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Home Ā» Dinner Ā» Grilled Chicken Breast

June 18, 2019 By Sara 34 Comments

Grilled Chicken Breast

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This grilled chicken breast recipe is boneless skinless chicken breasts soaked in a flavorful garlic and herb marinade, then grilled to golden brown perfection. A staple recipe that’s perfect for summer entertaining!

We eat grilled chicken at least once a week, everything from grilled chicken tenders, to chicken kabobs, to this simple yet versatile grilled chicken breast.

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Sliced grilled chicken breast garnished with herbs and lemon.

You can never go wrong with making chicken breast for dinner. It’s quick, easy, inexpensive and relatively healthy. This grilled chicken breast is packed full of flavor; the chicken comes out perfectly tender and juicy every time!

How do you make grilled chicken breast?

The first step in this recipe is to prepare a simple marinade of olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and herbs. The chicken should marinate for at least an hour, but you can leave the chicken in the marinade for up to 24 hours. Grill your chicken either on an outdoor grill or inside on a grill pan, then slice and serve.

Chicken breasts coated in garlic, herbs, lemon, soy sauce and olive oil.

Tips for grilled chicken breast

  • Choose chicken breasts that are all about the same size and shape so that they’ll cook evenly. I stay away from the overly thick chicken breasts because they take a lot longer to cook.
  • The marinade can be made up to one day before you plan to use it.
  • You can serve your grilled chicken breast as-is over mashed potatoes or rice, or make a double batch and use the leftovers in other dishes. I like to add diced grilled chicken to salads, pasta dishes and pizza.
  • This chicken will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days, which makes it great for meal prep.
  • It’s best to cook this chicken over medium heat, as you don’t want the exterior to burn before the inside is cooked all the way through.

Chicken breasts cooked on a grill pan.

How long do you grill chicken breast?

This chicken needs to grill for about 6-8 minutes per side. The grill time depends on the size of your chicken breasts. A medium sized (4 ounce) chicken breast will typically cook in 10-12 minutes total. A larger breast (6-8 ounces) can take 20 minutes or longer to be done.

Grilled chicken breast served with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

How do you know when chicken is done?

The best way to gauge whether your chicken is done is to use a thermometer to test the thickest part of the breast. The thermometer should read at least 165 degrees F. I use an electronic thermometer with a remote so that I can just leave the chicken on the grill and monitor its progress by using the remote inside the house.

A platter of grilled chicken breast served with parsley and lemon.

Grilled Chicken Variations

You can add other ingredients to your chicken marinade to customize it to your tastes.

  • Spice Lover’s: Add crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce to taste.
  • Herb Lover’s: Add additional tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs such as green onions, rosemary, sage or dill. Scrape off the large pieces of herbs before you cook your chicken.
  • Asian Style: Use a blend of olive oil, toasted sesame oil, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. Omit the thyme leaves.
  • Chili Lime: Use the chicken marinade recipe listed here.

Grilled chicken breast is always a total crowd pleaser, and this version is the best of the best! Serve this chicken at your next barbecue and watch the rave reviews come in.

More grilling recipes

  • Grilled Potatoes in Foil
  • Grilled Shrimp Skewers
  • Grilled Asparagus in Foil
  • Marinated Salmon
  • Grilled Vegetables
Sliced grilled chicken breast garnished with herbs and lemon.
Print Pin
5 from 16 votes

Grilled Chicken Breast

This grilled chicken breast recipe is boneless skinless chicken breasts soaked in a flavorful garlic and herb marinade, then grilled to golden brown perfection. A staple recipe that's perfect for summer entertaining!
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword grilled chicken, grilled chicken breast
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinating Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 313kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon parsley leaves chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

Instructions

  • Place the chicken breasts in a bowl or resealable gallon sized bag.
  • In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the olive oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon zest, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic.
  • Pour the marinade over the chicken. Marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
  • Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium. Add the chicken in a single layer.
  • Cook for 6-8 minutes per side, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165 degrees F.
  • Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with additional parsley for garnish, then slice and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 757mg | Potassium: 582mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 2.7mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1.8mg

This recipe was originally published on August 18, 2015 and was updated with new content on June 18, 2019.

Filed Under: Dinner, Featured Recipes, Grilling, Light & Healthy Tagged With: Chicken, marinade

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Comments

  1. Nichole says

    July 8, 2020 at 5:07 pm

    5 stars
    I have made this marinade twice now and it was excellent both times! This is go to marinade for grilling chicken breast from now on.

    Reply
  2. Cheryl says

    July 6, 2020 at 12:13 pm

    5 stars
    I made this recipe for July 4th! It was delicious. The chicken was very tasty and well seasoned. My family & friends enjoyed this recipe.

    Reply
  3. Liza says

    June 30, 2020 at 10:18 am

    5 stars
    It was delicious. This will be my new grilled chicken recipe😊Thank you.

    Reply
  4. Paul says

    June 8, 2020 at 4:01 pm

    5 stars
    Very Tasty. Will make again.

    Reply
  5. Diane says

    June 7, 2020 at 3:59 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent flavour. Definitely will add to our ā€œfavouriteā€ list. Thank you for posting.

    Reply
  6. Janet says

    May 11, 2020 at 8:29 pm

    5 stars
    The marinade was so tasty and the chicken came out very moist!

    Reply
  7. Angela H says

    April 29, 2020 at 6:04 pm

    5 stars
    This was so nice and easy to make during these crazy times. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m going to try it on Salmon next.

    Reply
  8. John says

    October 23, 2019 at 12:00 am

    5 stars
    Delicious ,chicken was moist and surprisingly didn’t burn with brown sugar in marinade. Next time will do the same but add a little heat

    Reply
  9. DS says

    August 17, 2019 at 7:22 am

    Delicious marinade! It will be my new go-to, for sure. Highly recommended!!

    Reply
  10. Bea says

    July 27, 2019 at 5:00 pm

    5 stars
    I put the chicken on the BBQ and it was delicious!

    Reply
  11. Angie says

    June 27, 2019 at 10:56 am

    What a fun recipe! I’ve got to try your marinade. I do grilled chicken at least once a week!

    Reply
  12. Ken C says

    June 26, 2019 at 6:34 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this. Followed the recipe to the letter.
    My entire family loved it. Chicken was super moist. And the marinade added the perfect flvor. Mot to much, not to little. Judt right.
    Thanks again for a great recipe.
    KC
    Fort Worth TX

    Reply
  13. Catalina says

    June 21, 2019 at 2:01 am

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness! How mouthwatering this grilled chicken looks!

    Reply
  14. Des says

    June 20, 2019 at 11:18 am

    5 stars
    This marinade sounds amazing! Anytime I don’t have to run to the store to purchase a jar, I am in love.

    Reply
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With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
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