Grilled Chicken Breasts are tender and juicy with an easy marinade made with ingredients you likely have on hand. Quick to prepare and quick to cook, these are a go-to all year long.
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Ingredient Tips for Grilled Chicken
- Oil: Oil is the base of this marinade; any type can be used.
- Vinegar and Lemon Juice: They’re acidic, so they tenderize the chicken.
- Sugar: Adds flavor and helps it to caramelize, swap it for honey or brown sugar.
- Seasonings: I use Italian seasoning as it has a nice blend of herbs; feel free to swap in your favorite herbs and spices.
How to Grill Chicken Breasts
Baked Chicken Breasts are always on our table in the winter, but come warm weather, we grill everything from shrimp to veggies, and this grilled chicken recipe is a staple!
- Pound Chicken: Pound chicken to 1/2-inch thickness for even cooking.
- Marinate: Prepare the marinade according to the recipe below, then let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes to 4 hours.
- Grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and cook the chicken for 6-8 minutes per side.
Serving Suggestions
Double up the recipe for meal prep; grilled chicken is perfect for meals throughout the week!
- This chicken is great over a salad—try Caesar Salad or even mixed greens with homemade ranch dressing.
- Turn it into a chicken sandwich with coleslaw or lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard sauce.
- Serve alongside grilled corn on the cob, grilled vegetables, or grilled potato packets.
- Use leftovers in lunch wraps, meal-prep bowls, or chicken fried rice.
Did your family love these Grilled Chicken Breasts? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment 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 3-5 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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Just had this grilled chicken for supper. Cooked it on an electric grill.
It was deeeelisciousssssssss!!!
Saving this recipe
Really good. Thanks!
Hands down the absolute best recipe ever!! We only eat grilled chicken and fish in my house and my husband was tired of the same plain seasoning. This took my chicken to a whole other level. I’ve left over night with no issues. I usually just grill it on the Forman grill for about 8 minutes without flipping it. This never disappoints. Thank you a million times over!!
You are so very welcome! Love that it worked out so well for you Jasmine!
Was great on the grill!
Absolutely delicious. Made this tonight for the first time, my husband and I both loved it. Lots of flavor and the chicken was so moist!! This one is a keeper!!!
Thanks for sharing your recipe. My husband loved it. I’ve printed it out to use it again.
You’re welcome! So glad you love the chicken!
Made this last weekend and grilled in my ninja xl grill. Came out great! Served with tricolor fettuccine with a light marinara sauce. Husband loved it and added to my top 10 best dinners! I guess it will be a regular menu item in our home! Always a winner recipe Holly. Thanks!
You’re welcome Linda! So glad you loved it!
Let me start off by saying that I do not go out of my way to give ratings to recipes that I find, but this one is so good I had to make a comment! I’ve made it several times and it’s never come out dry or tasteless amazing recipe!
Thank you so much for coming back to rate the recipe Kat, I truly appreciate it. So glad you loved it!
The best. We love it, my toddlers love it. Even delicious baked when we can’t grill it over here in New England. Tastes great in Holly’s salad recipes too.
How do I replace Worcestershire sauce?
Perhaps you could try some low sodium soy sauce. I’ve also heard that coconut aminos work, but have not personally tried it.
I make this recipe all the time my husband simply loves it. One of the best grilled chicken recipes ever. Ok love the way you have mentioned step by step process.
I tried this recipe a year ago & have been using it since…I grill a lot! I use the exact same temp & time & the chicken is always cooked perfectly & so so moist!!
By far the best chicken breast marinade i had in a long time! Thank you!!!
This recipe/marinade was delicious. I only recently got into cooking and made this as defined. It was great to pound chicken to get frustrations out : ) and more importantly was really good and easy. Marinaded chicken for just 30-40 minutes, but flavor was there. Thank you! My new go to chicken recipe.
LOL! :) I’m glad you enjoyed the chicken Kathy!
And for another first time ever I tried making my own marinade for grilled chicken. The instructions were clear, straightforward, and direct – and the chicken came out great.
So glad you enjoyed it Jon!
I am a terrible cook, so if I can make this recipe and it turns delicious, it must be a winner!
Our chicken tasted great and looked fantastic. I served it up with rice and salad. Perfect for a hot summer day in Georgia.
Made this chicken and my husband just loved it. Definitely my go to Easy to make grilled chicken recipe. Simply Delicious
This was awesome. Chicken was so tender too. I have made several of your recipes and have never been disappointed. Thanks for all the great recipes
So glad you loved it Denise, thank you so much!!
Left out the sugar and garlic and still one of my favorite chicken marinades I’ve tried. Thank you!
Was scrambling for a quick recipe to grill chicken for a group of 6. Found this one and can now say it will be my usual recipe for grilled chicken going forward. If cooked to the letter of the recipe it produces great tender moist results. Leftovers great sliced microwaved for a sandwich.