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    Home » Recipes » Grilling

    Simple Grilled Chicken Recipe

    Published: Aug 28, 2020 · Modified: Aug 27, 2022 by Laura Reigel · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump To Recipe Comments

    This grilled chicken marinade adds a ton of flavor and tenderizes the chicken breasts. Say Hello to the Best Grilled Chicken!

    This is the best-grilled chicken recipe because the chicken has so much flavor and stays juicy.

    Marinated chicken grilling on the grill.
    Foolproof and delicious grilled chicken breasts! Look at those gorgeous grill marks. Mmmm.

    Why You'll Love the Grilled Chicken Marinade

    • Easy: All you have to do to make this grilled chicken marinade is have thawed chicken and a few simple ingredients.
    • Make it ahead: This simple grilled chicken recipe is incredibly easy to use for meal prep. It's lean and easy to portion. 
    • Healthy: Grilled chicken is healthy, and making a batch of this will ensure that you have a serving of healthy protein for several meals all week long. 

    Recipe Notes

    Although this is a grilled chicken breast recipe, you can just as easily use this chicken marinade recipe for a batch of chicken thighs or chicken wings! 

    Ingredient notes

    • Chicken: I usually buy chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe. To make things super easy, buy boneless, skinless chicken. 
    • Chicken Marinade: Lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.

    What Goes Into Chicken Marinade

    ingredients for grilled chicken

    This grilled chicken is tasty and juicy. You can even freeze this recipe so that you have ready-to-grill chicken in the freezer.

    1. Add the chicken to a shallow dish or a gallon-sized Ziploc bag.
    2. Chop. Dice the onions and chop the garlic. Add both of these to the chicken.
    3. Lemons. Use a grater to zest the lemons. Add the zest to the chicken. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice over the chicken.
    4. Season. Add the olive oil and the seasoning to the chicken. Toss to coat the chicken evenly.
    5. Marinate the chicken for at least an hour, but no longer than overnight.

    PRO-TIP: Make a second batch of my best grilled chicken recipe and freeze it in the chicken marinade. Then you can pull it out for an easy dinner next week.

    Cooking Chicken Breasts On The Grill

    1. Make sure you've preheated your grill. If you're using a gas grill, heat it up to High.
    2. Add oil to a paper towel and use tongs to oil the grill grates.
    3. Place the chicken on the grill, and DO NOT move until it's time to flip it. *Reduce the temperature to Medium.
    4. Grill 6 to 8 minutes per side.
    5. Use a probe thermometer to ensure you have the proper temperature or 165℉ at the thickest part.

    Make sure that your chicken is cooked to the proper internal temperature. The safe internal temperature is 165℉!

    People ask me all the time how long to grill chicken breast. The secret is to use a thermometer. I usually take my chicken off of the grill at 155℉ and let it rest for 10 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise after the chicken is taken off of the grill. 

    chicken breasts with lemon, oregano, and garlic marinade in a dish
    chicken breasts with lemon, oregano, and garlic marinade in a dish
    Start by marinating the chicken breasts.
    marinated chicken on the grill at the beginning of cooking
    Grill the chicken on medium-high. Leave it undisturbed for 8 minutes before turning.
    grilled chicken breasts and asparagus on a grill
    When the grilled chicken is flipped, you can add veggies to the grill to cook while the chicken finishes.
    grilled chicken in a le crueset pan
    grilled asparagus and grilled marinated chicken breast
    Healthy grilled chicken breasts and grilled asparagus.

    FAQs and helpful tips

    How do you grill bone-in chicken?

    If you are grilling bone-in chicken, the cooking time will be longer. Always use a probe thermometer to check the temperature!

    A cut up fryer chicken will have different pieces that will all come off the grill at different times. Dark meat tends to stay moister even if it's slightly overcooked.  

    Don't overthink it—just grill!

    What is a fryer chicken?

    A fryer chicken refers to a younger, midsized bird that tends to be much easier to cook than your traditional chicken!

    How do you cook chicken thighs on the grill?

    Boneless chicken thighs tend to be smaller, so they'll cook fairly quickly. Start with 4 minutes on each side.

    If you're not ready to grill, try my Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs!

    What should you season grilled chicken breasts with?

