Easy Grilled Chicken
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The best marinade ever! No-fuss and packed with so much flavor. You won’t need another grilled chicken recipe again!
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We are two days into summer so if you haven’t dusted off those grills, that really needs to change immediately so you can whip up the easiest, most tender grilled chicken recipe of all time. Really, it doesn’t get any easier (and flavorful) than this right here. Say goodbye to dry grilled chicken!
reasons to make easy grilled chicken
- Perfect for summer gatherings. Whether it’s a backyard BBQ, picnic, baby shower or big family gathering, this is the most perfect recipe to fire up that grill this summer for those favorited smoky, charred flavors. And this recipe can conveniently be doubled or tripled as needed, prepped and marinating ahead of time for the easiest entertaining.
- Flexible, versatile recipe. Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs or even tenderloins, depending on personal preference or what you have on hand. Too cold to use the grill? Use a cast iron grill pan or large cast iron skillet.
- Leftovers are even better. Leftover grilled chicken can be repurposed for salads, enchiladas, pizzas and so much more. The possibilities are endless (and so convenient and welcomed for those super busy weeknights between laundry, soccer pick up and homework).
how to make the easiest grilled chicken
- Marinate the chicken and let it sit in all that balsamic-lemony-herb goodness
- Preheat the grill
- Cook the chicken, get those lovely grill marks and baste as needed (or use a cast iron grill pan)
- Rest, slice and serve
- Keep leftovers for salads the next day
tips and tricks for success
- An outdoor grill is not necessary. Too cold to grill outside? A cast iron grill pan can be used to get those favorited grill marks and charred flavor. These can also be baked at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, brushing with the reserved marinade during the last few minutes of cook time.
- Preheat the grill. Ensure that the grill is properly cleaned (to prevent sticking) and preheated prior to grilling. This will allow for a better sear for those grill marks and evenly cooked chicken.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- Use similar size chicken. Chicken breasts come in a variety of sizes – try to use similar-sized chicken breasts, pounding out the chicken as needed into flat, even pieces for even cooking and grilling.
- Let your meat rest. Let your chicken rest for at least 5 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover chicken can be rubbery when reheated. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
what to serve with easy grilled chicken
Tools For This Recipe
Cast iron grill pan or large cast iron skillet
Easy Grilled Chicken: Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
No grill, no problem. A cast iron grill pan or a large cast iron skillet will work beautifully here, especially during those winter months when it’s too cold to grill out!
To ensure juicy, moist chicken, marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, avoid overcooking (use an instant-read thermometer) and let it rest prior to slicing and serving.
Yes! The chicken can be marinated overnight and placed in the fridge.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Easy Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon, brown sugar, Worcestershire, garlic, thyme, oregano and rosemary; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reserve 1/4 cup and set aside.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken and balsamic vinegar mixture; marinate for at least 1 hour to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
- Preheat grill to medium high heat.
- Add chicken to grill and cook, flipping once and basting with reserved 1/4 cup marinade until cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 5-6 minutes per side.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
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Rating it 5 stars coz the recipe came out to be really amazing and tasty. Keep sharing more.
So yum! I made this 100% to the recipe and it was so good. I used these chicken breasts in sandwiches and it was great. I used golden potato buns, made brown sugar bacon in the oven (basically just dipping bacon strips in brown sugar, pepper and paprika), and made a homemade honey mustard dressing and it was amazing. Topped it with provolone and served with sweet potato fries. SUPER delsih! Thank you so much!
I’m trying this tonight and am wondering if I should pound out the chicken breast. Would I need to marinate tenderized chicken breast for less time than a whole one?
Fabulous marinade – we used it on chicken thighs. Your recipes are always great!
AWESOME!!! So easy and so delicious!
Super easy to make! Love it !
This is now my go-to chicken marinade. Have used it many times! I marinated chicken wings with it for father’s day and they were delicious!
After mixing everything together, there wasn’t much taste. I added more balsamic and about a half cup of lemon juice. Result was OK.
Lol
excellent I made these as kabobs with peppers and tomatoes the entire family loved it
Did you marinate the peppers and tomatoes too?
So delicious and easy! I didn’t have rosemary, so I used 1/2 tsp dried basil. I didn’t have fresh parsley, so I used 2 tsps dried parsley flakes. I didn’t have fresh lemon, so used 3 tbsps lemon juice. I poked holes into both sides of the chicken breasts because I only had time to marinate the chicken for 25-30 minutes. Even with these changes, it still turned out amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Delicious, easy, and with ingredients most have on hand! What more could you ask for!
I can’t get enough of this recipe I’ve cooked it twice in a week. Leftover chicken is superb for a salad!!!
Really like this recipe. A best ever healthy protein recipe for any fitness freak. This recipe looks really delicious.
Would I ruin the recipe if I left the Brown Sugar out? It sounds delicious but I can’t have sugar.
Thanks!
You could use Agava nector to replace sugar. Can you have honey? That would work too. I’m sure you need something sweet to balance out the flavor in the marinade.
I used Splenda brown sugar and it was great.
Not to much to say, but absolutely delicious! A definite keeper.
This is incredible. It stays so juicy!! I swapped out the balsamic for red wine vinegar instead (I ran out of balsamic and didn’t realize), and it came out delicious.
Very good recipe. Did zest the lemon and added to mixture, for more lemon taste, before squeezing. Other wise stayed with the recipe.
This is our go to chicken marinade. We’ve made it at least a dozen times, exactly as published. Thank you!
All family like it!
The single most delicious, tender, easy to prepare chicken.