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 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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YES RECIPE IS A WINNER _ WITH ONE ADJUSTMENT
OK at a quick glance, we see 188 reviews averaging 5 stars and recognize quickly this recipe is a winner.
I *love* salt and use it liberally. So for me to write this is a shocker but I truly think it was too salty. I’ll make again and simply use less salt.
Fantastic presentation! Thanks Jen for the inspiration! I bought your cookbook & am happily making my way through that. it’s the least I can do given all the free recipes you’ve given us for years!!!
Comments for others
1. SHORTER TIME TO MARINATE WORKS GREAT TOO! 🙂 Only had about 4 hours to marinate and results were DELICIOUS
2. WORKS GREAT WITH OTHER CHICKEN PARTS. In addition to boneless breasts – I tested this on full bone-in chicken drumsticks and full bone-in chicken thighs. FABULOUS!! Baked in oven
3. GORGEOUS presentation!!! Oh my house smells amazing too!!!!
I have been using this recipe for years! Simply the most delicious, most forgiving recipe for flavorful grilled chicken. I have used this marinade for chicken breasts, cutlets and tenderloins. Monitor the cooking temp and time and it’s unbeatable.
I have also achieved fantastic results by mass producing the marinade in individual gallon sized storage bags and marinating chicken breasts 1.5lbs at a time. Simply make the marinade, pop in the chicken, press the air from each bag, seal and freeze. When you are ready to grill, defrost in fridge, then grill.
Perfect for busy families.
Last tip: The marinade calls for 6tbs of olive oil. For quicker measuring, 6 tbs is just a touch over 1/3 of a cup.
Make this! It’s simple, but full blown great!
Can you use the George Foreman grill for this recipe?
Sure, I think that should work fine. Enjoy!
re: the question about using a George Foreman, I use my Cuisinart version of indoor grill and it works out beautifully. This recipe is my new favorite for indoor chicken grilling.
We have made these several times and they are awesome. I think marinating about 8 hours is ideal. I would agree with some reviewers that they are a little salty, and I now use about 1/3 less of recommended salt. Love the lemon zest, garlic and herbs. Another “10”!!
Best grilled chicken breast EVER!! My hubby only likes chic breast, but I’ve always hated it for being so dry. This works like a charm!! I seriously crave it now! Thanks!!
We absolutely love this recipe! It is so simple yet amazingly delicious. We make it with breasts and boneless thighs. I usually double the herbs since we like it stronger. Our kids devour this. We like to eat it chopped up on a big bed of greens with sweet potato on the side!
We like to add BBQ sauce to grilled chicken sandwiches. Will the flavor profile of the marinade clash with BBQ sauce?
Hi Aaron, while I don’t think the barbeque sauce is really necessary here, I don’t think it will strongly clash; I’d suggest trying a few bites without it and then add if you think it’s necessary. Hope you enjoy!
Wonderful recipe but I used lemon juice instead of lemon zest and the chicken came out more tender!
This has become a staple in our house. We marinate chicken breasts every week with this marinade and they come out perfect every single time. Its great to have a protein ready to go in the fridge with this busy household. I am so grateful I found this blog a few years ago (first recipe I tried was the caesar dressing – Amazing). Whenever I meal plan I go straight to Once Upon a Chef. Thanks, Jenn! Can not wait for the cookbook. I pre-ordered!
😊
These are possibly the best chicken breasts I have ever made! Flavorful and tender. This is my new ‘go to’ chicken breast recipe. Once, due to a change in plans I had to let them marinate much longer than the recipe states, and they were even better! I highly suggest you give this recipe a try.
I make this recipe every summer – it’s so delicious and healthy. I make it as is, and will serve it with a burrata and tomato and peach salad, with a balsamic reduction drizzle on top, and maldon sea salt. SO GOOD!