The grill is already lit for something else
Chicken thighs sit in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and dried oregano for twenty minutes in the fridge, cold the entire time, before you portion them flat into a quart bag. Marinating warm on the counter breaks the fibers down too far, and the chicken turns stringy by the time it hits the grill.
Move the bag to the fridge Wednesday morning and it thaws by dinner Thursday, loose enough to lay flat on the grill pan without a puddle of marinade underneath. Give it four minutes a side over medium-high heat and check the thick end with a thermometer before anyone touches a pita.
Warm the pitas directly on the grate for thirty seconds a side while the chicken rests. A cold pita around hot chicken is the difference between this tasting like a restaurant and tasting like a sad wrap.
Ingredients
The batch makes 4 marinade packs (serves 4 to 6). Plan on about 15 minutes to assemble (raw), then freeze.
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1/3 cup olive oil and juice of 2 lemons
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper
- To serve: pitas, rice, or salad greens (added later)
How to Make It
- Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Divide the raw chicken among freezer bags and pour the marinade over.
- Seal, press out the air, and lay flat.
- The chicken marinates as it freezes and thaws.
Freeze It
Freezing the chicken in its marinade does double duty: it stores the meal and seasons it deeply by the time it thaws.
- Freeze the raw marinade packs flat and labeled (best within 3 months)
- Thaw a pack in the fridge the night before or morning of
- Discard used marinade; do not reuse it raw
Thaw and reheat on practice night
Thaw, then cook fresh. Raw chicken means this needs cooking, not reheating.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge
- Grill or grill-pan: 5 to 6 minutes per side until 165F
- Sheet pan: 425F for 20 to 22 minutes
- Slice for pitas, rice bowls, or over a Greek salad
- Serve with: warm pitas, tzatziki, cucumber-tomato salad, rice
Parent Tip
Cut the cooked chicken into strips so it stuffs into pitas or tops a bowl easily.
Make it fit tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
Pita with tzatziki and cucumber
Sliced chicken, a spoon of yogurt sauce, and cucumber ribbons fold into a warm pita.
Greek salad with the chicken on top
Chopped romaine, tomato, feta, and olives turn a side salad into the whole dinner.
Rice bowl with lemon and feta
Sliced chicken over rice with crumbled feta and a squeeze of extra lemon on top.
Chicken over orzo
Toss the sliced chicken with orzo, olive oil, and chopped parsley for a lighter plate.
Greek chicken flatbread
Spread hummus on flatbread, add sliced chicken, tomato, and red onion for a stand-up dinner.
Plan the next step
Marinate and freeze
Use the planner to assemble Greek marinade packs for the weeks ahead.