This grilled lemon marinated chicken breast guarantees juicy, perfectly cooked chicken with a burst of citrusy flavor. Using an easy lemon and herb marinade, it cooks up on the grill in under 15 minutes. Serve it as a family-friendly meal with some rice and veggies, then save any remaining leftovers for salads or sandwiches!
Let’s get real – juicy grilled chicken breast can be hard to achieve.
But not with this recipe.
Between this grilled honey mustard chicken, these grilled pineapple chicken breasts, and this grilled dijon chicken I have grilled SO much chicken breast. And while it’s not my favorite cut of meat, I also know how to make it tender and delicious – because I’m not putting dry chicken in my mouth.
And neither should you.
Now a couple of things about this recipe (a.k.a. why you’re definitely going to want to make it)
- You probably already have the marinade ingredients in your kitchen. It’s a lemon, some garlic, oil, and dried herbs & spices. Really basic stuff but together are so good.
- The marinade doesn’t take long. While the chicken is marinating you can prep whatever sides you want to serve with it.
- The flavors are family friendly. Yes, there’s some garlic in there but it’s not overwhelming. That said, if you want it to be feel free to add more garlic in!
Okay, now that you’re convinced, scroll down to see the step by step pictures and instructions, as well as helpful tips, to make this lemon marinated grilled chicken for your family and friends!
Grab these ingredients!
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Chicken breasts – use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe.
- Lemon – get a fresh one because you want both the zest and the juice.
- Garlic – using fresh garlic (instead of garlic powder) for the marinade will result in much more (and better) flavor.
- Oil – you want a mild oil for the marinade that won’t impact the flavor. My preference is avocado oil as it’s both mild and has a fairly high smoke point.
- Dried herbs – oregano and thyme are used in this recipe. You could also add in a little bit of dried rosemary if you like.
- Black pepper – I like to use freshly ground black pepper (I just use the kind that comes in a grinder from Costco), but pre ground will also work.
- Kosher salt – this recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you’re using a different brand or type, check out the salt conversion chart in this post to get the correct amount to use.
Say goodbye to dry chicken breasts!
There’s a simple way to keep your chicken breasts from drying out…
Don’t let the internal temperature go past 165 degrees F.
Once a chicken breast gets above this temperature, it’s going to start getting dry.
The only way to know the internal temperature of your grilled chicken breast is to use a meat thermometer – and you want one that will take temperature quickly and accurately so you’re not holding your hand over the hot grill forever trying to get an accurate reading. (Trust me on that – ouch!)
The one I always recommended is the Thermapen by Thermoworks. We have had one for years and absolutely love it – we actually own two now.
That’s all you really need to know, but if you’ve never used a meat thermometer when grilling consider checking out this post I wrote on how to use a meat thermometer for grilling.
How to grill chicken marinated with lemon
(Note: please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete written instructions.)
This recipe has several steps, but don’t let the directions overwhelm you! Here are the basic steps:
- Flatten the chicken.
- Marinate the chicken.
- Grill the chicken
Below are pictures showing you exactly how to make these grilled chicken breasts and each step is written out in detail in the recipe card to ensure your success.
Flatten the chicken
Typically breasts are thin at one end and thicker at another. To keep your breasts from drying out it’s best to flatten them so they’re the same thickness across the board.
Marinate the chicken
Next up is making the lemon herb chicken marinade and covering the meat with it.
Grill the chicken
Then the last step is to get the marinated lemon chicken breast on the grill!
Wondering what to serve with grilled lemon chicken?
There are lots of great sides that go with grilled chicken breasts! Some options are:
- Grilled veggies are a great start, like these grilled bell peppers.
- A green salad is another good option – my family loves this blueberry spinach salad.
- If a starchy side is your thing, this Greek rice salad would be really good.
To see more options, check out this list of side dishes for grilled chicken!
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Juicy Grilled Lemon Marinated Chicken Breast
Equipment
- A meat mallet
- Plastic wrap
- A flat dish
- Grilling tongs
- A basting brush
- A serving platter
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1.5 oz cup fresh lemon juice 1 lemon
- 2 oz avocado oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Prep the chicken breasts first. Place the raw chicken boneless skinless breasts on top of a cutting board and cover them with a piece of plastic wrap – this helps keep any juices from splattering. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound on the thicker portion of each chicken breast. You want forceful blows that can help thin the chicken out. Once each breast is about the same thickness (roughly one-third to one-half an inch), you can stop. Set the chicken aside.
- Next make the marinade. First you need to zest the lemon. Take out a microplane or other zester, as well as large bowl or cup. If using a microplane, place it against the rim of the bowl or cup. Zest the lemon by rubbing it against the microplane in short swipes, scraping just the vibrant yellow skin off into the bowl and not the lighter pith underneath. You may need to wipe the zest off the bottom of the microplane with your finger to get it all off.
- Once the zest is off, use a sharp knife and cutting board to cut the lemon in half. Juice the lemon into the same bowl as the zest.
- Take out a liquid measuring cup and measuring spoons and measure out oil, kosher salt, herbs, and ground black pepper into the cup. Add in the lemon zest and juice as well, stirring with a whisk to combine everything.
- Use a pair of tongs to place the flattened chicken breasts into a flat dish (you can also use a ziploc plastic bag). Pour all but 1.5 to 2 teaspoons of the marinade over the chicken, then use the tongs to flip the chicken over to make sure it’s fully coated in the marinade. Cover the dish with a layer of plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least one hour but up to two hours, making sure to flip the chicken breasts over with tongs halfway through the marinating time. Place the cup with the reserved marinade in the fridge as well.
- During the last 20 minutes of marinating time, remove the dish with the chicken breasts out of the fridge and place it on the counter to warm slightly. When the chicken has been warming on the counter for 10 or so minutes, turn your grill on to a medium-high heat and let it get to a temperature of around 375 degrees F.
- Once the the breasts have been out of the fridge for 20 minutes and the grill is up to temperature, use a pair of tongs to remove each chicken breast from the dish and place them on the grill grates. Close the lid and let the breasts cook for 5 minutes.
- When the chicken breasts have cooked for 5 minutes on the grill, open the lid and flip them over with a pair of tongs. Take a basting brush and spread the reserved marinade on the surface of each chicken breast. You may not use all the remaining marinade and that’s fine. Close the lid and let them cook another 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the breasts, until the internal temperature reaches around 165 degrees F.
- Once they are done cooking, open the grill lid and use tongs to remove the meat from the grill. Set the chicken breasts on a platter or cutting board and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes then slice and serve! You can also brush on a little additional of the reserved marinade if desired.
Notes
- This recipe makes 4 ounces of marinade.
- To ensure your meat cooks evenly, use a flat meat pounder or tenderizer and pound the thicker side of each breast until it’s the same thickness as the rest of it. Both breasts don’t need to be the same thickness as each other, but each piece of meat should be one width to help keep your chicken from drying out.
- While marinating or brining your chicken helps keep it moist, you still want to cook it to an internal temperature no higher than 165 degrees F. Use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature as you’re grilling your chicken. We have used and loved a Thermapen for years. The only place to get one is through Thermoworks, and it is well worth it!
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