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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I am pinning my way through all your recipes… 🙂
Please read Chungah’s recipe more closely. She writes: “Reserve 1/4 cup [marinade] and set aside.” Further in the recipe she instructs to baste the chicken with the reserved marinade. She is instructing the cook to use marinade that never came in contact with the meat, thus safe to use.
I am always up for a good chicken recipe. Especially if it’s easy 🙂
These chicken breasts look perfect…look at those grill marks! Fantastic job 🙂
I think the marinade sounds delicious as is. Just reserve some marinade before placing the chicken in the bag. Use that for basting.
Wow this looks amazing, I am definately going to give this a try this week. Thankyou for sharing 🙂
I always have a concern when using lemon in a marinade for a long period as it cooks the meat. Also I do not like to reuse the marinade that the meat has sat in as a base. May I have your opinion on these two concerns? Thank You!
You can omit the lemon in its entirety to suit your preferences.
I used this marinade last night at my husband’s birthday party and it was awesome! Thanks
Will this recipe work with dark chicken cutlets?
If so, what’s the recommended grill time?
Thank You!
Yes, absolutely. Cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken. As always, please use your best judgment.
Mix the ingredients for the marinade, reserve 1/3 cup, then put in the chicken in the remaining marinade. The reserved amount had never come in contact with the chicken until it is basting the chicken on the grill.
I agree that reusing marinade is not a good idea. I’ve always just set aside a small amount for basting prior to marinading the meat. I’ve also read that if you put it in a sauce pan and boil for one minute that should kill anything that could make you sick.
If the reserved marinade bothers you to use, I suggest to cook them for a few minutes in a pot and use it the cooked one in basting the grilled chicken.
Just my 2 cents!
If you don’t want to use the reserved marinade to baste with then you will have to reserve it BEFORE marinating the chicken. That seems like a no brainer.
You reserve the 1/4 c. of marinade before you put the chicken in, so you are not reusing it.
What’s a marinade?
A marinade refers to the action of soaking food in a flavorful liquid. You can read more about it here:
http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/techniques/cooking-class-marinating
Is this a joke?
hell NO its not a joke, and if you’ve never tried it, you have been eating some tasteless meat since you were a we lad. It. Will. Change. Your. LIFE!!
he meant the “is this a marinade” comment – obviously
Jeanette, if you read the directions correctly, they say to use the reserved marinade to baste the chicken. That means the 1/4 cup that you were supposed to take out of the whisked marinade before you marinade the chicken.
Since you aren’t leaving the chicken in the marinade for an extended period, you only get the flavor of the lemon, not the cooking. Also with the marinade, I’ve always reserved it and just boil it to reduce by 1/2 and use it as a basting liquid. Boiling the marinade kills any bacteria and by reducing maximizes flavor
The recipe dictates to reserve some marinade before adding the chicken to it, not to reuse after meat has been in it.
You are perfectly using the marinade to baste the chicken- just keep in fridge till using it. The meat pieces in the marinade are the same age etc that the chicken was when you put on the grill. You should never reuse marinade for another batch of meat like a week later or something. It will be rancid
I made this as stated in the recipe and grilled the beast for 20 minutes. They were delicious!