Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Whipped Feta

Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Whipped Feta is the most incredible, unique grilling recipe for summer! The chicken is marinated in a simple, yet super flavorful mixture of lemon, garlic, olive oil, dijon, and honey, then grilled to perfection. The chicken thighs are served over the creamiest whipped feta – you won’t believe how delicious it is! It takes minutes to make, and the leftovers make a perfect spread for sandwiches, or dip for chips, pita, and veggies!

To me, one of THE best part of summer, is being able to grill just about anything and everything. Since moving into my new house, I’ve been making up for lost time, after not having a grill the last couple places I’ve lived! I’ve been grilling almost every single day, and there’s no end in sight. These grilled chicken thighs are one of the best things to come out of my kitchen, maybe ever. Bold statement I know, but they are just INCREDIBLE.

The chicken is incredibly juicy, filled with tons of garlicky-lemony flavor, and then it’s served over whipped feta, which if you’ve never had, is basically feta cheese, whipped in a food processor until it resembles a silky-smooth, salty dip. It is addicting, delicious, and good for so many things!

I like to serve the chicken with plenty of fresh herbs, lemon wedges, and sliced tomatoes too! The dish ends up taking on a Mediterranean kind of theme, and the chicken would be delicious stuffed inside of a grilled pita with extra veggies, lettuce, herbs, and lots of whipped feta. The options are endless – every time I make this, I end up kicking myself for not doubling the recipe!

First thing’s first: marinate your chicken thighs for as long as possible!

The marinade is a simple mixture of garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. It’s my go-to marinade for chicken, and it goes with just about everything. I can’t begin to describe how delicious it is, especially with chicken thighs.

The longer you’re able to marinate the chicken, the better. I like to marinate the thighs for 12-24 hours, but if you’re short on time, 3-4 hours will be just fine. Time = flavor in this case!

Next up, the whipped feta! All you need for it:

• a block of feta (you want to use good quality feta for this, not the pre-crumbled stuff)
• softened cream cheese (just a little bit – this helps make the feta extra creamy and cuts some of the saltiness!)
• extra virgin olive oil (again, you want to use the best quality you can!)
• a squeeze of lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

The ingredients get whipped in the food processor until smooth and creamy – it’s completely hands-off, and it makes such a wonderful, creamy, rich accompaniment to the charred, grilled chicken thighs! You won’t be able to get enough of it.

It can be used as a spread on sandwiches, a dip for pita, a dip for raw veggies, or even served under a bed of  grilled veggies! It can be added to bowls, salads, spread onto toast – really the options are endless.

Even without the whipped feta, these grilled chicken thighs are tough to beat. I promise this will be your go-to marinade throughout the summer. It uses mostly pantry staples, and the flavor profile pairs beautifully with just about everything.

Can you tell how much I love it? 🙂

Let me give you a quick run down of how to make these grilled chicken thighs:

• Make your lemon garlic marinade. Plenty of garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. SO MUCH FLAVOR.
• Marinate your chicken thighs. I know I sound like a broken record – the longer the better! I prefer to marinate these babies for at least 12 hours.
• Make the whipped feta. I wouldn’t recommend making it too far in advance, or else it will tighten up in the fridge, and won’t be as silky smooth. If you do need to make it in advance, make sure you let it come down to room temperature – you may need to give it another spin in the food processor as well. It comes together in 3-4 minutes, so it doesn’t take long at all to make the day-of!
• Grill your chicken. Make sure you allow the chicken to come down to temperature for 30 minutes or so after being in the fridge – you don’t want to add cold chicken to a hot grill!
• And serve! I like to spread the whipped feta on a platter, and top with the grilled chicken thighs. Then, I like to sprinkle some chopped fresh herbs over everything – parsley, dill, mint, and chives are favorites here. Add some sliced grape or cherry tomatoes, if you’d like, and a little extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

Pure perfection, I tell ya.

If you love this recipe, you’ll also love:

Greek Sheet Pan Chicken with Potatoes and Quick Tzatziki
Crispy Lentil Salad with Arugula and Garlic Yogurt Sauce
Chicken Provencal Skillet
Harissa Chicken Meatballs with Couscous and Cucumber Herb Salad
One Pan Mediterranean Shrimp Orzo
Mediterranean Chopped Salad with Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Chicken Shawarma Bowls
Moroccan Chicken Skewers with Lemony Feta Tzatziki

Don’t forget to share a photo on Instagram and tag me @spicesinmydna if you make this recipe! Nothing makes me happier than seeing what you create in the kitchen!

5 from 1 vote

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Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Whipped Feta

Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Whipped Feta is the most incredible, unique grilling recipe for summer! The chicken is marinated in a simple yet super flavorful mixture of lemon, garlic, olive oil, dijon, and honey, then grilled to perfection. The chicken thighs are served over the creamiest whipped feta - it takes minutes to make, and the leftovers make the perfect spread for sandwiches, or dip for pita and veggies!

Course Chicken, Dinner, Lunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine American, Greek, Mediterranean

Keyword boneless skinless lemon chicken thighs, garlic marinade for chicken thighs, grilled chicken thighs, grilled chicken thighs boneless, grilled chicken thighs marinade, grilled lemon garlic chicken thighs, lemon garlic chicken thighs, whipped feta, whipped feta dip

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 4

Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

For the chicken thighs

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup extra virigin olive oil
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

For the whipped feta

• 1 (8 ounce) block feta cheese, cubed
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• generous squeeze of lemon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve

• chopped fresh herbs (I like flat-leaf parsley, dill, mint, and chives here)
• sliced grape or cherry tomatoes
• lemon wedges
• extra olive oil for drizzling
• flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper until combined. Add the chicken thighs and toss thoroughly to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 12 hours or overnight, and up to 24 hours.

2. Make the whipped feta. In a food processor, combine the feta, softened cream cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse 10-15 times, then scrape down the sides. Run the food processor for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until feta is smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Once ready to grill, take the chicken out of the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to grilling to take the chill off. Preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken with the lid closed for 4 minutes per side, or until grill marks appear, and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165℉.

4. Spread the whipped feta on a platter, and serve the chicken over top. Sprinkle with the chopped fresh herbs, and arrange the lemon wedges and sliced tomatoes alongside. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with a bit of flaky sea salt. Serve!