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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Looks delicious. Love all your recipes!!
Do u think this would be a good marinade to use / cook chicken in the Air Fryer?
I think it would taste great!
absolutely delicious!
I made this Grilled Chicken recipe tonight for dinner and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
So happy you enjoyed it, Leatha!
Delicious and moist chicken. The Worcestershire sauce adds depth to the marinade.
This is an easy and tasty marinade and the chicken grilled up beautifully! It had tons of flavor and was super moist!
This marinade is delicious and easy. It packs wonderful flavor and my husband loved it. He asked if he could have the recipe so that he could cook it for me next time. :)
That’s so sweet, I am glad you enjoyed it!
can’t wait to try this recipe! looks so good
Incredible taste with the marinade! 5 Stars!
I love a good chicken recipe and this really hit the spot! The marinade was delicious thanks for sharing this recipe!
Soooo good!
We have made this multiple times, it’s a keeper. Thanks for sharing
Such a quick marinade that really penetrates the meat! Bonus that it’s also so easy that my husband can do it
We followed the recipe using apple cider vinegar and we usually cut our chicken into cutlets for more even cooking. Absolutely loved this! Will definitely make it again!!
Just made it. Doubled recipe, but didn’t add salt or much sugar.Family LOVED it. took a lot longer to grill, guess these chicken breasts were larger even with pounding.Will definitely make again. Delish! Served with boiled Yukon Golds with olive oil, salt and dill and fresh asparagus….summer treat!
I have made this 2x now. Really good!
I haven’t made the chicken yet. I have a question about grilling. I have a gas grill. Do you close the cover or leave it open?
Looking forward to trying some of your recipes. They look Delish.
I leave the door closed when grilling unless it’s a thin cut of meat. I hope this helps Christine. Enjoy!
can you adapt this for drumstick?
That will work just fine Andrea, but the cooking time will need to be adjusted. Cook until the chicken reaches 165°F. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Oops.. forgot to rate! It was perrrrfect!
Some custom modifications: I added 3 parts red wine vinegar to 1 part white balsamic vinegar, plus a teaspoon of curry powder, brown sugar instead of white, and some oregano.. all other ingredients were the same.. and the resulting taste.. fantastic! ;)
could I use white wine vinegar for this?
Yes, that should work just fine.