04
2010Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breasts with Lemon, Garlic & Herbs
This is my basic, go-to grilled chicken — perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or cookout — and so versatile. You can serve the fillets on their own (kids love them), topped with cheese on a toasted bun, chopped up in a quesadilla, or — as I often do — sliced over a Greek or Caesar salad. The added bonus? It’s quick and easy…you do all of the prep ahead of time and you won’t even dirty a single bowl. (It doesn’t make for the prettiest pictures, but the marinade is made right in a zip-lock bag.)
As you know, grilled chicken breasts often come out dry and bland. Here’s how you can ensure tender, flavorful grilled chicken every time…
Pound the fillets to an even ½-inch thickness. This both tenderizes the meat and ensures even cooking. It makes sense…left in their natural shape, the thin side of the fillet dries out while the thicker side finishes cooking.
Give them a good soak in a flavorful, homemade marinade. This one is made with olive oil, lots of fresh garlic, dried herbs, and lemon zest.
Contrary to popular belief, acidic ingredients, such as vinegar or lemon juice, do not tenderize boneless chicken breasts. Just the opposite – they “cook” the exterior of the meat (think ceviche) and give it a leathery texture. The lemon zest here is enough to give the chicken the essence of lemon, while still maintaining its smooth, succulent texture.
Be sure your grill is very hot. You want nice grill marks and char in the short amount of time it takes to cook these.
Finally, and this one’s obvious, don’t overcook them. When pounded thin, chicken breasts only need 2-3 minutes per side…no more!
Hope you enjoy!
If you liked this post, sign up for free to get new recipes by email.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1¾ pounds total)
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1-1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, from one lemon
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper and, using a meat mallet, pound to an even ½-inch thickness.
- Mix all ingredients except chicken together in a 1 gallon zip-lock bag. Add chicken breasts and massage marinade into meat until evenly coated. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); let the chicken marinate at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
- Clean grill and preheat to high. Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over grates several times until glossy and coated. Place chicken breasts on the grill (make sure they are well-coated with the marinade; the more garlic, lemon zest and herbs on the chicken, the better!). Grill, covered, for 2-3 minutes per side.
Use a fine or Microplane grater to zest the lemon. Simply rub the lemon in one direction against the blades, turning the lemon as you go. Be sure to remove only the yellow part; the white pith underneath is bitter.
If you are using less than 4 chicken breasts, you’ll need to reduce the salt accordingly.
MRK
What alterations would you suggest if we don’t own a grill and had to saute the chicken instead?
Reija
Thank you so much for these step-by-step instructions! I didn’t know that acid ingredients such as vinegar make the meat tough. I’m going to try this marinade today!
Mary
This sound fabulous! Love easy chicken recipes – will definitely try this!
xxMK
Delightful Bitefuls
Shauna from Piece of Cake
We just cleaned up the grill for the season and I’ve been looking for great chicken breast marinades–perfect timing!
Kelli
I love a simple moist chicken breast, and doing it on the grill makes it even more enticing!
Danielle
Made this tonight overtop angel hair pasta tossed with a lemon-chive sauce. The chicken is simply fantastic—and so easy to make. Just like you, this will be my basic go-to grilled chicken recipe too! Thanks
Jenn
Matthew, Unfortunately, this recipe won’t work in a saute pan. The only substitute for the grill would be a grill pan. Hope that helps!
Shelly
Made this chicken for our Father’s Day BBQ and it was a big hit. Keep the recipes coming…my family is loving them!!
Jordan retro 4
Like a child on the shoulders, like tears on the face, like a poet among the letters on the moon, like dolphins on ocean, you are my angel, is the first and last paradise!
Carol Herndon
LOVE this recipe!! I was scared to grill at such a high temperature, but I followed your directions exactly and it was wonderful! Moist, flavorful without being overpowering, quick and easy prep. What more could you ask for? Thanks again for another keeper! This will be my go-to chicken recipe from now on.
Carol Herndon
Betty Dahlberg
Can this chicken be grilled early and then reheated slowly in the oven later in the day?
I am disabled and can’t do all the cooking all once unfortunately; thus the need to do the chicken early if possible.
Also, can I use rosemary instead of the oregano? I have both fresh and dried.
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated:)
Jenn
Betty, You can do the chicken ahead of time if you need to, and fresh rosemary would be a fine substitute for the oregano. Enjoy!
Retro Jordan
The wash is only an aesthetic thing not something I think would affect the taste. cool them,the first feeling I have that is many different ideas you wrote,insist it.now link my name to see my website,some about Retro Jordan,thanks.
Charlene
Oh ho ho, I have found my go-to recipe/method for grilling chicken breasts. These were fantastic. Thank you so much!
Jenni
Wonderful marinade! I found my new favorite
Lovely site too!
Robin
I’d like to try your recipe on an old Jenn-Air grill. That means I won’t be covering the meat while it’s grilling. Any recommendations on how long to cook the pounded chicken on each side?
