This grilled chicken recipe makes the juiciest, most tender chicken! You can use all cuts of chicken, but this recipe is especially helpful for grilled chicken breasts!
If you are tired of dry, bland grilled chicken, stop what you are doing and make this easy recipe. I use the most delicious lemon chicken marinade to add flavor, tenderize the chicken, and then grill the chicken to juicy perfection.
We have so many chicken recipes on Inspired Taste. When we are not grilling, we especially love our juicy skillet chicken breasts and these lemon garlic baked chicken breasts.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: My grilled chicken recipe works for all cuts of chicken, but it is perfect for grilled chicken breasts. We’ve shown skinless chicken breasts in the photos, but skin-on chicken is excellent since it adds a bit of extra fat and flavor.
- Grilled chicken marinade: My favorite marinade for grilling chicken is based on my lemon chicken marinade, but I add maple syrup or honey. I love how it caramelizes on the grill. You can marinate the chicken for as little as 20 minutes! It’s that flavorful. Our grilled chicken marinade has a tangy combination of lemon, garlic, red pepper flakes, and mustard.
How to Make Grilled Chicken
I have a few tips for the best grilled chicken. These apply to all cuts of chicken but are especially helpful when grilling chicken breasts!
Pound the chicken to one thickness: This is especially relevant when cooking chicken breasts. I’m sure you’ve noticed that chicken breasts are thicker on one end compared to the other. By using a mallet or rolling pin to pound the thicker end to a similar thickness as the thinner end, you ensure that the chicken grills evenly. If you have bone-in breasts or thighs, you can skip this step.
Marinate chicken before grilling it: You don’t need to marinate it for multiple hours. A quick 20 to 30 minutes in my lemon marinade will do the trick (although you can go up to 2 hours).
Use two grill zones: Create a hot zone and a cool zone on your grill. Crank one side up high for searing and grill marks, and leave the other on lower heat. This way, you can get a beautiful sear on your chicken and then move it to the cooler side to finish cooking gently, keeping it juicy and tender.
Let the chicken rest before you cut it: As your chicken rests, it will finish cooking, and all the juices inside will either be distributed or fall onto your plate. If there are juices on your plate, save them! They make the best sauce. You can also slather some of our homemade BBQ sauce onto the chicken (so tasty!).
What to Serve with Grilled Chicken
Grilled chicken is perfect for backyard get-togethers. It is especially good with a summer salad, such as our easy corn salad, our cherry tomato salad, this creamy potato salad, or my favorite creamy coleslaw.
We also love this easy bean salad and this tangy cucumber salad on the side. Or serve sliced grilled chicken on top of your favorite salads like Caesar salad or this Greek salad.
Perfect Juicy Grilled Chicken
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Say goodbye to flavorless, dry chicken and use our grilled chicken recipe for mouthwatering, succulent, juicy chicken instead. You can make the best grilled chicken at home with a few tricks! Our method works for all cuts of chicken but is especially helpful for grilled chicken breasts.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
2 to 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
2 lemons
2 tablespoons (30ml) avocado oil or olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 cloves garlic, smashed
Directions
- Marinate the Chicken
1Use a vegetable peeler to peel the zest of 1 lemon, then juice the lemons so you have 1/4 cup (60ml) of juice.
2Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, maple syrup, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl until the salt has dissolved. Stir in the smashed garlic cloves and lemon zest.
3If you are grilling chicken breasts, pound them first. Place the chicken in a large zip-lock bag, and then use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound them to an even thickness, between 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch thick. Depending on how many breasts you have, you might need to do this in batches.
4Pour the marinade over the chicken in the zip-lock bag, seal it, and then marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours. I like placing the bag inside a bowl (just in case any marinade seeps out).
- Grill the Chicken
1When you are ready to grill the chicken, remove it from the refrigerator and prepare your grill. Clean the grates and heat the grill so that one side is on high heat (for direct cooking) and the other side is on low heat (for indirect cooking).
2Carefully brush the grates with high-heat oil (I use avocado oil). Be careful when you do this; the oil can fall into the flame and cause it to flare up.
3Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off the garlic and lemon zest. Place the chicken on the hottest side of the grill. Let the chicken cook, with the lid open, until the underside has grill marks (it’s okay to lift one piece of chicken up to check), 3 to 5 minutes.
4Carefully pick up each piece of chicken, gently wiggling it from side to side if it is a bit stuck in places, and then place it back down, grill marks facing up, over the cooler side of the grill.
5Close the barbecue lid and cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F, 5 to 10 minutes. If you are worried the chicken will overcook, take it off when the thermometer reads 160°F, then cover with foil. After a few minutes, the chicken will finish cooking and reach 165°F.
6Allow the cooked chicken to rest on a plate loosely covered with foil for 5 to 10 minutes, then slice it into thick slices. Save all of the juices that are left on the cutting board and on the plate, and then pour them over the sliced chicken. Serve with lemon wedges and fresh herbs scattered over the top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Make ahead: Make the marinade a day in advance, add the chicken, and marinate for up to 2 hours for chicken breasts and 6 hours for chicken thighs.
- Storing: Grilled chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We assumed 2 ½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
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I don’t normally review recipes, but this was the best grilled chicken I’ve ever made! The chicken was juicy and full of flavor. I only had about 20 min to marinate and it was perfect! If I could give it 10 stars I would!!
I’ve been using this recipe about 3 times a week now for a month. I don’t know if my family is tired of it yet however, nobody has complained once. It’s so delicious. It’s fixed all the issues I’ve ever known with grilling, which is, dry chicken. This is SO perfect. Thank you! I would also like to note that this recipe works with tofu as well. I highly recommend the protein super firm tofu that doesn’t need pressing. Absolutely delicious. Thanks again!
I’m a fairly experienced griller, but as usual, Adam and Joanne have helped me become a better one with their very specific tips! This homemade marinade is easy and delicious. My chicken came out with beautiful carmelized grill marks and tenderness as displayed in your video. Thank you for the friendly, knowledgable and down to earth videos and website content you share with us. Everytime I head to your website for recipe inspiration, I am excited about what I will make next! I always walk away with a new nugget of helpful advice, a delicious something and a smile. (from growth in my cooking skills and the appreciative “thank-you’s” from family & friends who enjoy what I’ve prepared.) I’m not a cooking newbie, in my 50’s, and considered a pretty good cook – you guys make me better – sincere thanks and hope this site never disappears!
What herbs do you use? Thank you!
We love using chives or parsley 🙂
I can’t wait to try this. I’ve made many of your recipes and every one has been delicious and easy.
Love your recipes.