This grilled lemon chicken is a household staple. It goes with everything and is to easy to make!
Lemon Herb Chicken
I've made two ginormous batches of this grilled lemon chicken in the past couple of weeks (for company and for a smallish catering job), and I think it will be a staple this summer.
Everyone has LOVED it. And any excuse to grill, right?
So, boneless, skinless chicken breasts aren't the most exciting thing ever. They can very easily turn into dry, chewy, tasteless pieces of BLECH. You've experienced this, yes?
Not this chicken.
This chicken turns out so moist, tender, and flavorful, it blows me away. Lots of lemon, herbs, and garlic make for a very happy piece of chicken.
Lemon Herb Chicken Marinade
- Avocado oil
- Minced or crushed fresh garlic
- Lemons – zest & juice
- Dried oregano
- Dried or fresh thyme
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
How to Make Lemon Chicken
- Combine the oil, lemon zest & juice, herbs, salt, and pepper in a zip top plastic bag or shallow dish.
- Add the chicken and toss it around to coat it well.
- Cover and Let it marinate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
How to Make Grilled Lemon Chicken
- Preheat grill to medium high heat.
- Grill the chicken, flipping once halfway through cooking until it is cooked through and the juices are running clear – about 10 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken.
- Remove from the grill and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Garlic Lemon Chicken Recipe Tips
Butterflying the chicken or slicing them into thinner cutlets will cut down on marinating and grilling time!
Using fresh lemon juice and garlic (as opposed to bottled lemon juice and granulated garlic) will make a big difference in this recipe.
Don’t overcook the chicken. It should be about 160F when you pull it from the grill. The residual heat will finish cooking it as it rests.
Speaking of… make sure to let it rest! Cutting it straight from the grill will cause the juices to run out and your chicken may be dry.
Grilled Lemon Chicken Variations
Slow cooker/Instant Pot: Don’t want to grill? Put the chicken in a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Or into an Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 15 min (with a 15 min natural release). It’s lovely as a seasoned shredded chicken as well!
Change up the flavors: Swap out the lemon juice & zest for lime and use different herbs, like basil and cilantro. Keep the garlic, though. You’ll always need that.
Lemon Herb Chicken FAQs
What NOT to serve? It seriously goes with so many things. I especially like it with some wild rice and roasted vegetables. Or tossed onto a salad that’s begging for protein.
There is about 25-30g of protein in a 4-oz piece of chicken breast.
It depends on the thickness of your chicken, but around 10 minutes should give you a good estimate.
If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Grilled Garlic Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- ¼ cup avocado or melted coconut oil
- 3 Tablespoons minced garlic (about 9 cloves)
- 1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from the 2 lemons, doesn't have to be exact)
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, removed from stems)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (butterflying recommended)
Instructions
- Combine oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, herbs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl or zip-top plastic bag.
- Add chicken and squish the bag around to evenly coat the chicken.
- Let it marinade, chilled, for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat BBQ grill to medium-high heat. Grill chicken, flipping once, for about 10 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken is cooked through.
- Let it rest for about 5 minutes or so before slicing.
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