Grilled lemon herb chicken is quick, easy and full of flavour. This is a delicious, versatile chicken that goes with everything.
This flavorful lemon chicken with fresh herbs is the perfect summer-time dish.
Serve it with a simple Greek Salad or a tasty Elote Salad for a complete and easy meal.
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Chicken breast is probably one of the most frequently cooked meats.
It can be used for many dishes and cooked in many ways. But it can be easy to overcook leaving it flavourless and dry.
This grilled chicken breast with lemon and herbs is full of flavour and stays tender and juicy.
The blend of lemon, shallots, garlic, and herbs gives the chicken enough flavour that it can be eaten on its own with a variety of side dishes; we love it with Buttery Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes or Roasted Dutch Carrots. But the flavours are subtle enough that it can be used to add to salads, sandwiches or wraps.
You can marinade this chicken for as little as an hour or leave it overnight and it cooks in about 20 minutes on the outdoor grill.
Ingredients & Substitutions
The ingredients you will need are:
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Olive oil
- Fresh lemon juice
- Shallots
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh thyme
- Salt & Pepper
Pro Tip – If you can’t find fresh thyme, you can replace it with 2 teaspoons of dried thyme leaves. If you don’t like thyme this recipe works well with fresh rosemary as well.
Step by Step Instructions
Prepare the Chicken Breast
Trim the chicken breast of any visible fat and remove the fillet if the butcher did not do this for you.
Using a rolling pin or meat mallet, gently pound the thick end of the chicken breast so the entire chicken breast is about the same thickness. This will ensure it cooks evenly without drying out.
Season both sides of the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
Pro Tip – Place the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or into a small ziplock bag before pounding to keep things clean.
Making the Lemon Herb Marinade
Add the olive oil and lemon juice to a small bowl or measuring cup.
Finely mince the shallot and garlic and remove the leaves from the stems of the thyme.
Add the shallot, garlic and thyme to the olive oil and lemon juice and stir to combine.
Marinade and Grill the Chicken
Place the chicken in a small baking dish. I use a 7×9, but an 8×8 or 9×9 will work just as well. You want it to be crowded, but not overlapping.
Pour the marinade over the chicken and then turn the chicken a couple of times to make sure it is fully coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Preheat your grill to a medium-high heat.
Remove the chicken from the dish and place on the grill. Cook for 8-10 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F.
Remove from the grill to a plate, cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Because the flavours of this lemon herb chicken are subtle, it goes well with almost any side dish.
We love serving using this chicken for chicken Caesar pasta salad, or in wraps or sandwiches.
It also goes well with almost any vegetable dish such as air fryer zucchini, lemon butter green beans, or corn and black bean salsa.
For something more indulgent and to make the kids happy, it can be served alongside some creamy Mac and cheese.
Top Tips & FAQS
You will want to marinade this chicken for a minimum of one hour. However, you can marinade it up to 24 hours before cooking so long as it is kept covered in the refrigerator.
If you don’t have any shallots you can substitute minced red onion.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Printable Recipe
Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 bonless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ Cup olive oil
- ¼ Cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 4 Cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 small shallot finely minced (¼ cup minced)
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Trim the chicken breast of any visable fat and remove the fillet if the butcher did not already do so.
- Place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap, or into a small ziplock bag. Using a rolling pin or meat mallet, gently pound the thicker end of the chicken so the chicken breast is an even thickness.
- Generously season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then place into a small baking dish. The chicken should be crowded, but not overlapping. I use a 7×9 dish, but 8×8 will work well too.
- Pour the olive oil and lemon juice into a small bowl or measuring cup, then finely mince the shallot and garlic.
- Remove the leaves from the stems of the thyme and add the thyme, shallot and garlic to the olive oil and lemon juice. Stir well.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken. Turn the chicken a few times to make sure it is fully coated then cover the dish and refrigerate a minimum of one hour, or overnight.
- Heat the grill to medium high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill.
- Cook 8-10 minutes then flip and cook an additional 8-10 minutes until internal temperature reads 165°F.
- Remove the chicken to a plate, cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.