Lemon Herb Chicken Recipe

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Marinated and grilled chicken breasts in a lemon and garlic marinade.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Marinading Time 30

Total Time 55

Servings people

Calories 216kcal

Peel garlic and smash with the flat side of a knife so the cloves are crushed. The cloves should still be intact but flattened.
3 cloves garlic
Use a vegetable peeler and peel large strips of lemon peel. Try not to go too deep so you are just removing the peel and not the white pith.
peel from one lemon
Place garlic, lemon peel, lemon juice, olive oil, and chopped herbs into a zip-top bag or container.
½ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Slice chicken breasts in half so they are thin and fairly equal in thickness.
2-4 chicken breasts
Place chicken in bag with the marinade and seal. Rotate and massage bag so the chicken breasts are well coated with the marinade.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 3 hours. Remove bag at least once during the marinating time to rotate the bag to redistribute ingredients.

Preheat the grill so the grill is hot. Make certain the grill is cleaned and lightly oiled.
Remove chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade along with the garlic and lemon peel. Place chicken on hot grill and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cook on medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes per side until the chicken is golden and fully cooked through. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F.
Remove chicken from grill and cover loosely with foil for about 5 minutes before serving.
Garnish with lemon slices and additional herbs.

For maximum flavor, marinade the chicken for at least 30 minutes, but not longer than 3 hours. Any longer and the lemon juice starts to break down the meat.

Make certain your grill is fully preheated, cleaned and oiled before adding the chicken. To oil the grill, take a folded paper towel and add oil to one side. Rub the oiled side onto the grates.

Flip the chicken when it is nicely browned on one side. If you go to flip the chicken and the chicken sticks to the grill, it needs another 1-2 minutes until it's ready to flip.

Watch for hot spots on your grill. If one area is cooking faster than other areas, rotate the chicken into a new spot.