Green Goddess Grilled Chicken

This green goddess grilled chicken features juicy chicken thighs marinated in an herby homemade green goddess dressing and grilled until perfectly smoky and tender.

Is there anything we won’t green goddess-ify around here? Lord knows we’ve done it enough times in salad form and now it’s officially made its way into the grilled chicken game today.

As fate would have it, turns out that this classic herby salad favorite from Panera pairs like an absolute DREAM with juicy chicken thighs.

Give it a little marinade, a little grilling action, some more of that green gold on top, and boom. We’ve got a winner that belongs on each and every grilling agenda this summer.

The real beauty of this chicken is the fact that you can whip up the green goddess sauce in mere minutes, pile it into a ziplock with the chicken, and forget about it in the fridge for up to 12 hours. That’s a grilling hack everyone can get behind.

Trust me on this, your life is incomplete without this chicken in it!

This Green Goddess Chicken features…

• A flavorful green goddess sauce made from fresh herbs
• Juicy grilled chicken thighs
• Cooks up in minutes with an overnight marinating option

Making the Green Goddess Chicken

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Greek yogurt
• Mayonnaise
• Basil pesto
• Capers
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Basil
• Parsley
• Chicken thighs

Choosing Your Chicken

I recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. This cut of chicken is fast to cook up on the grill and turns out super tender and juicy every time.

If you don’t have thighs on hand, boneless skinless chicken breasts will work great instead, however, you may need to adjust the cook time slightly if they are thicker breasts. Always use a kitchen thermometer to test the internal temperature of meat.

Tips for Perfect Green Goddess Chicken

1. Use fresh basil, parsley, and garlic in sauce – this adds unmatchable fresh herby and garlicky flavors to the sauce.
2. Use food processor or blender to puree sauce – I prefer a blender because of the wider surface area, but a blender also works.
3. Marinate chicken in half of green goddess sauce – save half the sauce for drizzling over the chicken after grilling for an extra pop of flavor.
4. Allow to marinate – a good rule of thumb with marinating is 2 hours if you’re in a hurry and up to 12 if you’ve got some extra time. I especially prefer an overnight marinade!
5. Marinate chicken on bottom shelf of fridge – it’s always a good idea to keep raw meats away from fresh produce and on the bottom shelf of your fridge to reduce risk of cross contamination.
6. Preheat grill to 400F – you want your grill up to temp before adding the chicken so the chicken gets a good crisp on the outside.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this recipe.

• Grill with veggies – grill asparagus, summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms, or sweet peppers alongside chicken and drizzle with green goddess sauce after cooking.
• Use bottled green goddess sauce – this speeds along prep for this chicken. You will need about 1 cup of dressing – 1/2 cup for marinating and 1/2 cup for drizzling on chicken after cooking.
• Use steak – try swapping a few top sirloin or New York strip steaks for the chicken. Be aware, cook time will vary depending on the cut you use.

Stovetop and Oven Instructions

Don’t have a grill? This recipe can easily be converted to the stovetop or oven instead.

Stovetop: Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet (or brush over a large cast iron grill pan) Once pan is hot, add chicken and sear on both sides until chicken registers 165F. Note: if you are using a thicker cut of chicken, such as a chicken breast, I recommend searing chicken on both sides, then finish cooking in a 400F oven 5-10 minutes.

Oven: Arrange chicken in a single layer on a greased sheet pan. Bake at 400F 20-25 minutes until chicken registers 165F. Optionally, broil chicken 1 inch from heat 2-3 minutes to crisp up the outside.

This chicken just ticks ALL the summer boxes! The green goddess sauce is perfectly creamy, herby, and soaks all it’s goodness into those juicy, smoky grilled chicken thighs.

Believe me, this is going to be one green meal everyone can get behind!

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More green goddess recipes to try next!

• Green Goddess Chicken Salad
• Creamy Green Goddess Pasta
• Feta Green Goddess Pasta Salad