Grilled Chicken Flavored with Lemon and Fresh Herbs

This Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken is effortlessly prepared with just a handful of basic ingredients for a tasty, nutritious dish! Bursting with flavor from zesty lemon juice, a generous amount of garlic, and fresh thyme!

This lemon herb grilled chicken has been a staple in our household for more than a decade, and here’s why. Simple, fresh ingredients combine to create incredibly flavorful chicken! This lemon herb marinade is undeniably delicious, made with olive oil, zesty lemon juice, a plethora of garlic, and fresh herbs! This lemon herb marinade also doubles as a fantastic salad dressing!

Why You’ll Adore this Recipe

• Highly flavorful, adaptable, and quick to prepare.
• Only 5 straightforward ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry!
• This marinade is also great on steak, seafood, or shrimp and serves beautifully as a salad dressing.
• Perfect for weekly meal prep when served over rice, alongside roasted vegetables, or in a salad.

Ingredients Required

This simple lemon herb chicken requires just a few basic ingredients that you probably already keep at home in your cupboard or refrigerator! Here’s what you’ll need:

• chicken – the recipe suggests using 2 pounds of boneless chicken thighs (bone-in works as well), but boneless skinless chicken breasts or even wings would work too.
• olive oil – this helps to infuse flavor into the chicken and prevents sticking on the grill. I prefer a quality olive oil that doesn’t have to be pricey; just ensure it’s cold-pressed and organic for optimal flavor.
• lemon juice – this provides a bright, fresh essence; you’ll need about 2 lemons. Feel free to add a little lemon zest if you desire even more lemoniness!
• garlic – you can use either freshly chopped garlic or the minced variety from a jar.
• fresh herbs – fresh thyme and rosemary greatly enhance the chicken marinade’s flavor, but you could opt for dried thyme, dried rosemary, or even dried oregano too.
• salt + pepper – essential for seasoning the chicken and enhancing flavor.

How to Prepare Lemon Herb Chicken

1. Prepare the marinade.  In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper until well combined.
2. Get the chicken ready.  Place the chicken in a shallow dish or a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag and pour most of the lemon herb marinade over it (I always recommend saving a bit of sauce to brush on later while grilling!)
3. Marinate!  Put the chicken in the refrigerator and let it marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, but no longer than 2 hours (the acid in the lemon can break down the chicken’s texture if left too long). When you’re ready to grill, take the chicken out, shake off any excess marinade, and discard the remainder.
4. Grill and serve.  Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium heat, brushing it with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Grill the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until it’s fully cooked and no longer pink (the internal temperature of cooked chicken should be 165 degrees). Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Useful Tips and Tricks

• Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes but not exceeding 2 hours, as the lemon juice’s acidity will compromise the chicken’s texture, leading to mushiness or toughness.
• Ensure to coat the grill or grill pan with oil to prevent sticking.
• If grilling isn’t your preference, you can bake the chicken in the oven at 400 degrees F for 22 to 28 minutes, or until it’s thoroughly cooked.
• The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees for safety, ensuring it’s properly cooked without being dry.
• Set aside a small amount of marinade (before it contacts raw chicken) to brush on during grilling for an extra burst of flavor.
• This lemon herb marinade is also delicious as a salad dressing!

How to Serve

Preparation and Storage

Leftovers may be kept in a sealed, airtight container for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. I enjoy adding this leftover chicken to my salads for convenient lunches! Additionally, you can freeze the chicken breasts for up to 4 months and defrost them in the fridge overnight before reheating. If you’re using chicken that was previously frozen and thawed, I don’t recommend freezing it again.

More Chicken Recipes

I hope you love this Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken, and if you enjoy it as much as we do, please leave me a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I adore seeing all your tasty recreations!