Description
Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken Marinade transforms plain chicken into restaurant-quality meals right in your own backyard. This simple blend of fresh lemon, aromatic herbs, and savory garlic works magic on chicken breasts, thighs, or drumsticks.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Juice and zest of 1 large lemon (about 3 tbsp juice)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
Instructions
1. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk everything together until well blended.
2. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels before marinating. If your chicken breasts are particularly thick (more than 1 inch), consider butterflying them or pounding to even thickness for consistent cooking.
3. Place chicken in a gallon-sized zip-top bag or shallow dish. Pour marinade over chicken, turning pieces to coat all sides evenly. Seal the bag, pressing out excess air, or cover the dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, though 6-8 hours (or overnight) develops even better flavor.
4. Remove chicken from marinade 20 minutes before cooking to take the chill off. Discard used marinade. Grill over medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Alternatively, bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or air fry at 380°F for 12-15 minutes.
5. Let cooked chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing. This allows juices to redistribute throughout the meat instead of running out when you cut into it.
Notes
Fresh lemon makes all the difference. One large lemon usually yields about 3 tablespoons of juice plus plenty of zest.
Fresh herbs taste amazing if you have them. Use about three times the amount of dried herbs listed.
Double or triple the marinade recipe and freeze extras in ice cube trays for quick weeknight meals.
Marinate for minimum 2 hours for decent flavor, but 6-8 hours gives best results. Don’t exceed 24 hours or the lemon’s acid will make chicken mushy.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 340mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 26g
- Cholesterol: 95mg