Grilled Italian Chicken Breasts
Easy grilled Italian chicken breasts are a juicy and flavorful recipe that's great for meal prep, and goes well with almost any side dish! Kid-friendly and family-friendly, you'll find yourself making this recipe all year long.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 large lemon plus extra optional lemon wedges for serving, 1 large lemon is about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon basil dried
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the chicken breast by cutting each piece in half horizontally to create 4 thinner cutlets that are all about the same thickness. This can help for the chicken to cook more evenly and more quickly.
- In a large shallow dish or gallon size zip-top bag add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
- Add the chicken breast to the marinate, mixing to make sure they are evenly covered. Seal the bag or cover the container. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the chicken marinade.
- Lightly oil the grates to prevent sticking. Preheat either an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing the excess marinade to drip off. Discard the remaining marinade.
- Place the chicken on the grill or grill pan. Cook for about 4-5 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes, then serve with more lemon squeezed over top and enjoy!
Notes
If you don't have fresh garlic cloves you can also use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or two teaspoons of jarred minced garlic. I honestly use whichever I have on hand and it's always delicious.
You can marinate the chicken longer as long as it is kept covered in the refrigerator. Two hours gives a lot of flavor to the chicken and is my sweet spot, but chicken can be placed in the marinade easily up to 24 hours in advance.
I don't recommend leaving the chicken in the marinade for more than 48 hours as it will change the texture in a not so great way. After 48 hours the acid in the marinade will start to break down the chicken and cause the texture to break down and feel a little mealy.
If you choose not to slice the chicken breasts into thinner pieces, it will take them longer to cook. Full pieces of chicken breast can cook in about 10-15 minutes but check with a meat thermometer to make sure the center of the chicken is 165 degrees.
Chicken can also be cooked in an oiled pan on the stovetop. Expect it will take 4-5 minutes per side just like on the grill if cooked over medium high heat.
Note nutrition information was calculated using about half the listed oil and is an estimate. Using a marinade for meats is a lean way to cook, but not all of the marinade is consumed.
Nutrition
Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 423mg | Potassium: 471mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg