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
- Grilled Moroccan Chicken
- 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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Best grilled chicken EVER.
This was the first recipe I made out of the cookbook, and if it was the only one I ever made(it’s not I love all of Jenn’s) it would of made the cookbook worth 10 times what I paid! It was so simple I didn’t expect such an amazing result! Made me realize I had been complicating recipes for years but didn’t really know the basics. I had always used lemon juice as a marinade until Jenn explained why you shouldn’t and now I will NEVER use another recipe. Needless to say I now make no less than 2 pounds of grilled chicken every week! We eat it on sandwiches, salads, as grilled chicken nuggets etc. Thank you for a wonderful simple staple in my kitchen!
Simple, delicious and versatile! I make this often, always making extra for lunches or freeze for a quick dinner. It is a family favorite!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
We’ve made a LOT of grilled chicken over the years, but this was absolutely, hands-down the best. We doubled the marinade (we had closer to 3# of b/s thighs and breasts) and popped them all on our Breville SmartGrill. We probably ate half of it while cutting the pieces up into strips for our salad! Thanks for a wonderful dinner!
This recipe translates well to seafood and it’s wonderful for grilled shrimp.
just perfect!! Thank you
Me and my husband love it! Added a pinch of chilli flakes. Walla
Best chicken breast recepie! Very tender, juicy and delicious.
WOW!! This chicken is incredible. I tried it on the grill the first time but using a charcoal grill was a lot of work for 3-4 mins. I now use my George Foreman grill and cook for 4-5 mins. depending on how thin I have pounded the chicken. Thank you for such a great recipe.
Perfection – used boneless chicken thighs and adjusted cooking time. Wouldn’t change a thing.
So simple and easy to make and so delicious! This is one of my go-to recipes on a busy day.
LOVE the recipe but I found a GREAT mod for this that worked great! Everything the same except add some rosemary to the marinade. After marinating Sous Vide the chicken breasts for 2 hours at 155. When done coat with balsamic vinegar (color is great but the pop of flavor I cannot overstate!). When ready to serve grill the breasts for a minute or two on each side to get some caramelization. Never had more compliments about chicken!
This is a staple in our rotation. So good! Flavorful, simple, goes great with everything. Thanks, Jenn!
This chicken lived up to its name! It was moist and flavorful. The recipe is definitely a keeper. My young children gobbled it up and declared it delicious. I do think it’s key that you mince your own garlic and not buy the pre-minced garlic because of the loss of flavor.
OH MY GOODNESS–I just made this recipe tonight and it was by far the best grilled chicken I’ve ever had. Super flavorful and juicy, yet simple to make. I will be making this again, and again, and again!!!
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe that the entire family loved.
I was hoping that this was finally a recipe for juicy grilled chicken. I followed the recipe exactly, took it off the grill the moment the thermometer reached 165 degrees, let it rest 5 minutes and it was dry as a bone. The dog loved it but we could only eat a slice. The flavor was good but it was basically unedible. I would give this 0 stars if I could.
Penny, I’m not sure if you are aware, but garlic can be toxic for dogs. It Is not recommended that you feed dogs food made with garlic.
Camille, a 40lb (18kg) dog would have to eat 77 large cloves or 540gms of garlic for it to be toxic. The wee bit of garlic in this recipe is perfectly fine.
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-garlic/
Sous vide at 155 for 2 hours. FDA approved to ensure no health issues. Chicken breast at 165 is ALWAYS dry and stringy.
Excellent, and so quick and easy. No last minute prep, or mess. Just one plastic bag. The saucepan idea didn’t “pan” out. I”ll buy a mallet or maybe try a hammer (gently).
This chicken is fantastic. It quickly earned its place in our rotation. Thanks!
I just made this tonight and the chicken was AMAZING!
I am trying this recipe for the first time. I am using chicken thighs cut for skewering. Also, don’t have a bar-b-q so will be broiling in oven.
How long should I marinate the thighs?
How long should I broil and at what temperature (convection oven)?
Hi, you can broil (on the high setting of your broiler) the chicken kebabs until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes. I’d marinate them for the same amount of time that the recipe indicates. Hope you enjoy!
Love this recipe. It’s great with Caesar salad.
I made this a few days ago and paired it with green salad. An absolutely delicious recipe. My seven year old loved this! The ingredients are simple but the taste is absolutely amazing! Another add on to my weekly dinner menu. Thank you once again Jenn, your recipes are always amazing!
This chicken is amazing. About to make it for the 5th time. Every time it is juicy, tender and gets lots of compliments. My go to grilled chicken recipe for sure.
Made this last night and my 79-year old mom (who never compliments my cooking) gave it a massive two thumbs up! Super delicious.
Hi thank you for yet another keeper! I will definitely make this again…it was flavorful, juicy and a breeze to do
Delish!!
This marinade recipe is awesome! I have a citrus allergy so I left out the lemon and we used chicken (bone in). It was so juicy, tender and delicious! My family loved it and so did our dinner guests!
