Best Grilled Chicken Breasts

Grilled Chicken Breast is a summer favorite thanks to its juicy texture, bold flavor, and versatility for any meal. With a simple marinade and quick grilling, this recipe makes tender chicken every time.

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How to Make Grilled Chicken That’s Never Dry

Wondering what the secret is to locking in moisture and taste? The best grilled chicken recipes begin with a great grilled chicken breast marinade—like this zesty blend of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, and herbs. It not only tenderizes the chicken but also infuses it with bold, delicious flavor.

Follow my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how long to grill chicken breast for juicy, perfectly cooked results every time.

Ingredients Notes

• Skinless boneless chicken breasts: Pre-portioned chicken cutlets make prep quick and even cooking easier. If using large frozen breasts, butterfly or pound them to uniform thickness.
• Fresh lemon juice
• Canola oil: Canola oil works well, but feel free to substitute with olive oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil.
• Honey: Adds sweetness to balance the tangy lemon and mustard. Maple syrup could be a substitute in a pinch.
• Dijon mustard
• Smoked paprika
• Dried thyme: Dried herbs are pantry-friendly, but you can use 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme if preferred.
• Salt
• Black pepper

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Grilled Chicken Breast

1. Marinate the Chicken: In a bowl, whisk together lemon juice, canola oil, honey, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. Place the chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag, pour in the marinade, seal tightly, and refrigerate for 1–2 hours.
2. Preheat the Grill: Heat your outdoor grill to 400°F (medium-high heat). Lightly oil the grill grates if needed to prevent sticking.
3. Grill the Chicken: Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Place the cutlets on the hot grill, close the lid, and cook for 6–8 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
4. Rest and Serve: Transfer the grilled chicken to a clean plate, loosely tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve. Enjoy!

Tips for the Best Grilled Chicken Breast

• Pound to Even Thickness: For even cooking, gently pound thicker parts of the chicken with a meat mallet or rolling pin so all cutlets are the same thickness. This helps prevent dry or undercooked spots.
• Use a Meat Thermometer: For perfectly cooked chicken, check that the internal temp reaches 165°F at the thickest part. I love this instant-read thermometer.
• Let It Rest: After grilling, let the chicken rest at room temperature for 5 minutes to lock in juices and keep it tender.
• Clean and Oil the Grill: Prevent sticking and get better grill marks by starting with clean, well-oiled grates.
• Don’t Over-Marinate: Thin boneless skinless chicken breasts only need 1–2 hours in the marinade. Longer cooking can make them mushy.

How to Store Grilled Chicken Breast

• In The Refrigerator: Store any leftover grilled chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s great for quick meals, sandwiches, or salads.
• In The Freezer: For longer storage, wrap individual portions in plastic wrap or foil, then place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Reheat: Warm gently in the microwave in 30-second bursts or in a skillet over low heat. To keep it from drying out, add a splash of broth or water while reheating.

More Grilled Recipes to Try

• Grilled Chicken Wings
• Campfire Potatoes
• Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Ginger Teriyaki Sauce
• Campfire Nachos
• Grilled Pineapple
• Grilled Corn on the Cob

If you’ve tried this  Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below. 

5 from 3 votes

Best Grilled Chicken Breast (Flavorful Boneless Chicken Breasts!)

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves — 4

This easy grilled chicken breast recipe features a zesty marinade, ensuring juicy and flavorful results—perfect for any meal.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 22 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

• ▢ 4 boneless-skinless chicken breast thin cutlets (approximately 1 ½ – 2 pounds total weight) (I used Perdue brand pre-packaged cutlets)
• ▢ ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
• ▢ ⅓ cup canola oil
• ▢ ¼ cup honey
• ▢ 3 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

 

• In a large, heavy duty, zip top bag place the boneless-skinless chicken breast cutlets. Set aside.
  4 boneless-skinless chicken breast thin cutlets
• In a mixing bowl add the fresh lemon juice, canola oil, honey, dijon mustard, smoked paprika, dried thyme, salt and black pepper. Whisk together until fully combined.
  ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, ⅓ cup canola oil, 3 tablespoon dijon mustard, ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ cup honey
• Pour the marinade over the chicken that is inside the zip top bag. Seal the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, and place the bag onto a plate and inside the refrigerator to marinate for 1-2 hours.
• Preheat outdoor gas grill to 400* F. Place the marinated chicken breasts on the grill, close the lid, and cook for 6-8 minutes.
• Flip the chicken over and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes or until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165* F.
• Remove the grilled chicken to a plate and turn off your grill according to factory instructions.
• Allow the grilled chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Jenn’s Notes

Tips:

• When I use the packages of pre-portioned chicken breast cutlets it makes preparing this recipe very quick and easy. You can also buy your chicken in those large frozen bulk bags as well. Be mindful that sometimes those cutlets tend to be on the large size so you can carefully butterfly them, or pound them out to make them a more uniform thickness. This will allow them to cook at the same rate.
• This marinade can easily be doubled, or cut in half, depending on the amount of chicken you will be grilling.
• This is a great universal marinade that will yield moist and tender grilled chicken.
• If you want to use the thicker chicken breast, or even bon-in chicken breasts you can leave the chicken in the marinade for up to 8 hours. The thinner cutlets do not need to marinate that long of a time. You will want to note that your grilling time will be longer if you are using the thicker, on bone-in, pieces of chicken breasts.
• You can substitute olive oil, vegetable oil or avocado oil for the canola oil in this recipe. 
• I used dried thyme leaves for this marinade because I can keep it in my pantry and whip up this marinade for dinner any time. You can certainly use fresh thyme leaves as well but you may want to increase the amount to 2 teaspoons as fresh herbs are not as strong as the dried ones.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 838mg | Potassium: 484mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 241IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

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