    Grilled chicken breasts are a blank canvas! Spice them up with countless seasonings and marinades—the choice is yours! The easy grilled chicken marinade I use in this recipe is just lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.

    Check out my go-to Seasoning Recipes.

    Hungry for more grilled chicken recipes?

    Try my Grilled Chicken Curry that is marinated in a super flavorful chicken marinade Or try my easy Grilled Teriyaki Chicken and make a Teriyaki Chicken Bowl for dinner tonight.

    The Chicken Satay Kebabs are a reader favorite, and this recipe is all about the flavorful chicken and the Peanut Sauce.

    • Chicken Curry Recipe
    • Teriyaki Chicken Bowls (Super Easy Dinner)
    • Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

    ➽ Did you make this recipe? I love to see what's going on in your kitchen. Please show me what you're cooking. 🍳 Tag me @foodologygeek on your favorite social channel! Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest. If you loved ❤︎ this recipe, please leave a five ★ review and a comment!

    grilled chicken breast marinade in a white dish
    Favorite Saved!

    Grilled Chicken Marinade

    Laura Reigel
    This grilled chicken marinade not only adds a ton of flavor but, also tenderizes the chicken breasts. Say Hello to the Best Grilled Chicken! This flavorful chicken marinade gives you the best grilled chicken breast recipe because the chicken has so much flavor and stays juicy.
    PRINT PIN SAVE SAVED
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 16 mins
    Resting Time 10 mins
    Total Time 36 mins
    Course Dinner, Easy, Light Fare, Lunch, Staple
    Cuisine American, Clean Eating, Grilling
    Servings 8
    Calories 216 kcal

    Equipment

    • probe thermometer

    Ingredients
      

    • 6 to 8 Chicken Breasts or thighs

    Easy Chicken Marinade

    • 2 teaspoons sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon Pepper
    • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
    • 6 cloves Garlic
    • 1 to 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • ¼ to ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice approximately 2 lemons
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    How To Make Grilled Chicken Marinade

    • Place the chicken into a glass dish or a zip top bag.
    • Onions and garlic. Dice the onions and the garlic and then add them to the chicken.
    • Lemon. Zest the lemon and add the zest to the chicken. Slice the lemons in half and squeeze the juice over the chicken.
    • Season. Add the herbs, salt and pepper, and olive oil to the chicken.
    • Marinate. Toss to coat and marinade the chicken in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

    Grilling Chicken

    • Preheat the grill on High. Bring the grill temperature to about 500℉
    • Add oil to a paper towel and with tongs rub the oil onto the grill grates.
    • Add the chicken to the grill, then turn the grill down to a medium heat.
    • Cook on side one for 8 minutes.
    • Flip and continue to cook on the second side until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of about 155°F. About 6 to 8 minutes.
      NOTE: Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the chicken breasts and the temperature of the grill. I always use a probe thermometer when griilling to make sure I get the temperature just right. 165°F is safe cooking temperature for chicken.
    • Remove the chicken from the grill and place it on a platter, cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes. (the internal temperature of the chicken will climb during this time.)

    Laura's Tips + Notes

    Ingredient Notes
    • Chicken: I usually buy chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe. To make things super easy, buy boneless, skinless chicken. 
    • Chicken Marinade: Lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
    Options for Marinating
    Overnight: This is the perfect recipe to make the night before. Marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge. Remove from the fridge one hour before grilling.
    For at least an hour: If you are short on time, simply marinate this chicken for about an hour at room temperature before grilling.
    In the freezer: This chicken can be frozen. It is the perfect recipe to make a double batch of on then stick one batch in the freezer to cook at a later date.

    YOUR OWN NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 216kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 36gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 779mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword chicken, grilling
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Snap a 📸 and share it. Tag me @foodologygeek and don't forget to hashtag #foodologygeek!

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    About Laura Reigel

    Laura is the owner and CEO of Foodology Geek. She holds a degree in Physiology and Neuroscience as well as a Certification as a Nutrition Coach. Laura uses her love of cooking and science to create healthy real food recipes that you'll love eating.

    As a certified recipe hoarder, and meal prep maven Laura is passionate about sharing her love for cooking easy from-scratch recipes. She also shares the occasional family recipe and all of the technical details.

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