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best grilled chicken breasts with perfect grill marks, cooked until golden and tender

Best Grilled Chicken Breast (No-Fail & Juicy Every Time)

The best grilled chicken breast recipe for juicy, tender results using simple, everyday ingredients.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinade Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb chicken breast any amount will do, double or triple batch with excellent results
Marinade
  • 1/2 cup cup olive oil (depending on how many chicken breasts)1 tsp salt1 tsp Italian seasoning2 tsp minced garlicZest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp italian seasoning
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • zest from one lemon NO JUICE!

Method
 

  1. Make the marinadeWhisk together the olive oil, salt, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, and lemon zest in a bowl.
  2. Prepare the chicken. Place chicken breasts in a zip-top bag and pound two at a time until evenly thick, about ½ inch. Uniform thickness matters more than exact thickness. Thickness may adjust cooking time.
  3. Marinate. Add the pounded chicken breasts to the marinade and toss until fully coated. It’s okay if there isn’t much extra liquid. Marinate in the fridge for 3 hours to overnight.
  4. Preheat grill to middle–high heat grilling heat. Nice and hot.
    Remove chicken from the fridge while the grill heats so the olive oil can liquify again.
  5. Grill. Place chicken on the grill, close the lid, and do not touch for 2 minutes. Check for release — if it lifts easily, flip and close. If it sticks, close the lid and cook another ~45 seconds, then try again.
  6. Finish cooking. Grill the second side for 1–2 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.Remove from the grill once the chicken releases easily and has good grill marks.

Notes

  • These chicken breasts are never dry — juicy, moist, and flavourful without tasting “marinated.”
  • If grilling in cold weather (hello, Canada), cooking may take 1–2 minutes longer, especially in temperatures around -20°C.
  • Trust grill release and internal temperature more than timing alone.

    Tips

    • This recipe is perfect for batch cooking.
    • Freeze cooked chicken breasts spread out on a parchment-lined pan.
    • Once frozen, store together in a bag and grab individual pieces as needed.
    • Reheats without that reheated-chicken taste.