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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 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.
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This recipe is well deserving of the many accolades. I’ve tried countless marinades for boneless skinless chicken breasts over the years and this is by far the best one I’ve found. The lemon flavour comes through without being overpowering, and the chicken was very tender and moist. I made 1/3 recipe for one large breast and marinated it for about 6 hours. As some reviewers pointed out, the olive oil congeals in the fridge. Massaging the bag every so often works the marinade into the meat. The breast was fairly thick but perfectly done in 5 minutes on a George Foreman indoor grill with the cover down. Fantastic!
Can I marinade and then freeze to cook a few days later?
And I agree with the earlier post regarding the plastic bags–so easy to use wax paper and a reusable bowl.
Sure!
Jen,
Can i use breast tenderloins and not pound them thin?
Yep – enjoy!
Made this tonight. I did not have any thyme so used Italian seasoning which had thyme and oregano. Other then that followed the recipe. We loved it. Will be making again.
Thank you for always posting such wonderful recipes! May I please, however, BEG YOU to
STOP using single use plastic bags! You can pound a chicken cutlet under a piece of waxed paper and you can marinate any food item in a bowl. Let’s stop polluting the earth and start being responsible!!!!
She actually used the ziploc more than once, and suggested the reader does the same if possible. First, to pound the chicken in it, then to marinade it.
This was THE BEST chicken! My kids usually groan when I say we’re having chicken for dinner but tonight after the first bite of this recipe my teenage son’s eyes got big and he gave me a huge smile and said “Mom, you did it! This is so good!” and he reached across the table to give me a high five! It was so easy and great! I’m never going back! THANK YOU!!
Wonderful recipe! Everyone loved it! The chicken turned out tender and so yummy!
This is a tip for the person who didn’t have a lemon. Did you know that you can freeze lemons? I usually buy a few extras and put them in the freezer. When I need a lemon to zest, I always have one. You can simply zest the frozen lemon (make sure you use a doubled paper towel to hold it as you zest). The rest of the lemon can be used for slicing and putting into water after it has thawed. How simple is that! Thanks again for yet another great recipe!
What a great idea! Thanks for the tip.
I love this recipe Jenn having made it a number of times. I’m thinking of cubing the breasts to make kebabs, have you tried it like this? I think it should work just as well don’t you?
Hi Maxine, Glad you like it! Yes, you could cut these into cubes for kebabs (just don’t pound the breasts first). I’d love to hear what you think of them!
I’ve never been able to cook skinless, boneless chicken breasts that were anything but dry. Saw this recipe and decided to give it a go. Great tip about not using citrus juices but zest only. Who knew because it’s amazing how many recipes call for marinating in juices. This was delicious, juicy and flavorful. Even my husband liked it and he’s never been excited about me trying new chicken breast recipes. Ha! He said this one is a keeper!! Thanks, Jenn!
Wow!!! Thank you Jenn:) This was amazing. My 14 year old daughter said “mom, this is the best chicken you’ve ever made and the seasoning is so good, it is lemony.” My daughter rarely gives compliments. It was also my first attempt at grilling and I am so happy with the results!! I followed your recipe exactly except I only marinated for 2 hours due to time. It was awesome!