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.
Backyard BBQ Favorites
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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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.