This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Say goodbye to dry, bland grilled chicken breasts. This recipe guarantees juicy, flavorful chicken every time.
Sometimes in cooking the simplest dishes are the hardest to get right, and grilled chicken is a perfect example. Because boneless chicken breasts are so lean, they often turn out dry, rubbery, and bland. Contrary to popular belief, marinating alone will not prevent grilled chicken from drying out; in fact, it’s often the marinade that causes the problem!
My technique and marinade ensure tender, juicy, and flavorful grilled chicken every time. You can serve the fillets on their own as a healthy main course (kids love them), topped with cheese on a toasted bun, or, as I often do, sliced over a Greek salad or Caesar salad. Bonus: the recipe is quick and easy. You do all the prep ahead of time and won’t even dirty a single bowl. It’s also great for meal prep—make a double batch and freeze the extra for salads, pastas, and sandwiches.
“Truly the best grilled chicken. Juicy and flavorful and oh so easy.”
What You’ll Need To Make The Best Grilled Chicken
The marinade is a simple combination of olive oil, garlic, dried thyme, oregano, and lemon zest. I use lemon zest rather than juice because acidic ingredients like lemon juice and vinegar can give lean chicken breasts a leathery texture when marinated too long. The zest adds plenty of bright lemon flavor without affecting the chicken’s tenderness.
How to Make Grilled Chicken Breasts
Pound the chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a 1-gallon freezer bag and pound to an even ½-inch thickness. This tenderizes the meat and ensures even cooking, so the thinner ends don’t dry out before the thicker portions are done. If you don’t have a meat mallet, use a rolling pin or saucepan.
Make the marinade: Using a Microplane or fine grater, zest the lemon, rotating it as you go and avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. Combine the zest with the remaining marinade ingredients (except the chicken) in a 1-gallon zip-lock bag. You can reuse the bag from pounding the chicken if it’s still in good shape.
Marinate: Add the chicken breasts to the bag and massage the marinade into the meat until evenly coated. Seal the bag, place it in a bowl to catch any leaks, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Grill: Preheat the grill to high heat and oil the grates. Grill the chicken, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F. If the chicken sticks when you try to flip it, give it another 30 seconds; it should release naturally.
Rest: Transfer the chicken to a platter and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes before slicing. This helps keep the juices in and the chicken moist.
Can You Make Grilled Chicken Without an Outdoor Grill?
Absolutely! You can use a grill pan or your oven’s broiler.
Grill pan: Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F. There’s no need to cover the pan.
Broiler: Preheat the broiler and position an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Arrange the chicken on a foil-lined, broiler-safe baking sheet and broil for about 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F.
Storage, Freezing & Reheating
Storage: Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Freezing: Let the chicken cool completely, and keep the breasts whole rather than slicing them. Wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap, then place them together in a zip-lock freezer bag. This prevents the pieces from sticking together and allows you to thaw just what you need.
Reheating: Thaw frozen chicken overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat, covered with foil, in a 325°F oven until heated through to 165°F.
Video Tutorial
Grilled Chicken Breasts (Juicy)
Ingredients
- 1¾ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons lemon zest, from 1 lemon
Instructions
- One at a time, place the chicken breasts in a 1-gallon zip-lock bag; using a meat mallet, pound to an even ½-in (13-mm) thickness.
- Mix all of the ingredients except for the chicken together in a 1-gallon zip-lock bag (go ahead and use the same one you used for pounding if it is still in good shape). Add the chicken breasts to the bag and massage the marinade into the meat until evenly coated.
- Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); let the chicken marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the grill to high heat and oil the grates. Place the chicken breasts on the grill and cook, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a platter and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
You May Also Like
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
If doubling recipe, assuming you double the salt amount in the marinade too? I’m using kosher salt. Hope I didn’t screw up!
Yes, if you’re doubling the recipe, all of the ingredients, including the salt, should be doubled.
I have made this marinade probably 25 times and it comes out perfectly every time! My family members adopted it as well. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
This is the second recipe I have tried here and I’m sorry to say I do not think this woman is a ln actual chef. If she is she needs to go back to school. This is the most bland boring flavorless chicken marinade I have ever tried.
This recipe is fantastic
We have several breasts leftover
Any suggestions on how to use for another dinner other than on top of a salad
Maybe on top of your Alfredo recipe ?
Glad you liked it! I think it would be delicious tossed with the fettuccine alfredo, cacio e pepe, or spaghetti aglio e olio. Some other options are to shred it and use it in quesadillas or soup.
Chicken quesadillas. Chicken tacos. Reduce some teriyaki sauce and warm uptrend chicken in it over some white rice.
My husband and I LOVE this recipe – it’s just so simple, yet so delicious.
My only critique/complaint is not with the recipe itself, but with the prep. Specifically, with tenderizing the chicken in a plastic bag and then possibly reusing that plastic bag for marinating.
Ever heard of microplastics?
I don’t see how tenderizing meat in any plastic is a good idea. You’re just pounding plastic particles into your food. And then you’re possibly marinating your food in a smashed plastic bag, only continuing to add even more plastic into your food.
This criteria critique doesn’t only apply to this recipe, but to many other recipes I’ve come across.
Btw, I’m not trying to be nasty or offend the author of this recipe, by any means. I’m simply just attempting to make the prep a bit healthier for everyone by expressing my opinion ☺️.
This is my go to grilled chicken recipe. Perfect every time!
I have used your chicken recipe for several years with rave reviews by guests every time. However this weekend I will be grilling them for 18-20 people & will have to cook them in 2 batches. Can I cover the 1st batch & keep warm in the oven with the same success?
Sure, Sue, that should be fine. Just keep them at a low temp. And glad it’s been a hit with your guests!
A follow up question… should you cover the grill pan if grilling indoors? Hoping to make this tonight!
Love your recipes Jenn! Thank you for sharing!
Sue
No need to cover the grill pan. 😊
This is truly the best grilled chicken ever. Moist, juicy, flavorful, succulent. Everything you want in chicken. Has anyone tried it in the oven? Northern NH here and our grilling see will soon come to a close.
If I score the breasts to get more flavor into the meat will it affect the cooking time?
So glad you like it, Samantha! For indoor cooking, I’d actually use a grill pan. Heat it over medium-high heat until hot. Add the marinated chicken breasts and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side without touching, until the chicken develops nice grill marks. Using tongs, flip the chicken over and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, or until cooked through. (And scoring the breasts will not impact cooking time.)