Grilled Chicken Breast
With this easy grilled chicken breast recipe, you can make flavorful and tender chicken in no time. Using a simple marinade and a hot grill, you'll have perfectly cooked chicken every single time.
Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe
Whether you're making a hearty grilled chicken salad or need a simple protein to go alongside your parmesan risotto, this is the best grilled chicken breast recipe. With a simple marinade, you can make flavorful chicken in no time.
I love this easy recipe on weekdays when we need something that won't take a lot of effort to cook. Grilling season is always our favorite because we can make incredibly tasty food so easily.
Grilling chicken breast is one of my favorite ways to cook this cut of meat. The heat of the grill creates the perfect seared grill marks and adds a nice smoky flavor to the meat. Not to mention, it locks in flavor and makes the meat so tender and juicy.
This recipe will help your create the best chicken marinade and teach you the skills to perfectly grill the chicken. It's a versatile recipe that can be used in so many different ways, and I know you're going to love it!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
This super easy recipe is a go-to for many reasons. Grilling chicken breasts is something we love so much:
- This is the best way to meal prep. You can marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours, then cook when you're ready. Or you can cook this chicken and then store it for later. So many options to meal prep with grilled chicken!
- You can pack in so much flavor with the right chicken marinade recipe. My grilled chicken breast are marinated in the best homemade mix and then grilled to perfection.
- Chicken breast is a lean meat with loads of nutritional benefits. It's a good idea for many different diets, and a "just because" meal!
Ingredients
With just a few simple marinade ingredients, you can make the most flavorful juicy chicken breast on the grill. Here is what you will need:
- honey
- lemon juice
- white wine vinegar
- dijon mustard
- olive oil
- salt
- dried rosemary
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
Substitutions and Variations
To make a delicious marinade a bit different, you can change up a few ingredients. A bit of soy sauce, coconut aminos or Worcestershire sauce would create a more robust and darker flavor. Or, you can make an herb marinade with tons of different fresh herbs or dried herbs.
You can also add things like freshly minced garlic to your chicken marinade. Or, go with dried seasonings like onion powder or garlic powder.
For different flavors, add this all-purpose seasoning to the marinade.
Feel free to swap out the fresh lemon juice for fresh lime juice. You can also swap out the olive oil and use avocado oil in its place.
Want to add some kick to your flavorful chicken? Some red pepper or cayenne pepper would add a nice touch and more layers of flavor.
If you don't have white wine vinegar, you can substitute another vinegar its place. Keep in mind that a different vinegar will alter the flavor, but it will still taste amazing. You can use red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar. If you like red wine vinegar, then give this red wine vinaigrette a try!
How to Make Grilled Chicken Breast
To make this recipe a success, you'll need to first make the marinade, then marinate the chicken, and then grill it. Here's a step by step guide to success:
Marinating the Chicken
Using a small bowl or a large glass measuring cup, combine honey, vinegar and lemon juice and stir well.
Then mix in the dijon mustard, dried rosemary, salt and olive oil until well combined.
Whisk the marinade together thoroughly so that everything is evenly combined, then you're ready to marinate the chicken.
Use a meat mallet or slice the chicken breast in half to create an even thickness across the chicken breast. This helps ensure that the chicken will cook evenly and not dry out.
Place the boneless chicken breasts into a mixing bowl and pour one cup of marinade over it. The reserved marinade is simply for you to use as a dressing on a salad. So if you don't plan to use this chicken on a salad, you can store the rest of the marinade or use it.
Allow chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour, and up to 24 hours.
Grill the Chicken
When you're ready to grill the chicken, preheat your grill to 400°F (204°C) Fahrenheit.
Allow any excess marinade to drip off of the chicken and then place it on the hot grill grates. Then use a basting brush to coat each piece of chicken with marinade that is leftover in the bowl.
Grill the chicken breasts for 3 minutes, then flip and grill for 4-5 more minutes. Using an instant-read thermometer, check the internal temp of each piece of chicken.
Once it reaches 165°F (74°C), pull the chicken off of the grill. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve!
How to Store Leftover Grilled Chicken Breasts
Transfer leftover chicken to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To reheat grilled chicken, place it on the stovetop in a hot skillet or in microwave. You can also reheat in the oven. Heat leftovers until they reach a safe internal temperature.
What to Serve with Grilled Chicken Breasts
There are so many different ways to serve this yummy chicken. Serve with side dishes like fruit salad, roasted potatoes, or pasta salad. It's also a perfect protein to go alongside easy cheesy potatoes, roasted root vegetables, or honey sriracha brussel sprouts.
A simple side of steamed broccoli or grilled asparagus would be delicious too. Since this is a bit of a greek chicken flavor, this Greek quinoa salad would be a perfect side.
Serve a refreshing watermelon margarita with your chicken. Mint lemonade would be yummy too!
Tips for Success
These are some of my top tips so that you can have the best grilled chicken ever:
- Don't marinate the chicken longer than 24 hours. After the 24 hour mark, the citrus will begin to turn the meat. However, you can prepare the chicken marinade ahead of time and then add it to the chicken whenever you're ready.
- Since marinade has a honey and citrus base, keep an eye on the grill while the chicken cooks. There is a possibility for some flare-ups and you don't want the chicken to burn!
- Make sure your grill is clean before cooking. I've got an entire blog with the best tips and tricks on how to clean your outdoor grill.
FAQ
Depending on the thickness of the chicken breast, you cook time could vary. But for the most part, chicken should be cooked on the grill for about 7-8 minutes flipping at the midway point. This is for a medium-high heat on the grill.
It is best to cook chicken breasts quickly on the grill. This will lock in the juices of the meat and make the chicken tender and flavorful.
More Grilling Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
If you make and love this recipe, please leave a ★★★★★ review below! It means so much to me when you try my recipes, and I'd love to know how it goes. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Grilled Chicken Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 to 1.5 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast
Instructions
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl or glass measuring cup and whisk well.
- This will make 1 ½ cups, or 12 ounces. Reserve ½ cup for salad dressing if you are making a salad.
- Butterfly the chicken breast pieces in half horizontally or pound thin with a meat mallet.
- Cover with 1 cup of marinade and let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat grill to medium heat or 400°F (20°C).
- Place chicken on hot grill grates and brush some of the leftover chicken marinade onto the chicken. Optional, but adds a boost of flavor!
- Grill chicken breast on first side for 3 minutes, then flip and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes or until chicken breast reaches 165°F (74°C) internal temperature. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
