Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken {My Go-To Grilled Chicken Recipe}

This lemon garlic grilled chicken is the best grilled chicken ever! The marinade can be used with chicken breasts, thighs or tenderloins. I’ve been making this chicken for over 15 years for summer BBQs and weeknight dinners.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This has been my “go to” marinade ever since you posted it. Made it again for like the 50th time last nite! Always a hit with everyone i.e. family/company. Leftovers make a wonderful chicken salad. -Annie

Ingredients Notes

• Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. You’ll need 2 to 3 medium lemons for the 1/4 cup lemon juice called for in the recipe.
• Olive oil
• Garlic: The exact amount of garlic can be varied. Use up to two teaspoons finely minced fresh garlic, if desired. You’ll need anywhere from 2 to 5 medium garlic cloves. I often use the frozen cubes of fresh garlic, and it works just as well as fresh garlic.
• Salt: Use 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt.
• Dried oregano: The oregano adds a tasty hint of savory, herbal flavor without overpowering the other ingredients. Dried basil can be subbed for the oregano.
• Chicken: This lemon garlic marinade works well on boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chicken tenderloins, or chicken thighs.

➡️ How long to marinade chicken? Marinade the chicken for at least an hour or up to 12 hours. Marinating for longer than that can affect the texture of the chicken due to the lemon juice in the recipe.

How to Serve This Grilled Chicken

This lemon garlic grilled chicken is perfect for summer grilling and outdoor BBQs. Grill it, slice it up, and serve it with a million different sides, like pasta salad, smashed potatoes, easy focaccia bread, and more.

It is also delicious to throw into any recipe that calls for cooked chicken. Talk about a major flavor boost!

Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken

Yield: 4 Servings

Prep Time: 12 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 12 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

4.89 stars (104 ratings)

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Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (about 2 to 3 medium cloves)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs or tenderloins (see note)

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Instructions 

• In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, oregano and pepper.
• Place chicken in a resealable bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over chicken, tossing to coat the chicken evenly with the marinade.
• Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 12 hours.
• Preheat grill to medium-high (I use a pellet grill set to 375 degrees F.).
• Cook chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side (increase or decrease time for chicken tenders or chicken thighs) until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees at the thickest part of the chicken.
• Tent the chicken with foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Chicken: I like to use thin cut chicken breasts or chicken tenders as they absorb the marinade better than super thick pieces of chicken. If I am using thick chicken breasts, I cut them in half lengthwise to form thinner cutlets before marinading. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can also be used.

Author: Mel

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Method: Grilled

Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 323kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 48g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 145mg, Sodium: 845mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g

Recommended Products

Liquid Measuring Cup

Garlic Press

Citrus Juicer

Recipe Source: adapted from my sis-in-law, Erin W.
Recipe originally posted February 2009; updated August 2019 and May 2026

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