Grilled Lemon Chicken
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
25 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
420 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Grilled Lemon Chicken
Description
Grilled Lemon Chicken combines boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a citrus and herb marinade that includes fresh lemon juice, garlic, honey, and coarse mustard. The marinade penetrates the chicken after piercing it with a fork, ensuring flavor throughout. Cooking the chicken on a high-heat grill provides distinct grill marks and enhances the savory-sweet balance of the marinade.
The chicken achieves a perfect texture when removed from heat as soon as the center is cooked through, maintaining juiciness and avoiding dryness. Garnishing with fresh lemon zest and chopped basil or parsley adds a fresh aroma and a subtle herbal note to the finished dish.
This grilled chicken pairs well with light salads, roasted vegetables, or grains, making it suitable for a straightforward dinner or outdoor meal. It works well served immediately while warm and freshly basted. The reserved marinade used during grilling helps retain moisture and flavor on the surface.
Marinating the chicken for 30 minutes to one hour is sufficient to impart flavor without overpowering the meat. Using fresh lemon juice and garlic contributes to the bright taste essential to this recipe. Avoid overcooking by watching grill times carefully based on chicken thickness.
Ingredients
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness and towel dried
- ⅓ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic minced, large cloves
- 1 honey heaping tablespoon, pure
- 1 mustard with whole seeds, stone ground/coarse, heaping tablespoon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- lemon zest of 1 large
- ½ cup basil or parsley, freshly chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the marinade: In a bowl, combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine well. Reserve about 1/4 cup for later basting. Using a fork, pierce towel-dried chicken all over. Place chicken in the bowl of marinade and toss to combine well. Let sit in marinade 30 min to 1 hour.
- Grill: While chicken is marinading, grease and heat grill on high. Place chicken on the grill (discard used marinade.) Cook and baste with reserved 1/4 cup of marinade, about 4 min per side, depending on the thickness of chicken. Don't over cook; remove from heat as soon as nice grill marks are achieved and center is no longer pink.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle with lemon zest and basil or parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for 30 to 60 minutes to allow flavors to infuse without softening the meat excessively.
- Reserve some marinade for basting during grilling to enhance moisture and flavor.
- Monitor grill time closely to prevent overcooking and maintain tender, juicy chicken.
- Use fresh lemon zest and herbs for garnish to add brightness just before serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 420 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 420kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 72.3g | 24% |
| Protein | 6.9g | 14% |
| Fat | 14.8g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 2.2g | 11% |
| Cholesterol | 20.7mg | 7% |
| Sodium | 326.7mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 0.7g | 3% |
| Sugar | 70.1g | 140% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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