Description
This recipe combines fresh lemon juice, garlic, and herbs with olive oil for a marinade that makes chicken incredibly flavorful and juicy. Ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish, making it perfect for weeknights. Works beautifully on salads, in wraps, or alongside your favorite sides.
Ingredients
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons lemon zest
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme and fresh rosemary
Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper until everything is well combined. Set aside a couple tablespoons of this marinade in a separate container to brush on the chicken while it grills.
2. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or a gallon-sized plastic bag. Pour most of the lemon herb marinade over the chicken, making sure each piece is well coated. Seal the bag or cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Don’t marinate longer than 2 hours.
3. Heat your grill or grill pan to medium heat. Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the chicken from sticking.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess. Discard the used marinade. Place the chicken on the preheated grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Brush with the reserved fresh marinade during the last minute of cooking.
5. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing or serving.
Notes
Fresh lemon juice and zest are key to this recipe. Use a microplane or fine grater for the zest, and make sure to zest before you juice the lemons.
Fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary make a huge difference. If using dried herbs, use about 2 teaspoons total.
Chicken thighs stay juicier than breasts, but either works great. If using breasts, watch the cooking time.
Don’t marinate longer than 2 hours or the chicken will get mushy from the lemon juice.
Save some marinade before it touches raw chicken to use while grilling.
The leftover marinade makes an excellent salad dressing.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Main Dish
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Calories: 226
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 154mg
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 145mg