Greek Chicken with Tzatziki & Red Onions

There’s a certain kind of magic that happens when a recipe is both incredibly simple and packed with flavor. This Greek chicken with tzatziki sauce and red onions checks every box. It’s one of those meals that feels effortless, but tastes like you planned it out days in advance. And the best part? It all starts with a container of tzatziki and a couple of lemons.

Using tzatziki sauce as both a marinade and a finishing sauce is a game changer. It cuts down prep time, simplifies ingredients, and doubles the flavor without any extra work. The yogurt tenderizes the chicken, the garlic and herbs soak in, and by the time it hits the oven or grill, you’ve already done most of the heavy lifting. When you spoon some of that same sauce over the cooked chicken? It ties the whole thing together. Creamy, tangy, fresh—it’s everything you want in one bite.

Then there are the red onions and lemons. These aren’t just throw-ins—they carry this dish. As they cook in the chicken’s juices, they soften and caramelize into something rich and jammy. The lemons break down and mellow out, turning sweet and savory at the same time. But here’s the move: once the chicken’s done, you take all that flavor and use it to cook your rice. You’re not just making a side—you’re infusing every grain with citrus, onion, and chicken drippings. It’s the kind of detail that makes the whole plate shine.

If you’re a fan of lemony meals, this one’s going to hit the spot. You’ve got cooked lemon that’s gone soft and subtle, and then you hit it with fresh lemon juice at the end for that bright, mouthwatering punch. It’s layered without being complicated. It’s one of those meals where every element builds on the next, and by the time you’re halfway through the plate, you’re already thinking about having it again.

And here’s where it really gets good—cook the rice just a little longer. Let it sit and catch on the bottom of the pan until it gets crisp and golden. That crispy texture? It brings the whole thing together. The tender chicken, the jammy onions, the fluffy rice with its lemon-kissed crust—it all plays off each other like it was meant to. No extra effort, just a little patience and heat.

Bottom line, this dish is the kind of weeknight meal that feels like a Sunday special. It’s familiar, flavorful, and hard to mess up. And once you try it, you’ll start keeping tzatziki in your fridge for more than just dipping pita chips—you’ll be thinking of it as a shortcut to something seriously good.