki sauce. This goes perfectly with most types of meat and it adds tons of flavor.
That’s all for today, my dear foodies. You should now be more than ready to make the best pan seared chicken with tzatziki sauce.
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Greek Chicken With Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb (680g) chicken breast - skinless, boneless
- 1 1/2 cup (225g) cherry tomatoes - halved or quartered
- 1 English cucumber - diced
- 1/3 cup (60g) pitted olives - sliced
- 1 medium red onion - diced
- 1 cup (150g) crumbled Feta cheese
For Tzatziki sauce:
- 1/4 cup (13g) fresh dill - chopped
- 1/4 English cucumber - grated and squeeze the excess moisture
- 2 cups (480ml) full-fat Greek yogurt
- 3-4 garlic cloves - pressed or minced
- zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- sea salt and fresh ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- To make the Tzatziki sauce, mix all Tzatziki ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to your taste. Refrigerate until ready to use. It gets better after sitting in the fridge, as all the flavors meld. It's just perfect the next day, so you can make this one ahead.
- Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until it's golden brown on the outside and cooked through (internal temp should read 165F / 75C).
- Once it's done, place the chicken on a plate and top it with Tzatziki sauce, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onions, and crumbled Feta cheese.
Recipe Notes
- Make the Greek tzatziki sauce with full-fat yogurt and different types of herbs like dill, basil, chives, cilantro or parsley.
- See how to cook chicken breast in a pan at Tip #2.
- For an easy Greek chicken marinade, see Tip #3.
- You can serve it with roasted smashed potatoes, or with roasted veggies like asparagus, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc.
- You can replace the chicken breast with thighs, turkey, steak or even salmon fillets. Also, you can use any of your favorite chopped veggies. See more at Tip #5.
Nutrition
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