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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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Wow, wow, wow!!!! I used to (notice I said “used to”) only eat chicken thighs because every time I cooked chicken breasts, they would come out dry, mostly flavorless and unevenly cooked especially on the grill. Well, not anymore. Your recipe has totally changed me to a “grilled chicken breasts ONLY” when making plain chicken for a meal. I followed your recipe exactly, had so much fun pounding the chicken breasts so they were equal in size, marinated overnight and wow, they cooked perfectly on a high grill at 2 minutes per side. They came out so delicious and beyond moist and juicy. I never thought a chicken breast could taste so good. I’m looking forward to trying your other grilled chicken recipes. This recipe was so easy. You’ve won me over as my “go to” website for any recipe. Once Upon A Chef is beyond awesome. This truly made my day 🥰💜💚🙏
❣️
HI Jenn,
I’ve made this again and again and it is indeed, the best grilled chicken.
My question is, can I pound and marinade the chicken and freeze it before cooking so that I can make multiple batches and just take out of the freezer the evening before I want to grill them?
Yep!
Can you microplane the garlic instead of mincing with a knife?
Sure, that should be fine.
Simple and delicious. Definitely a keeper.
This really was the best grilled chicken ever. I did not have a fresh lemon so used some bottled lemon juice and it came out fantastic. We had Jenn’s coleslaw and broccoli salad as sides and everyone raved about the meal. Thank you Jenn for another fantastic recipe! IMO it was even better cold the next day.
the marinade was simple and the result was so tasty. I reduced garlic in half, and I liked it in this way.
Jenn, if I wanted to cook this chicken in the oven instead of grilling, what temperature and duration would you recommend. Thanks!
Hi Gale, if you don’t want to grill it, I’d recommend using a grill pan on the stove. Heat it over medium-high heat until hot. Add the marinated chicken breasts and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side without touching, until the chicken develops nice grill marks. Using tongs, flip the chicken over and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, or until cooked through. If you feel strongly about using the oven, I’d broil it — the timing would be the same. Enjoy!
This truly is the best grilled chicken! Flavorful enough to stand on its own, but also basic enough to serve as a sandwich with any kind of sauce or toppings or on top of any salad. This will be my go to from here on out.
Jenn,
Every recipe I have tried has gotten rave reviews from my guests/family. This one, in particular, was a favorite with my guests. I had people text me the next day asking for the recipe.
Making it again tonight to take to a friends house.
Guess I didn’t pound it enough. 3 minutes on each side it was raw. Plus the marinade was boring.
Perfect. My husband is so pleased he grilled perfectly per your instructions. Question: can you cut the breast in half before grilling or better left whole and cut after grilling? They’re just rather large for a single serving. Kudos, as always
So glad they came out nicely! I’d wait until after grilling them to cut the chicken (and I’d let it rest for a few minutes so the juices can reabsorb).