Grilled Chicken Breast (Easy & Juicy!)

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Some people associate grilled chicken breast recipes with dry chicken compared to dark meats like grilled chicken legs and grilled chicken thighs, but it doesn’t have to be that way! If you make it right, grilled chicken breast can be just as juicy and flavorful. The key is a good marinade and knowing how long to grill chicken breast, so that it’s perfectly tender, not overcooked. I have lots of tips and tricks for you, plus a handy time chart, so you never have to overcook it again!

Why You’ll Love This Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe

Tender, juicy chicken breast
Zesty, tangy, and subtly sweet marinade
Simple ingredients
Fast cook time
Naturally low carb, gluten free & healthy
Best summer chicken recipe for your backyard BBQ

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for grilling chicken breast what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Chicken Breast:

This grilled chicken breast recipe is tried and true for boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can use any size — just use the time chart below. The marinade works for bone-in cuts of chicken too, but the grill time would be different.

Grilled Chicken Breast Marinade:

Olive Oil – This maked up the base of the marinade. I prefer regular rather than extra virgin olive oil, as it has a higher smoke point. Avocado oil or any heat-safe cooking oil would also work.
Lemons – The acid in lemon juice tenderizes the chicken. Since you will need both the juice and zest, you’ll need fresh lemons. Limes would work here as well.
Dijon Mustard – Adds flavor. You can also use yellow or spicy brown mustard if you like.
Honey – Adds subtle sweetness and balances the acidic lemon juice. You can use regular honey or sugar-free honey.
Garlic – I used crush garlic, but you could also use minced garlic. Just make sure to scrape it off before cooking, as it will burn on the grill. You can also substitute 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
Spices – Smoked paprika (or sweet paprika works), onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
Dried Herbs – I used dried thyme leaves and dried oregano, but you can use any dried herbs you have on hand, such as basil or rosemary. Italian seasoning also tastes great in grilled chicken breast marinade! You could try fresh herbs if you want to, but I didn’t because they burn more easily.

How To Grill Chicken Breast

This section shows how to cook chicken breast on the grill, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

Make the marinade. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, honey, crushed garlic, smoked paprika, onion powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, sea salt, and black pepper.
Marinate the chicken. Add chicken breasts to a large zip lock bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken seal, the bag, and move the chicken around to coat well. Refrigerate.

Grill. Clean your grill grates and preheat your grill (or a grill pan) to medium-high heat. Place the chicken breasts on the grill, smooth side down, over direct heat. Grill, flipping once, until cooked through. (See below for grilling times based on the size of your chicken.)
Rest. Transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board, and let it rest before slicing and serving.

How Long To Grill Chicken Breast?

Chicken breast grill time varies depending on their size. For 8-ounce chicken breasts, cook for 6-8 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. If you want them extra juicy, remove from the grill when they are a few degrees lower, and let the internal temp will rise to 165 while resting.

For other sizes, follow my grilled chicken breast time chart, below:

Chicken Size	Ounces	Minutes Per Side
Small	4-5 oz	4-5 minutes
Medium	6-8 oz	6-8 minutes
Large	9-10 oz	10-12 minutes
Extra Large	11-12 oz	12-15 minutes

What Temp To Grill Chicken Breast?

The ideal grill temp for chicken breast is medium-high (approximately 375 to 450 degrees F). This high heat helps to sear the chicken quickly, which helps lock in moisture and avoids drying it out.

