Greek Style Chicken

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I created this 30 minute Greek style chicken marinade for an event I did at Savory Spice Shop in Westfield NJ. It was a HUGE hit with the folks who came out and when I made it again for the show, hubby declared it was “the best chicken ever!”. High praise from a man who eats chicken most days!

Herbs and spices add SO much flavor to food, flavor that we sometimes forget about because we’re used to simply using salt, or we’re not used to cooking at all. And while I generally recommend fresh herbs; as we head into the colder weather, they’re harder to come by. And that’s why a place like Savory Spice is such a nice thing to have. They’re products are really nice and I find them to be a MUCH higher quality than what you find at the grocery store. Well worth the trip to the store. And don’t forget to talk to Marty while you’re there. The man is a WEALTH of culinary knowledge. If you have something very specific in mind, he can guide you to it. And if you have NO IDEA what you’re doing, well, he can guide you into something simple.

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As for that chicken. I use a whole chicken for this recipe. I almost buy chicken that way for a number of reasons. First of all, it’s only 1 chicken. A pack of 3-4 chicken breasts means 2 animals had to make that pack…basically it’s more environmentally, ecologically, and humane to buy one whole chicken. It’s also less expensive. Now let’s say you have no idea what to DO with a whole chicken. Well, I have a whole video on that too. But the other option is to simply take the chicken to the butcher counter and ask them to cut it up for you! They’re happy to do so, for free! They’ll re-wrap it and hand it right back to you. Now, you can separate the pieces when you get home and work in batches. You can use just the breast for dinner one night, and freeze the thighs, legs and wings for another use! Don’t forget to keep the backbone and giblets in a separate freezer baggie to make stock!

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This chicken is best served over brown rice and with a delicious Greek side salad with olives, feta cheese, tomatoes and cucumber! Topped with a simple dressing of salt, pepper, oil and lemon juice. The whole meal is really delicious and leaves you with plenty of lunch leftovers! Check out the video and get the recipe below!

Buon Appetito!

Greek Style Chicken
Serves 4

4 lbs. chicken, cut into 8 pieces
4 Tbs.
Savory Spice Mt. Olympus Greek Style Seasoning
4 Tbs. olive oil
juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 C.)
pinch of salt
1 Tbs. Grapeseed oil

In a gallon sized zip bag, combine spice mix, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Squeeze bag to mix marinade. Add chicken pieces, seal bag and mix again with hands until the chicken is evenly coated. Set bag on papertowel on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes, flipping after 15.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Preheat a cast iron skillet (i like this one) over high heat. Wave your hand over the pan, when you can easily feel the heat rising, add the grapeseed oil. Tilt the pan to get the oil to coat the bottom, then add in chicken pieces, skin side down. Cook over high heat for 5 minutes.

Without moving the chicken, turn off the stove and place the entire pan in the oven for another 6-8 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven. Flip each piece and return the pan to the oven and continue cooking chicken for another 6-8 minutes. *Larger pieces may need more time. Use a meat thermometer if you’re not sure, or cut open a piece at it’s thickest point; juices should run clear and meat should be white or brown.

Serve your chicken over brown rice and with a salad made with olives, crumbled feta, tomatoes and cucumbers; dressed with salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice.