These Green Goddess Chicken Thighs are marinated in a simple yet incredibly flavorful green goddess sauce, then get pan-seared to golden perfection! Filled with fresh herbs, garlic, lemon and yogurt, this marinade is an easy way to level up chicken with bold flavor.
If you hate food waste, then these Green Goddess Chicken Thighs are for you! This is the perfect way to use up all the random, leftover herbs you have sitting in your fridge. Put those beautiful herbs to good use and transform them into an incredibly flavorful marinade for chicken thighs!
It’s crazy how a simple marinade can truly take chicken to the next level. Out with the boring, dry chicken and in with the flavorful, unique and delicious chicken. This is perfect for Summer nights, or even as something to prep at the beginning of the week and use for salads, sandwiches, etc.
You will love how herby, tangy and bold this homemade green goddess sauce is. And the best part is that you’ll likely have some leftover which you can use as a salad dressing, a sandwich condiment or…just eat by the spoonful (because it’s that good).
Why You’ll Love these Green Goddess Chicken Thighs
- They are juicy, moist and filled with herby flavor from the green goddess marinade!
- This recipe is simple to make, with most of it being passive marinating time.
- The green goddess sauce is perfect way to use up leftover herbs!
- This recipe is made with wholesome, healthy ingredients.
- It’s a flexible recipe – you can pick and choose what herbs you want to use.
What You Need to Make these Green Goddess Chicken Thighs
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs are moister, more flavorful, cheaper and easier to cook than chicken breast so they’re usually my go-to. But if you really want to substitute chicken breast, just be sure to butterfly it so that each piece is thin.
- Fresh Parsley: Lots of fresh herbs in this green goddess marinade! Aim to get mostly the leaves, but some stems are fine too.
- Fresh Cilantro: If you can’t stand cilantro, try adding in more parsley or even get crazy and throw in some fresh basil and/or mint leaves.
- Fresh Dill: As mentioned above, this recipe is flexible and you can use whatever herbs you have on hand.
- Green Onion: This adds a mild onion flavor. In a pinch, you can substitute a very small amount of shallot or red onion.
- Garlic: Garlic pretty much belongs in everything in my opinion…
- Lemon: Lemon juice adds a hint of freshness and acidity to the green goddess marinade.
- Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt is the base of this marinade and it adds tang, creaminess and a bit of extra protein. I always recommending using full-fat, whole milk greek yogurt and bonus if it’s made with grass-fed milk! To make this dairy free, try using a thick vegan yogurt or even tahini.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: Simple seasonings…we don’t need much because the fresh herbs do all the work here!
- Olive Oil: Just a bit to thin out the green goddess marinade and add more flavor and healthy fats.
- Avocado Oil: This neutral, high smoke point oil is used for searing the chicken. In a pinch you can just use more olive oil, but expect more smoking.
How To Make these Green Goddess Chicken Thighs
Prepare the Green Goddess Marinade:
First, start by preparing your green goddess marinade. To do so, add cilantro, dill, green onion, garlic, lemon, yogurt, salt & pepper to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
Then, with the blender still running on a low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil. Taste and adjust salt & pepper to your liking.
Let Chicken Thighs Marinate:
Next, add chicken thighs to a large bowl and pour about ½-⅔ of the green goddess sauce over top. Toss to coat the chicken in the sauce. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 2-3 hours.
Place the remaining green goddess sauce in a small jar or bowl and refrigerate it. We will use this to garnish the chicken after it’s done cooking.
Pan-Sear the Marinated Chicken Thighs:
After the chicken is done marinating, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature as you preheat the pan. Bring a large pan (I used stainless steel) to medium-high heat. It’s ready to use when it passes the water test – AKA if you splash some water on the pan, it bubbles up and “dances” around the pan instead of evaporating.
Add enough avocado oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Then, wipe as much of the excess marinade off the chicken as possible. Add chicken thighs to the hot pan and let cook for 5 minutes, undisturbed. You may have to do this in several batches.
Then, flip and continue cooking for about 4 more minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165F. At any point if it seems to be burning, you can reduce the heat to medium. Some smoke and splattering is to be expected…don’t stress!
Garnish with more Green Goddess Sauce:
Once the chicken is done cooking, garnish it with more of the reserved green goddess sauce. Enjoy with your sides of choice, I like doing roasted baby potatoes and a side salad!
What is Green Goddess Sauce?
To be honest, I don’t fully know the history of green goddess sauce/dressing. But, it’s really become popular in recent years, with tons of recipes being developed with it and even brands coming out with their own pre-packaged green goddess dressing (I’m looking at you Trader Joe’s).
Each recipe will vary slightly, but at it’s core green goddess sauce/dressing is creamy and herby. It’s packed with a variety of fresh herbs, garlic and lemon for bold flavor and vibrant color. My version utilizes greek yogurt instead of mayo which provides equal tang and creaminess but with a little more protein!
Can I Use Different Herbs in the Green Goddess Sauce?
Yes you can! And that’s one of the reasons I love this recipe. I don’t know about you but I ALWAYS end up having leftover herbs that are withering away in my fridge. So, just use up whatever you have on hand! This green goddess marinade would be delicious with some basil or mint thrown in there, either in addition or in replacement to the parsley, cilantro and dill.
Can I Use Chicken Breast Instead?
I have only tried this recipe with chicken thighs so far – I love them because they are moister, more flavorful and oftentimes cheaper! However, it should work with chicken breast as well. Be sure to butterfly the chicken so that it’s in thinner pieces…otherwise it won’t cook evenly through. Let me know if you try it with chicken breast!
Can I Make these Green Goddess Chicken Thighs Dairy Free?
Yup! You can simply swap out the greek yogurt for a thick vegan version such as coconut yogurt or Siggi’s Plant-Based. Luckily, there are a ton of vegan yogurts on the market these days!
In the past, I’ve also made this green goddess sauce with tahini (ground sesame seeds) which has worked great. I was using it more as a salad dressing vs a marinade, so I can’t guarantee it’ll perform the same…but it’s worth a shot!
How Long Do I Need to Marinate the Green Goddess Chicken Thighs?
When it comes to marinating, the more the merrier! I know that’s annoying, especially if you’re in a time crunch. So, you certainly can let the chicken marinate for only 30 minutes, but expect it to be a little less flavorful and moist.
My biggest tip is to prep the marinade in the morning before you leave for work, and then let the chicken marinate in the fridge all day long! By the time you get home for work, you’ll only have 10 minutes of cooking to do, and you won’t regret it.
What Should I Serve with these Green Goddess Chicken Thighs?
To make this a full meal, I like serving it with some roasted baby potatoes and a veggie of some sort. Keep it easy and make a simple side salad that’s dressed with leftover green goddess sauce! Or, roast up some broccoli/broccolini along with the baby potatoes. Either way, you’ll have a balanced, satisfying and flavorful dinner to enjoy.
How Should I Store Leftover Green Goddess Chicken Thighs?
These Green Goddess Chicken Thighs store super well so they’re a great protein to prep at the start of the week and then add to salads, sandwiches, etc! Just allow them to cool fully before transferring to an airtight container and storing in the fridge for up to 4 days. I would recommend leaving the extra green goddess sauce on the side in a small jar and adding it when you’re ready to eat.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more Recipes using Chicken Thighs?
- One-Pan Buffalo Chicken Orzo
- Elote Tacos with Chipotle Chicken and Veggies
- Spanish Chicken and Chorizo Sheet Pan Meal
- Creamy Cajun Chicken Orzo
- Healthy Kung Pao Chicken & Cauliflower Sheet Pan Meal
Green Goddess Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- high speed blender or food processor
- plastic wrap
- large pan
Ingredients
- 1.75 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- ⅓ cup fresh dill
- 1 green onion chopped (both white & green parts)
- 2 small garlic cloves peeled
- juice from 1 lemon
- ½ cup plain full-fat greek yogurt *
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- kosher salt & black pepper to taste
- avocado oil (for searing the chicken)
Instructions
- Add parsley, cilantro, dill, green onion, garlic, lemon, yogurt, salt & pepper to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Then, with the blender still running on a low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil. Taste and adjust salt & pepper to your liking.1 cup fresh parsley, 1 cup fresh cilantro, ⅓ cup fresh dill, 1 green onion, juice from 1 lemon, ½ cup plain full-fat greek yogurt, 2 tbsp olive oil, kosher salt & black pepper, 2 small garlic cloves
- Add chicken thighs to a large bowl and pour about ½-⅔ of the green goddess sauce over top. Toss to coat the chicken in the sauce. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 2-3 hours.1.75 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Place the remaining green goddess sauce in a small jar or bowl and refrigerate it. We will use this to garnish the chicken after it's done cooking.
- After the chicken is done marinating, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature as you preheat the pan. Bring a large pan (I used stainless steel) to medium-high heat. It's ready to use when it passes the water test – AKA if you splash some water on the pan, it bubbles up and "dances" around the pan instead of evaporating.
- Add enough avocado oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Then, wipe as much of the excess marinade off the chicken as possible. Add chicken thighs to the hot pan and let cook for 5 minutes, undisturbed. You may have to do this in several batches.avocado oil
- Then, flip and continue cooking for about 4 more minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165F. At any point if it seems to be burning, you can reduce the heat to medium. Some smoke and splattering is to be expected…don't stress!
- Once the chicken is done cooking, garnish it with more of the reserved green goddess sauce. Enjoy with your sides of choice, I like doing roasted baby potatoes and a side salad!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.