Thanks for sharing, this one’s a keeper!! 🤗
This is my absolute favorite chicken recipe. I’m so glad I stumbled upon it. I typically slice my chicken length wise so the breasts are very thin and the meat absorbs all the flavor and gets a bit crispy from the grill, it’s perfection. The flavor is just enough that it can be served by itself or added to just about anything!
OK, maybe I’ll let it marinade over night to see if the flavor sets in.
Now that I’ve made this utterly delicious chicken I will be making and serving a lot more BBQ’d chicken to friends and family (well when we can gather again!). It lived up to your promise and truly was wonderful. Now on to Honey Lime & Siracha Chicken Skewers! Your recipes never disappoint. Thank you
This chicken is amazing! Very moist and the herb flavor is spot on – very flavorful, but not overpowering. Just perfect!! I didn’t have a lemon, so I substituted lime zest, and then threw in a little dried lemon peel. It worked out great. This is definitely a keeper!!
We have made this chicken but used only two breasts. For this, we reduced the salt to 1/4 teaspoon and left all other ingredients the same. They were excellent, juicy and flavourful.
I think that using the whole amount of salt would have resulted in very salty chicken.
Thanks for your fabulous recipes and instructions Jenn!
I didn’t change the salt amount and I only used two breasts. They were definitely too salty. The flavor was so good that I still ate them! I will do 1/4 teaspoon next time too. Thanks for adding this comment so I know what to do next time!!
Great grilled chicken!!
I love this marinade!!! Can I freeze the chicken in the marinade? I only grilled one piece and want to freeze the rest!
Sure, Gail – that will work. Glad you like it!
This chicken recipe is delicious. I’ve made this recipe two times so far this summer. When I followed the recipe I made only one change…. The first time I had a lemon in the house so I used the lemon zest when preparing the recipe. The second time I did not… so I used the tablespoon equivalent in lemon juice. It turned out moist and delicious both times. I purchased a meat tenderizer so that I could try this recipe as well as your other grilled chicken recipes. Thank you again for another fantastic recipe!! -Patty
This is the second recipe that I’ve gotten from you. Thank you! Chicken came out great!!!
Excellent flavor and very moist. I had some chicken tenders in the freezer. Just marinated for 4 hours and grilled about 3 minutes per side. They are delicious. I will definitely be using this recipe again. Thank you.
Ok first Jen I’d like to say I hope you and your family are staying safe during these trying times.
Second I just want to say this grilled chicken recipe is THE BOMB!!! You’ve done it again. I made this on a summer night for my family along with a Caesar salad ( I used a store bought dressing but I do plan to try yours) and it was a HIT. My picky son even ate the salad and he NEVER eats salad. I think the chicken makes everything better. I love the fact that it’s not a complicated marinade. Simple as 1-2-3. You can use this recipe for entertaining a few friends, they’ll swear it’s an elaborate recipe. Thank you Jen I appreciate ALL of your recipes especially NOW. 😊
❤️
This recipe lives up to its name. Fabulous flavor and so easy to prepare! Paired it with your Caesar dressing on a crisp romaine salad. My husband said it is definitely the best he’s ever had and I agree! Thank you for this great recipe, Jenn.
This is the BEST chicken marinade I have ever tried. I reduced my ingredients as I had only 2 Chicken breasts and only was able to marinate them for a couple of hours ….
Seriously the best!
It turned out so juicy!! We used them for chicken burgers and my 4 year old absolutely loved them!!! Will definitely be making this again soon!
This is an excellent and easy recipe. Definitely our new fav for grilling chicken. Thank you Jenn for another great recipe!
I’m not a great cook and new to grilling, and by following this recipe, my grilled chicken turned out perfectly. Really, so good! Jenn, thank you for the clear instructions and fabulous recipe. Can’t wait to try more of them! (You’re exactly right about lemon juice “cooking” the chicken; I learned to stop using it from this recipe!)
This really is the best grilled chicken! The flavors are just so good together, and we can’t wait to use the leftovers on salads and in wraps. We made “mmmm” sounds throughout the entire meal. This will definitely be going in our regular rotation this summer.
Hi Jenn,
Would this recipe work for pork chops?
Thank you!
Hi Vanessa, I haven’t tried this with pork chops, but I suspect it would work. (Cook time is likely to be different so keep a close eye on them). Hope you enjoy!
DELICIOUS. 5 stars are not enough.
The best grilled chicken I’ve ever had!
Delicious! And it was a great idea to do a large batch and freeze some.
Easy, fast, tender, and delicious. Doesn’t get better than that!
This was really delicious and a nice change of pace from my usual chicken-on-the-grill marinade. But 1/2″ is very thin for grilling so I didn’t pound the chicken that thin and took probably twice as long to cook on average (~ 5-6 minutes/side). Will definitely build this into my rotation!