Grilled chicken breasts are easy to make and come out juicy and flavorful with a simple marinade. Perfect for weeknights or meal prep, this recipe uses a tangy, herby blend to make tender, flavorful chicken with minimal effort.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Why Make It: The marinade uses pantry staples, adds lots of flavor, and helps keep grilled chicken breasts juicy.
- Technique: Pounding thicker pieces to an even thickness helps the chicken cook more evenly and stay tender. Use a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat mallet.
- Prep Note: Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Longer than that, and the vinegar and lemon juice can soften the texture too much.
- Recommended Tools: An instant-read thermometer (this is the one I use) makes it easy to ensure the chicken is grilled perfectly.
Simple Everyday Ingredients
- Chicken: Choose similarly sized chicken breasts so they cook evenly. If some are extra thick, pound or butterfly them for more even grilling. Chicken thighs are a great option too, and stay extra juicy on the grill.
- Oil: Oil helps the marinade coat the chicken well. Olive oil adds extra flavor, while vegetable oil offers a more neutral taste.
- Vinegar and Lemon Juice: They add tang and brightness to the marinade. Red wine vinegar gives a slightly bolder flavor than apple cider vinegar.
- Sugar: A little sugar balances the tangy ingredients and helps the chicken caramelize nicely on the grill. Swap for brown sugar or honey in a pinch.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper give the marinade a simple, savory flavor that works with almost any side dish. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat.
How to Grill Chicken Breasts
- Whisk the marinade together. Add the chicken and marinate.
- Grill over medium-high heat.
- Let it rest before slicing (full recipe below).
Save It For Later
Keep leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Slice or chop before freezing so it is easy to add to future meals.
Reheat gently in the microwave, in a skillet with a splash of water, or covered in the oven.
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Did you enjoy this Grilled Chicken Breasts Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl or freezer bag. Add the chicken and toss well to coat.
- Cover or seal the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off. Discard the remaining marinade.
- Place chicken on the grill for 7 to 8 minutes. Flip over and cook for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Transfer to a plate and let rest 3 to 5 minutes before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Chicken should be cooked to 165°F. I prefer to remove it from the heat at 162°F as the temperature will continue to rise as it rests.
- This marinade can also be used on pork chops or chicken thighs.
- Nutritional information includes 25% of the marinade, as the remainder is discarded.
- Leftover chicken can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
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This is one of the best grilled chicken recipes I’ve come across! The blend of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors in the marinade sounds fantastic. I also appreciate the advice on avoiding over-marinating—it’s really useful!
Very good! Definitely a “do over” for my wife & me. Very good taste with the marinade.
This was Delightful!
Had a Summer dinner party and everybody loved the chicken! Followed the instructions exactly and they were moist, tender and tasty!
Great recipe! All my guest are impressed with the taste
This chicken is Great! I completely followed the recipe (I typically change recipes up). It was a hit with the whole family. Next time I am going to let it marinate overnight, but regardless the flavor was spot on.
hi Summer, did you have a chance to marinate overnight? How was the texture? I find chicken meat get a little mushy on some recipe when marinated too long.
This is 100% the best chicken breast recipe ive found.
Can I use it on Drumsticks as well? Bought a bunch for the Super Bowl!
I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why not. The cooking time will need to be adjusted.
Can I shove this in the oven rather than grill it after marinading?
You can follow this oven baked chicken breast recipe for the best instructions to prepare it in the oven.
We absolutely love this recipe! I’m wondering if I could use this to marinate a turkey to go on the smoker? How long would I marinate it? 20 pound turkey… ❤️
I have never tried but I would love to hear how it turns out for you, Jeannie!
This is THE BEST chicken breast I have ever had.
Stays so moist. So so flavourful. I make 8 breasts at a time with 1 batch of marinade. Pound them in a ziploc bag, then let them marinade in the bag.
Use leftovers for wraps, salads, fried rice, fettucini alfredo, quesadillas.
You must invest in a a meat thermometer to avoid over cooking.
Follow directions exactly-and you will be in for a real treat.
Loved this recipe, for grilled chicken breasts.
The volume suggested to make this marinade is IMHO an order of magnitude too much. I would halve (or more) the suggested ingredients. I ended up with a mason jar of unused marinade (seriously wasteful)
Thanks for trying our recipe, Michael!
Flavorful, tender and delicious!
A savory dish with a little tang. a little sweet, and just a bit of heat. This is my new favorite grilled chicken recipe. 5 stars for sure.