The Best Grilled Chicken
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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 Caesar salad. Bonus: the recipe is quick and easy. You do all of the prep ahead of time and you won’t even dirty a single bowl.
What You’ll Need To Make THE BEST Grilled Chicken
STEP-BY-STEP Instructions
Step 1: Pound the Chicken
Place the chicken breasts in a 1-gallon freezer bag and pound to an even ½-inch thickness. This both tenderizes the meat and ensures even cooking. Left in their natural shape, the thin side of the fillet dries out while the thicker side finishes cooking. If you don’t have a meat mallet, a rolling pin or a saucepan will both work well.
Step 2: Make the Marinade
Lemon is a key ingredient in this marinade, but I only use the zest. Contrary to conventional wisdom, acidic ingredients (such as vinegar or lemon juice) do not tenderize lean boneless chicken breasts. Just the opposite: they “cook” the exterior of the meat and give it a leathery texture. The zest gives the chicken ample lemon flavor without affecting the chicken’s succulent texture.
The best tool for zesting citrus is a fine or microplane grater. 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.
Once you’ve zested the lemon, mix all of the marinade 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.
Step 3: Marinate
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.
Step 4: Grill
When you’re ready to eat, preheat your grill to high heat and oil the grates (clean, oiled grates will give you the best grill marks). Be sure your grill is very hot before cooking the chicken; you want nice grill marks and char in the short amount of time it takes to cook these. When pounded thin, chicken breasts only need 2 to 3 minutes per side…no more! If you try to flip the chicken and it feels stuck, try giving it 30 seconds. It’ll release naturally when it’s ready.
You’ll notice that the recipe calls for the grill to be covered while the chicken is cooking. This creates convection heat which helps give the chicken a nicely charred exterior and a tender, moist interior.
After removing the chicken from the grill, let it rest for 3 to 4 minutes before cutting into it. This will help keep the juices in and retain the meat’s moisture. (The timing is perfect as it’s just enough to get it onto plates, add sides, and put on the table).
While this chicken is best right off the grill, it’s also the kind of thing you can make a double batch of and freeze for future use in salads, pastas, and sandwiches.
video tutorial
Freezer-Friendly Tips
- Make sure the chicken is completely cooled before freezing it.
- Keep the chicken pieces whole (no slicing before freezing).
- To avoid multiple pieces stuck together (which extends defrosting time), wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap and then place them all in a ziploc bag. This also allows you to defrost one piece at a time if you’d like.
You May Also Like
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- Grilled Chicken Fajitas
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- Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken
- Grilled BBQ Chicken
The Best Grilled Chicken
Say goodbye to dry, bland grilled chicken breasts. This recipe guarantees juicy, flavorful chicken every time.
Ingredients
- 1¾ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons lemon zest, from one 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-inch 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. Do not overcook. Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve.
- Note: The nutritional information includes all of the ingredients for the marinade, so one serving is likely significantly lower in calories and fat than the numbers below
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Serving size: 1 chicken breast
- Calories: 413
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 42 g
- Sodium: 958 mg
- Cholesterol: 127 mg
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.
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what can you substitute for olive oil?
Hi Jen, You could use vegetable oil or canola oil.
Hi Jen,
Going up to a cottage this week end and we will be cooking a couple of meals. To make it easier I thought I would do the breasts up ahead of time in the marinade and the freeze for easier transport and thaw when needed.
Any problems doing it this way?
Hi Karen, It should be fine. Have a nice weekend 🙂
Made this dish for dinner last night…it was really tasty.
Thanks!
Can you make the marinade a couple days ahead
and keep on refrigerator?
Hi Carol, Yes, definitely.
This is a nice chicken dinner. The marinade is not a strong one, but mellow and tasty. Thanks to your excellent instructions to cook on the bbq, they came out moist and juicy. Thank you.
this was AMAZING!!!!
it was tender and not dry at all! every body just loved it! thank you very much.
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!!
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!
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!
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.
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
Jenn, is there anything you don’t do well? This recipe was superb, like everything else I’ve tried. Thank you!
Thank you, Pauline! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Such a great tasty marinade made it on my George Forman came out great !
These were awesome!!!
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.
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!
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).
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!
Yum yum! LOVE grilled chicken!
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!
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.
My new favorite go to chicken! Delicious!
This is one of my favorite recipes to make – its easy, delicious and full of yummy flavor!
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!
Simple and delicious. Leftovers are great in a salad.
Jennifer!!!!!!!!!! Are you married? Awesome recipe. I have instanly become the king of grilled chicken amongst my friends and family!
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!
Just as the title promises-perfect. Love your recipe and directions. Thanks for the inspiration!
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.
This chicken recipe is terrific. Not only do I make it, but my sisters and friends do!
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!
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!!
I’ve never tried it, Kris. But please let me know how it turns out if you do!
Have you ever tried this marinade on boneless pork chops? If so how did they turn out?
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
Wonderful marinade! I found my new favorite 🙂 Lovely site too!
Oh ho ho, I have found my go-to recipe/method for grilling chicken breasts. These were fantastic. Thank you so much!
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.
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!
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:)
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
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!
Made this chicken for our Father’s Day BBQ and it was a big hit. Keep the recipes coming…my family is loving them!!
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!
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
I love a simple moist chicken breast, and doing it on the grill makes it even more enticing!
We just cleaned up the grill for the season and I’ve been looking for great chicken breast marinades–perfect timing!
This sound fabulous! Love easy chicken recipes – will definitely try this!
xxMK
Delightful Bitefuls
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!
What alterations would you suggest if we don’t own a grill and had to saute the chicken instead?
I don’t see any reason this would not be delicious prepared in an iron skillet. I cook marinated chicken recipes all the time in my iron skillet, just be sure not to overcook them and make them dry. Look at the ingredients, I mean, how bad could it be?
I tried this recipe. My kids liked it very much. Keep posting such recipes.