Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Breasts

Life can sometimes become so busy and hectic that it’s nice to take a deep breath and find a little time to relax. Yesterday after church, we decided to head to a nearby park for a really easy dinner on the grill and spend time with just our small family. It also just so happened to be Father’s Day, but my husband was a good sport about manning the grill anyway.

Summertime is full of barbecues, picnics and relaxing at the beach. One of my favorite things about grilling is the simplicity of it. It took me about 5 minutes to prep the chicken for the grill, which is phenomenal in my book. The only thing left to do is get the fire going, and be very careful not to overcook the chicken, because it is ready in no time. The flavors are vibrant and bright and also very versatile. You can marinate the chicken the night before or right before heading to the park. If you’re lucky enough to have a grill in your backyard, you can make this any day of the week and use the chicken in numerous other recipes. 

For us Floridians, it is time to hibernate. It’s too hot to grill at the park, even in the shade. Besides, the rainy season will be here before you know it and then you don’t want to be caught in a tropical downpour, sadly watching your dinner get destroyed. If you have a grill outside your door and can quickly cook something up and then return to the comfort of A/C to eat in livable conditions, then of course, grilling is always in season.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of half a lemon

1 -2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon each parsley, thyme, minced (plus extra for garnishing)

salt, pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Trim the chicken breast halves. Add all the marinade ingredients to the chicken and mix to thoroughly mix the chicken in the marinade.

This is a very versatile marinade. You can use freshly squeezed lime or orange juice instead of or in addition to lemon. Add some of the zest too. The herbs are also a matter or preference or a matter of “what’s in my fridge right now”. You can add rosemary, oregano, marjoram or whatever else you happen to like. You can also add some shallots or onions to the marinade and then discard them before grilling the chicken. 

You can keep the chicken in a rimmed container or place it in a ziptop bag. Marinate the chicken for at least one hour. You can marinate the chicken ahead of time, even overnight.

Preheat the grill for about 10-15 minutes and when it’s on medium high heat, grill the chicken for about 3 minutes per side, depending on how thick your chicken is. To get gorgeous crosshatch grill marks on your chicken, place it on the grill at a 45 degree angle to the grill, give it a chance to get a sear and then rotate it 90 degrees.

The chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant read thermometer. Take the chicken off the grill and allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it, so that the juices redistribute and don’t all gush out when you cut into the chicken. This will keep the chicken juicy and tender. Garnish with more fresh herbs and lemon wedges.

Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Breasts

 

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Prep time

1 hour 30 mins

Cook time

6 mins

Total time

1 hour 36 mins

 

Author: Olga's Flavor Factory

Recipe type: Entree

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• ¼ cup olive oil
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 -2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon each parsley, thyme, minced (plus extra for garnishing)
• salt, pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Trim the chicken breast halves.
2. Add all the marinade ingredients to the chicken and mix to thoroughly mix the chicken in the marinade. You can keep the chicken in a rimmed container or place it in a ziptop bag. Marinate the chicken for at least one hour. You can marinate the chicken ahead of time, even overnight.
3. Preheat the grill for about 10-15 minutes and when it's on medium high heat.
4. Grill the chicken for about 3 minutes per side, depending on how thick your chicken is. The chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant read thermometer.
5. Take the chicken off the grill and allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it, so that the juices redistribute and don't all gush out when you cut into the chicken. This will keep the chicken juicy and tender.
6. Garnish with more fresh herbs and lemon wedges.

Notes

It's very easy to double this recipe, so you can make this Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken for a party or a simple weeknight dinner for two.

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