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This easy Grilled Lemon Chicken is 4 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and makes a great lunch, dinner, and meal prep option. The simple marinade ensures flavor in every bite, and there are stove-top and oven instructions if you don’t feel like grilling.
Chicken breasts are a great source of protein, but it’s easy to overdo it and slump into food boredom. Sometimes a fresh, new recipe is all it takes, and this 4-ingredient Grilled Lemon Chicken might just be it.
The marinade itself can be customized based on your personal preferences or what’s on hand, and you can even cook the chicken on the stove or in the oven. Use this recipe as a point of inspiration and change it as often as necessary.
Add grilled chicken to meal prep containers, work lunches, and your weekly dinner rotation. It’s flavorful enough to enjoy as-is, or use it in a host of recipes that call for “cooked chicken.”
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a cinch to cook on the grill. If your chicken breast seems especially large, you can butterfly the chicken breast into 2 pieces so it cooks faster. Or substitute chicken thighs.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme leaves. Place the chicken in a large freezer-safe plastic bag. Pour in marinade, squeeze out air and seal the bag. Mash until chicken is evenly coated. Place the plastic bag in a dish and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat grill over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Oil grates. Place chicken over direct heat on the grill, close the cover, and grill 5 minutes on each side, turning once. Transfer chicken to indirect heat and continue to cook until tender and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the largest chicken breast reaches 165 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Grill some lemon slices at the same time if you want to use them for garnish.
- Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Slice or chop if desired or serve the breasts whole.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Grilled Lemon Chicken recipe makes about 24 ounces of cooked chicken, enough for 4 servings, 6 ounces each.
- Storage: Store leftover chicken covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It’s delicious on a salad, tossed in a grain bowl, or shredded for homemade Chicken Salad.
- Make ahead: To get a head start, marinate the chicken the night before you want to grill it.
- To bake the chicken: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking dish with oil or nonstick spray and arrange chicken in a single layer. Cover with parchment paper, tucking the paper around the chicken so it is completely covered. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees when tested with an internal thermometer. Remove to a platter and tent with foil for 5 minutes.
- To sauté the chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken in a single layer and cook until browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip chicken, reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on an internal thermometer, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Make a marinade: Tweak the marinade with fresh garlic cloves, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, mustard, honey, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and fresh herbs like rosemary or basil.
- Chinese Chicken Salad: Instead of using the “kitchen sink” approach, this crunchy, colorful Chinese Chicken Salad has a carefully-curated selection of vegetables and salad ingredients like napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, green onions, cilantro, and chow mein noodles. It’s so great with the grilled lemon chicken!
- Mango Chicken Bowl: This delicious lunch or light dinner salad is filled with grilled lemon chicken, white rice, butter lettuce, avocado, and sweet slices of mango, all drizzled in a spicy habañero vinaigrette. It’s perfect for meal prepping, too.
- Thai Chicken Salad: This colorful salad is loaded with fresh herbs and vegetables, grilled lemon chicken, and a pantry-friendly peanut dressing. It’s a great recipe to add to your meal rotation if you’re looking for nutrient-dense, unprocessed meals.
- Thai Peanut Chicken and Noodles: This is 30-minute recreation of one of my favorite Thai takeout recipes. Leftover grilled lemon chicken or rotisserie chicken, pasta, and pantry staples make team up for this easy dinner idea that comes together quicker than delivery can arrive at your door.
- Rainbow Thai Salad with Mango: Grilled Lemon Chicken is a natural addition to this salad made with kale, carrots, and sweet slices of mango.
Frequently Asked Questions
Adding lemon juice to a chicken marinade infuses the meat with flavor while tenderizing the protein fibers. This leads to a tender, juicy piece of chicken breast.
For best results, marinade chicken breasts for at least 30 minutes. Or, marinate them covered in the refrigerator overnight.
Favorite sides for grilled chicken
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Grilled Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil plus more for oiling the grill
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ¼ tsp dried thyme
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (see note 1)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme leaves. Place the chicken in a large freezer-safe plastic bag. Pour in marinade, squeeze out air and close the bag. Mash until chicken is evenly coated. Place the plastic bag in a dish and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat grill over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Oil grates. Place chicken over direct heat on the grill, close the cover, and grill 5 minutes on each side, turning once.
- Transfer chicken to indirect heat and continue to cook until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the largest chicken breast reaches 165 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Slice or chop if desired.
Notes
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a cinch to cook on the grill. If your chicken breast seems especially large, you can butterfly the chicken breast into 2 pieces so it cooks faster. Or substitute chicken thighs.
- Yield: This Grilled Lemon Chicken recipe makes about 24 ounces of cooked chicken, enough for 4 servings, 6 ounces each.
- Storage: Store leftover chicken covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It’s delicious on a salad, tossed in a grain bowl, or shredded for homemade Chicken Salad.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.