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.
I was preparing for my daughter’s baby shower and wanted to make grilled chicken. As a vegetarian I turned to Once Upon a Chef because every recipe I have ever tried was delicious so I figured I couldn’t go wrong. Everyone raved about the grilled chicken. I made 20 pounds and there weren’t any left!
I have 20 pounds for a party. How did you grill, plate and serve it? Grill ahead and chafing dishes or grill to order so to say?
Thanks!
I made this recipe as written & found that it tasted like the dried herbs used. I was going for it to taste very fresh & bright. It tasted kind of flat to me. I ended up using it in a salad with the buttermilk dressing recipe & the fresh greens from the salad with the homemade buttermilk dressing definitely brought the chicken up a taste level. I’m indifferent to making it again. The preparation was really easy, it’s the final taste that gave me problems. Any suggestions on how to brighten it up or freshen it up? Thanks.
I added fresh rosemary and that chicken was loved by all.
This chicken is so easy and delicious. It has a freshness about it from the lemon. It is going to become a staple at our house. The left overs are great on a salad!
Such an easy recipe and quite delicious. I’ve never succeeded in grilling chicken breast and not having it come out dry. This one is moist each time and I have not made it yet where I was able to marinate for 4 or more hours. I’ve made this three times so far and marinated for only 1-2 hours (due to time restrictions) and it still comes out great. One day I will try to marinate for longer, but it’s good to know it turns out great either way. Thank you for this one and all of your fantastic recipes!
Is the salt in the recipe table or kosher? I doubled the marinade and used 1 tsp of table salt and the marinade was on the salty side for my taste. That said my guests loved the chicken.
Hi Lori, table salt is correct for this recipe. (I’ll always specify if a recipe calls for kosher salt.) Sorry to hear it was a bit salty for you! Probably makes sense to cut it back a bit more next time to suit your taste.
Hi Jenn….in another comment you said you use fine sea salt in all your recipes
That’s true, Anne, I happen to like fine sea salt because it’s slightly less processed than regular table salt, but table and fine sea salt have the same salty flavor and the same sized grains so they are totally interchangeable. Hope that clarifies!
Hi Jenn,
Could I use this recipe for chicken kebabs (breast meat) instead of whole chicken breasts? If yes, should I still pound the meat and could I marinate overnight? We are having a bbq for 50 people this weekend and think kebabs would be easier to serve. Also, do you recommend dried herbs over fresh herbs (I have both)? Thanks in advance for your response.
Yes Le Hoa, you could turn these into kebabs, but it’s not necessary to pound the meat. You can still marinate the chicken overnight and, regarding the dried versus fresh herbs, that’s just a matter of personal preference. (If you go with the fresh herbs over the dried, you’ll want to triple the amounts called for.) Hope the BBQ is a success!
How long do you marinade the chicken before grilling?
Hi Susan, Let the chicken marinate at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
Just made these and they are wonderful, packed with flavor. Thanks for the recipe.
Had this for dinner tonight. It was amazing. Reminded me so much of the Greek Chicken from my favourite restaurant. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to prepare and how fast it cooked. Will be in regular rotation all summer long. Thanks so much for such a great recipe.
I had gotten away from doing boneless skinless chicken breasts on the grill because of repeated bad results!!! Thank you Jen for helping me see the light!!! Made these for my daughter and family last night and viola……SUCCESS!!!! They were sooo flavorful, tender and moist!! Love your recipes Jen!!! There is a lot of success in my kitchen since I’ve found your website!!!!