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 Chicken Fajitas
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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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This grilled chicken recipe is worth the effort! Great flavor. Thank you Jen!!
How do you cook the chicken if you don’t have a grill? Just plain old stove top and oven. BTW, you are my “go to” gal for recipes!
So glad this is your go-to place for recipes! 🙂 For indoor cooking, I’d use a grill pan. 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. Hope that helps!
I do chicken like this in a cast iron pan on the stove top. Sear each side for maybe 4 minutes, then let it sit in the hot pan, but off the heat, for another 4 minutes to bring the middle up to temp. Then I slice it up and have Chicken Caesars (try her Caesar dressing mmmmm) or have the leftovers the next day in an omelette. I just use a cast iron skillet, the times might be different with an actual grill pan.
I have made this chicken over and over again! It is completely foolproof, perfect every time! I love lemon, so I increased the zest but followed the rest to the letter. I use it for Chicken Caesar Salad, Grilled Chicken Salad, Grilled Chicken Sammies, etc., etc., etc.! The list is seemingly endless!
My husband is known to grill “chickettes,” dry and burnt chicken. With trepidation and no great expectations, I made the marinade. I didn’t have much time to let it sit in refrigerator. To my great surprise he complimented me on the dinner again today! The chicken was done beautifully and tasted moist and flavorful. Many thanks for sharing!
I’ve printed and saved your recipe for all future chicken dinners.
horrible
C’mon Bob! Is that necessary?
Yeah no kidding. With ingredients this simple & classic it must be user error
We made this today and it was fantastic!! It was so flavorful and very easy to make. After the chicken rested, I sliced it up and put it over a nice salad. My husband wants to take the leftovers tomorrow and make Chicken Fajitas! This would be great to make for company.. I can see me making this over and over again! Yum Yum!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
I substituted 1 1/2 TBSP of lemon juice for the lemon zest….chicken was nice and tender, and tasted great!
Omg your Best Grilled Chicken recipe is literally the best chicken. Made tonight and my husband said, “This is the best chicken you have ever made.” 😂😂 I said, “I know!!!” Thank you for continuing to make amazing dishes.
My husband wants to take on his camping trip. If not making right away, what do you recommend for prep? Can I leave marinade alone on fridge then he can add chicken when ready? Thanks!!
So glad you like this! And yes, your husband can keep the chicken and marinade separate and he can combine the two when he’s ready.
Yeah! Perfect. Thank you for always responding. Really appreciate it!
I pretty much gave up on grilled chicken breasts until I saw your Awesome recipe! Now, I’m a believer. So good, so delicious and so moist. Thank you.
To reheat, I slice it and put it in a skillet on the stovetop, with some coconut oil and some spices.
Was surprised at how juicy and flavorful the chicken was! I reduced the garlic amount but it was still delicious. Instead of pounding the chicken, I sliced the breast into two 1/2” filets. My husband said it’s the best grilled chicken he’s ever had.
I made it again but I didn’t have as much chicken, and I didn’t cut the salt back enough – big mistake. Lesson learned.