This Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken is easily made with just a few simple ingredients for a delicious, healthy meal! Packed with so much flavor thanks to tangy lemon juice, tons of garlic, and fresh thyme!
This lemon herb grilled chicken is a recipe that has been on rotation in our home for over 10 years and I’ll tell you why. Simple, fresh ingredients that make the most flavorful chicken! This lemon herb marinade is absolutely delicious made with a mixture of olive oil, tangy lemon juice, tons of garlic along with fresh herbs! This lemon herb marinade also makes a great salad dressing as well!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Super flavorful, versatile and easy to throw together.
- Only 5 simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!
- This marinade also tastes great on steak, fish or shrimp and works as a salad dressing.
- Great for weekly meal prep served over rice, with roasted veggies or on a salad.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This easy lemon herb chicken requires just a few simple ingredients that you probably already have at home in your pantry or fridge! Here’s what you’ll need:
- chicken – this recipe calls for 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs (bone-in works too), but you could also use boneless skinless chicken breasts or even chicken wings as well.
- olive oil – this helps infuse the flavors into the chicken and prevents it from sticking to the grill. I like to use a good olive oil that doesn’t have to be expensive, just make sure it’s cold-pressed and organic for the most flavor.
- lemon juice – this adds such a bright, fresh taste and you’ll need about 2 lemons. Feel free to add in a little lemon zest too if you want even more lemon flavor!
- garlic – you can use fresh chopped garlic or minced garlic from the jar.
- fresh herbs – fresh thyme and rosemary really add such a fresh taste to the chicken marinade, but you could use dried thyme, dried rosemary or even dried oregano as well.
- salt + pepper – needed to season the chicken and add flavor.
How to Make Lemon Herb Chicken
- Make the marinade. In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, fresh herbs, salt and pepper until all combined.
- Prepare chicken. Place chicken in a shallow dish or a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag and pour most of the lemon herb sauce over the chicken (I always suggest reserving a little bit of the sauce to brush on the chicken later while grilling!)
- Marinate! Place chicken in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 2 hours (lemon is very acidic and will start to breakdown the chicken’s texture so you don’t want to marinate this too long). When ready to grill, remove chicken from the dish or bag, shake off any excess and discard leftover marinade.
- Grill and serve. Heat a grill or grill pan on medium heat and brush grill with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Grill the chicken 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through and no longer pink. Cooked chicken should have an internal temp of 165 degrees using a digital thermometer. Remove chicken from grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 2 hours as the acidity from the lemon juice will breakdown the chicken’s exterior texture resulting in mushy, tough chicken so make sure you don’t exceed 2 hours.
- Make sure to add a little oil to the grill or grill pan so that the chicken doesn’t stick.
- If you don’t want to grill the chicken, you can bake it in the oven at 400 degrees F for 22 to 28 minutes, or until chicken is completely cooked through.
- Chicken should have an internal temp of 165 degrees using a digital thermometer to ensure that it’s cooked through, but not dry.
- Reserve a little bit of marinade (before it touches the chicken) to brush on it while the chicken is grilling for even more flavor.
- This lemon herb marinade would taste amazing as a salad dressing as well!
How to Serve
- Main protein – this chicken makes a delicious meal served with a side of veggies and rice. Some sides that pair perfectly with this chicken include baked asparagus, sautéed vegetables, healthy broccoli salad or even these easy mashed potatoes.
- On a salad – slice up the chicken and add it your favorite salad. I highly recommend this healthy caesar salad, this wild rice chicken salad, or mixing in with this strawberry balsamic salad.
- In a wrap or sandwich – add this chicken to a sandwich or wrap along with some greens and fresh veggies for the perfect healthy lunch!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work great in this lemon herb chicken recipe. Since chicken breasts are typically thicker and leaner than thighs, you may need to adjust the grilling time depending on their size. For even cooking, pound thicker chicken breasts to an even thickness before adding them to the marinade.
For the best flavor, marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. I wouldn’t recommend marinating it overnight because the acidity from the fresh lemon juice can start to break down the chicken and affect the texture.
Absolutely! If you don’t have access to a grill, you can bake the marinated chicken in a 400°F oven until it is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. The exact cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of your chicken.
Fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, parsley, oregano and basil all pair really well with lemon chicken. This recipe uses fresh thyme for a bright, savory flavor, but you can easily switch up the herbs based on what you have on hand.
The most reliable way to tell when grilled chicken is done is to use an instant-read meat thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the chicken; it should reach an internal temperature of 165°F before serving. This helps ensure the chicken is safely cooked without overcooking it.
More Chicken Recipes
- Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
- Maple Balsamic Herb Chicken
- Easy Baked Chicken Tenders
- Greek Chicken Kabobs
- Chili Lime Grilled Chicken
- Turmeric Ginger Grilled Chicken
Want to make it a complete sheet pan meal? Try my Sheet Pan Lemon Herb Chicken and Potatoes for any easy all-in-one dinner with juicy chicken and tender roasted potatoes!
Hope you all enjoy this Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken and if you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme and fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
To Make the Marinade:
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, fresh herbs, salt and pepper until all combined.
Prepare the Chicken:
- Place chicken in a shallow dish or a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag and pour most of the lemon herb sauce over the chicken (I always suggest reserving a little bit of the sauce to brush on the chicken later while grilling!)
- Place chicken in the fridge and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 2 hours (lemon is very acidic and will start to breakdown the chicken’s texture so you don’t want to marinate this too long). When ready to grill, remove chicken from the dish or bag, shake off any excess and discard leftover marinade.
- Heat a grill or grill pan on medium heat and brush grill with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Grill the chicken 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through and no longer pink (cooked chicken should have an internal temp of 165 degrees). Remove chicken from grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- To Prep: The chicken can be marinated up to 8 hours in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator until ready to grill.
- To Store: Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- To Freeze: Let the chicken cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To Reheat: Reheat gently in the microwave, in a skillet over medium-low heat, or in the oven until warmed through. Avoid overheating so the chicken stays juicy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I started eating clean last week and will definitely try this! I love lemon on chicken and fish so I’m sure I’ll be making this one a lot. Thanks!
XO Alex
I’m a vegetarian and your post looks so yummy! I’m so looking forward to you posting more recipes
This looks delish! I have been experimenting with different ways to flavor the chicken that I add to my strawberry and baby spinach salads, because the plain ol’ chicken I’ve been using is getting boring. Do you think those flavors would pair well together?
Oh I definitely think it would! Strawberry pairs really well with savory herbs so it’s definitely worth a try! 🙂
I can see why you eat this every week…it looks so appetizing! Now, it’s going to be on my make-weekly-list! Pinning and sharing!
Oh Kelly. This looks absolutely mouthwatering! I can’t wait to try it.
This looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing. I’ve pinned it and will add it to our meal plan for next week!
This looks so scrumptious, Kelly! I love how easy, light and summery it is, too. Thanks for sharing!
looks fabulous! will be pinning this recipe and making it this week 🙂
thank you!!!
Mmmm…this chicken dish sounds wonderful!
Kelly… This looks awesome. I wish I had your camera skills. I’m glad you are back! New site looks great!