How To Grill Chicken Breast

Learn how to grill chicken breast that are perfectly juicy, tender and well seasoned every time. Plus, all my tips and tricks for the absolute best grilled chicken breast recipe ever!

We love grilling season and backyard barbecues! Some of the recipes we like to cook on the grill during summer months are these Cajun Grilled Shrimp Skewers, Grilled Corn and my favorite Carne Asada recipe!

This recipe for boneless chicken breast is one of the best you’ll ever have! The easy chicken marinade is quick to make and adds lots of flavor to otherwise plain and boring chicken!

Why Is This The Best Grilled Chicken Recipe

• This recipe is quick and easy.
• This recipe is made with the best chicken marinade! You will agree when you try it!.
• This recipe makes juicy chicken that tastes amazing.
• This recipe is made with simple ingredients you most likely already have at home.
• Grilling chicken provides a versatile low carb protein that can be served in many different ways. Sliced with a side dish or as a topping for salads. You can use it to make quesadillas, burritos or sandwiches also.

How To Grill Chicken Breast

Say goodbye to dry and chewy boneless and skinless chicken breast! Grilling chicken breast is easy but you need to follow a few simple steps to guarantee juicy, tender and flavorful chicken. Let me show you how to grill chicken breast properly and for how long to cook them so you don’t end up with dried out chicken!

Grilling Chicken Breast Step By Step

Pound the Breasts

Because of the natural shape of a chicken breast, it’s best to pound the chicken to an even thickness to prevent overcooking the thinner parts while the thicker middle is undercook.

Place the chicken breast inside a resealable plastic bag and pound the thickest part to an even height. The thick plastic guarantees that the bag won’t rip and splatter chicken juices all over your kitchen. You can also place the chicken breast in between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap if you prefer. If you don’t have a mallet, a rolling pin or a heavy skillet will work.

Marinate the Chicken (or brine it)

A great chicken marinade adds lots of flavor. The salt in the marinade alters the proteins in the chicken so it retains its moisture better when cooked. The acid in the marinade helps tenderize the chicken however, a marinade that contains acid (like vinegar, lemon or buttermilk) should be used to marinate the chicken for short periods of time (up to 4 hours).

When marinating chicken in an acidic marinade like the balsamic marinade below, 30 minutes to 4 hours is all the time needed. Any longer and the surface of the chicken starts to “cook” changing the texture of the protein. The best way to describe it is mushy and unpleasant .

A simple brine can also be used when preparing the chicken for the grill. A wet brine plumps up the chicken and keeps it juicy. However, the chicken breast will get plum because of water absorption which can dilute the flavor. A dry brine can be applied to the chicken breast surface. It will help with the retention of the chicken natural juices without plumping the breast meat. If using a dry brine, allow the chicken to sit in the refrigerator uncover.

Grilling the Chicken

Here are the most important steps to follow when grilling chicken.

• Clean and oil the grill grates: Skinless and boneless chicken breasts are lean. Oiling the grates prevents the chicken from sticking to the grill.
• Heat the grill: For best results, heat the grill to medium-high heat about 375 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (190 to 230°C). High heat (450 to 500 degrees F) is a bit too hot and may dry up the chicken. A lower temperature won’t brown the chicken leaving it pale and unappealing.
• Grill the chicken briefly and test for doneness: Chicken breast cooks quickly on the grill especially when pounded thin. A few minutes per side over direct heat is all that is needed. If you try to flip the chicken but it’s stuck, don’t force it. Give it a bit of extra time (30 seconds to a minute). The chicken will release when it’s ready!
  If the chicken browns too quickly but stills raw in the center, finish the cooking over indirect heat with the lid closed. To check if the chicken is cooked through, use an instant read thermometer. If the chicken is too thin, the thermometer may not be reliable. In that case, test by sight or by making a small cut in the thickest part of the breast.
• Rest the chicken: After removing the chicken from the grill, allow it to rest for 3 to 5 minutes before serving it or slicing it.

Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe Ingredients

• Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Lemon Juice
• Olive Oil
• Garlic Cloves
• Fresh Rosemary
• Fresh Basil
• Salt and Black Pepper

How Long To Marinate The Chicken

Marinade the chicken for at least 30 minutes to allow the seasonings to flavor the meat. If your marinade contains acid like the recipe below, marinate for up to 4 hours.. After 4 hours, the chicken may start getting mushy.

How Long To Grill Chicken Breasts

Boneless chicken breast cooks very quickly and may take as little as 3-4 minutes per side. Exact times will vary depending on the type of chicken (organic vs non-organic), its thickness and the grill’s heat.

Can I Make This Recipe With Chicken Thighs

Absolutely! You can make this recipe with boneless chicken thighs. Chicken thighs take a little longer to cook than chicken breasts. Cook the boneless thighs for 6 to 8 minutes per side (exact times may vary depending on size and the heat of the grill).

Pro Tip

Remove the chicken from the grill when the internal temperature reaches 155 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit and allow the carryover cooking (resting period) to bring the internal temperature to 165 degrees Fahrenheit before consuming.

What is carryover cooking? Carryover cooking means that the heat continues to rise after removing the chicken from the heat source. When grilling,  the temperature of the surface of the chicken will be higher than the interior. When the cooking is done, you should always rest the chicken before serving it. During this resting period, the internal temperature will increase by about 5 to 10 degrees due to carry over cooking.

Storing and Freezing

Grilled chicken breast can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Don’t freeze raw chicken in the marinade. The acid will change the texture of the chicken turning it mushy.

You can freeze the grilled chicken breast in an airtight container before slicing it. It will keep frozen for about 2 months.

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This Grilled Chicken post and recipe first appeared on Lemon Blossoms in March 2017 and has been updated with new photos and video.