These Grilled Chicken Breasts grill up juicy and tender every time. A simple Dijon lemon marinade adds savory flavor and makes them perfect for salads, sandwiches, or dinner tonight.
Serve with pasta salad and grilled corn on the cob for an easy summer dinner.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Grilled Chicken Breasts
Why Make It: The marinade uses pantry staples, adds lots of flavor, and helps keep grilled chicken breasts juicy.
Flavor: Savory, tangy, and lightly zesty with garlic, herbs, and smoky grilled char.
Technique: Pounding thicker pieces to an even thickness helps the chicken cook more evenly. Use a rolling pin or the flat side of a meat mallet. A quick marinade adds bold flavor and helps keep the chicken tender.
Serving Suggestions: Serve it on salads, in a wrap, on a grain bowl, or pair with grilled vegetables and grilled red potatoes.
Total Time: 25 Minutes (plus marinade time) Serves: 4 Cooking Method: Grilled
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: Choose chicken breasts that are similar in size for even cooking. If they are very thick, pound them to an even thickness before marinating so they cook evenly and stay juicy.
- 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.
Variations
Chicken Thighs: This marinade also works well with boneless or bone-in chicken thighs. Adjust cook time as needed.
Pork Chops: Use the same marinade for pork chops for a quick grilled dinner.
Herb Swap: Use Greek seasoning, poultry seasoning, or lemon pepper in place of Italian seasoning for a different flavor.
Optional Heat: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne for a little spice.
Optional Fresh Herbs: Add chopped parsley or basil after grilling for freshness. Skip them for a simpler pantry version.
How to Make Grilled Chicken Breasts
- Mix the marinade. Add the chicken and turn to coat well.
- Refrigerate. Preheat the grill (full recipe below).
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and let the excess drip off.
- Grill the chicken. Rest the chicken and then slice.
Juicy Chicken Secrets
- Pound the Chicken: Pound thick chicken breasts to an even thickness so they cook at the same rate.
- Marinate: Do not marinate longer than 4 hours since the acid can affect the texture. Let excess marinade drip off before grilling to reduce flare-ups.
- Preheat the Grill: Preheating the grill helps the chicken get good grill marks and release more easily.
- Use an Instant-Read Thermometer: Cook to 165°F for best results. Remove the chicken around 162°F, since the temperature will rise slightly as it rests.
- Slicing: Slice chicken against the grain for the most tender bite, especially for salads and wraps.
Save Every Slice
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze cooked chicken breasts for up to 3 months.
- Reheat gently in the microwave at lower power, in a covered skillet with a splash of broth or water, or in the oven wrapped in foil.
Fresh Sides for Grilled Chicken
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 truly THE BEST grilled chicken marinade recipe. The chicken is so juicy and flavorful. I only changed one thing, which was substituting honey in place of the sugar. I also pound my chicken so make sure it’s a uniform thickness. You can’t go wrong with this recipe!
I really like these chicken recipes. Being a fitness freak i really need some high protein recipeand these chicken is what i am looking for.
This was insanely good. We had it with Swiss cheese on toasted buns. Absolutely delicious and soo easy.
I’ve altered some of the ingredients like lemon to lime juice and italian seasoning to chicken seasoning (paprika and lemon). I’ve paired it with Bombay potatoes. Soooo delicious! I’ll definitely cook this again. Thank you for the recipe
Love this Recipe! Easy and Delicious, this is a keeper!
Perfectly easy and tastes perfectly great!
Everyone thinks I’m a genius when I cook this.
That is awesome Steven!
CHICKEN ANYONE? For over 50 years I have grilled dozens of recipes for chicken. This recipe is one of only 3 that deserve a 5 Star rating. It is amazingly exciting for the palate.
What an honor Robert, thank you so much for your kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
WOW!!! We loved it. Super yummy! Caramelized, flavorful, and hit all the right notes. Easy to make, too!
Can I use regular mustard instead of dejon mustard?
I haven’t tried it with regular mustard, it would change the flavor slightly but I’m sure it would work. If you have dry mustard powder you can use a bit of that in place of dijon as well.
This turned out perfect. Thank you!!! I didn’t have lemon juice so I used lime juice. It was so so good.
I have lots of marinade left over and wondered if I could store it to use at a later date?
If the marinade wasn’t used you can freeze it for a later date. If chicken was marinated in it I would suggest discarding the marinade.
Can’t wait to try.
Thanks for the great flavor of this marinade. Made grilled chicken sandwiches with roasted sweet potato
wedges. Really yummy. I only used 1/2’the vinegar and 1 tsp of salt and pepper based on reviews. Soooo good. Thank-you!
Karen
I didn’t know grilled chicken could be Soo good.
Thanks Fab!
Great site and information,thanks
Thanks Ron!
Tasty,easy
Yay! So happy to hear that Deepa!
this was so yum! I didn’t add quite as much of the cider and mustard, but thats cause I have fussy kids. They loved it tho and asked for this chicken again. Used it in wraps!
That is great Jenny! So happy your kids loved it!
It was so salty we couldn’t even eat it and I put in less salt than the recipe called for. Is there a typo or is it really supposed to be 1 tb. of salt?
I’m sorry to hear that you found it too salty. The recipe is correct as written, and we enjoy the seasoning as is, but feel free to reduce the salt. This recipe can definitely be adjusted to your taste preference Debbie! Enjoy!
Absolutely delish! Had to grill the chicken a little longer as they were thick -marinade was so good! A keeper recipe!!
I am so glad you enjoyed the chicken Anita!
I did not have vinegar I used pickle juice instead it was awesome
Ooooo! Pickle juice! That would be delicious John!