Thanks,
Robin
Kris
Have you ever tried this marinade on boneless pork chops? If so how did they turn out?
Jennifer
I’ve never tried it, Kris. But please let me know how it turns out if you do!
Kim
These were the most tender, well-seasoned chicken breasts I’ve ever had! I had to use a rolling pin, but I’m definitely getting a meat mallet now. I put the Ziploc bag over a glass measuring cup (draping over its sides) to keep the bag standing up, making it easier for me to add the oil and the rest of the marinade. Thank you so much!!
Charlene
This is my second comment on this recipe, spurred of course by the chance to win the Le Creuset Dutch oven, but every time I use this recipe I think about commenting again. It truly is my go-to recipe for grilled chicken. The combination of method (pounding the breasts and highest heat grilling) plus using lemon zest instead of juice to marinate is pure genius and transforms bland boneless, skinless chicken breasts into the most flavorful and moist grilled chicken ever. I have started making extra to freeze and have on hand for salads. Truly a stellar recipe!
Beth
This chicken recipe is terrific. Not only do I make it, but my sisters and friends do!
Beata Harnett
The. best. grilled. chicken. ever. Hands down. The chicken is so juicy. My family loves it. I make this chicken at least twice a week in the summer. And cook it indoor on grill pan in the winter and late fall.
Julie Backas
Just as the title promises-perfect. Love your recipe and directions. Thanks for the inspiration!
Rose
Made these tonight and served them with a lemon and caper pasta recipe I also found online. Great pair and the chicken was tender and moist and delicious. Thanks!
Steve
Jennifer!!!!!!!!!! Are you married? Awesome recipe. I have instanly become the king of grilled chicken amongst my friends and family!
Susan
Simple and delicious. Leftovers are great in a salad.
Amber R
This is my new go-to recipe for grilled chicken. Sometimes I sub fresh herbs for the dried, but other than that, there are no changes needed! Delicious!
Renee LeVine
This is one of my favorite recipes to make – its easy, delicious and full of yummy flavor!
Kathy
My new favorite go to chicken! Delicious!
Anna M
Thanks for the recipe! I am trying it tomorrow so I will be back with the verdict, which I’m sure will be great! Never knew that about the lemon juice.. I always juiced and zested but will be trying your method.
Leslea
These are great! I’m big on pantry/fridge/freezer ingredients – so I’ve used a couple T’s of lemon juice instead of zest and it works well. This chicken is so versatile – you can switch out the seasonings for cumin, onion and chili powder for mexican dishes, or use some soy sauce with the marinade, remove the basil and oregano, and you’ve got a yummy asian marinade. I love this recipe on your caesar salad with some homemade croutons and sun dried tomatoes!
Perrie
Yum yum! LOVE grilled chicken!
Kathy
This chicken recipe is excellent. The advice to pound the chicken breast evenly and to avoid acid juice in the marinade was appreciated. I sprinkled fresh herbs on everything just serving. The texture of the chicken was superb, and leftovers were fabulous in chicken salad. Thanks!
Winston
I never pound meat . Instead, I will butterfly the chicken and plan on using a grill pan (apartment life sometimes leaves something to be desired).
Suzannah
I made this for dinner the other night. I only made one serving, so I decreased the marinade accordingly, and it worked wonderfully. The chicken cooked evenly and wasn’t dry at all. I’ll be pounding out my chicken from now on! Thanks!
Dee
It was my first time to (electric) grill chicken breasts and I followed your recipe – the result? Juicy, flavorful chicken breasts. So stoked! Will definitely try more recipes from your site.
Kelly W.
These were awesome!!!
Sabrina
Such a great tasty marinade made it on my George Forman came out great !
Pauline
Jenn, is there anything you don’t do well? This recipe was superb, like everything else I’ve tried. Thank you!
Jenn
Thank you, Pauline! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
sidra
Thank you for sharing! it really was the best grilled chicken breast. the key was leaving out acidic stuff n the hi temp !! thanks once aGAIN
Karen
This chicken marinade is fantastic. I did not have thyme so I subbed in a little basil. I have read that acidic ingredients will toughen meat (and turn beef a nasty grey color) but it is hard to find a marinade that doesn’t use some type of acid. Thanks for the great recipe.
Rebecca
This was the most flavorful and moist grilled chicken ever – it is my new go-to recipe for chicken on the grill! My husband grilled it just as you said and it came out perfectly! We served it with grilled zucchini and roasted potatoes. Delicious!
Julia
I loved this recipe! My boyfriend is the PICKIEST chicken eater ever and he raved about this chicken. It was so flavorful and easy to do. I will keep this recipe on hand for a LONG time…you can do so much with it!
Lori
This was a very tasty recipe! I had company this afternoon and wanted a healthy fresh grilled chicken recipe to go over salad. This was perfect and company loved it as well! Thank you!!