Tips For The Best Grilled Chicken Breast

I spent a lot of time testing this grilled chicken breast recipe to make sure it comes out juicy! Follow these tips for great results every time:

Choose uniform-sized pieces. If your chicken breasts are all the same size, they will be easier to grill because they’ll cook at the same rate.
A marinade is key. Since chicken breast is so lean, grilled chicken breast recipes can dry out easily. One of the best ways to prevent this is to use a marinade like this recipe does. Alternatively, you can brine the chicken instead, like I do in my baked chicken breast recipe.
Marinate for the right amount of time. The minimum is 30 minutes, but you get even juicier results if you marinate it for longer. Just don’t go over 24 hours, or the chicken will be mushy.
Preheat the grill. This is important for any cut of chicken to reduce the chance of sticking, but especially important for grilled chicken breast recipes because starting at lower heat means they’ll need to cook for longer and have a higher chance of drying out.
Grill the presentation side first. This would be the smoother side of the chicken breast. The first side tends to get slightly better grill marks.
Don’t move the chicken around. If you want nice grill marks, keeping the chicken in one spot and only moving to flip is the best way to achieve them.
Don’t flip too soon. If the chicken sticks, either the grill isn’t hot enough or the chicken needs to cook for longer before flipping.
Use a meat thermometer. Even with a brine or marinade, the biggest impact for juicy results is how long you grill the chicken breast. You can use my time chart above, but since grills vary, the best way to know it’s perfect is to use a thermometer. You can use a regular instant read thermometer, but my favorite is a probe thermometer because it beeps when your chicken is ready. Cook just until it reaches 165 degrees F, but it turns out even more juicy if you remove from heat when it’s a couple degrees lower, because the internal temperature will rise a few degrees while resting.
Don’t forget to rest. To ensure a juicy grilled chicken breast, resting after removing from heat is important. This lets the juices settle.
Slice against the grain. Just like cutting grilled steak against the grain, this helps to break up the muscle fibers so that the chicken is more tender.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Meal prep: You can make the marinade up to a few days ahead of time, and/or marinate the chicken in the fridge up to 24 hours before cooking. You can also grill chicken breast in advance as a chicken meal prep with healthy side dishes for easy lunches!
Reheat: Chicken breast is easy to dry out when reheating, so be careful not to overheat. My favorite method is to place it in a baking dish with a little broth at the bottom, seal with foil, and heat in the oven at 350 degrees F. (The broth creates steam to keep it juicy.) You can also reheat chicken breast on the grill over indirect heat, or microwave on medium power (cover with a damp paper towel to keep it moist).
Freeze: Place the chicken in a zip lock bag or airtight container, and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Grilled chicken breast plated with green beans.

What To Serve With Grilled Chicken Breast

There are so many ways to use grilled chicken breast recipes! They can be a main dish with a side dish, served over a salad, or even used in recipes that call for cooked chicken. Here are some ideas:

Salads – You can’t go wrong with a grilled chicken salad! You can also use it for a cobb salad or chicken Caesar salad, or make side salads, such as spinach strawberry salad or arugula salad, into a meal. For a cookout-style healthy side, try cauliflower potato salad.
Vegetables – Since you’re already making chicken breast on the grill, you might as well keep the grill going and make some quick grilled asparagus, tender grilled broccoli with crispy edges, or my favorite grilled eggplant. You can also try some air fryer green beans if you want your main dish and side ready at the same time.
Potatoes – Make your potatoes on the grill, or for hands-off options that cook while you’re grilling chicken breast outside, try air fryer baked potatoes or classic roasted potatoes.
Sauces – This chicken is juicy all on its own, but if you want to add some sauce, try barbecue sauce (I like sugar-free BBQ sauce), zesty chimichurri sauce, or even tahini sauce.
Soups & Casseroles – Throw leftover grilled chicken breast into a chicken bacon ranch casserole or buffalo chicken soup.

More Grilled Chicken Recipes

What better way to celebrate summer than to make dinner on the grill? Try these other ways to grill chicken:

Tools For This Recipe

Grill Pan – When I don’t want to use my grill, I use this grill pan to get the same charred affect.
Probe Thermometer – My favorite tool to make sure the chicken is cooked but still juicy. It beeps when it’s ready, so there’s no guesswork.

Grilled Chicken Breast

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5 Comments

claudia
0 August 22, 2023Reply

I usually gravitate to chicken drumsticks when using the grill but I loved how juicy and tender these breasts came out! I had them with a nice crispy Caesar salad for lunch today.
Allie
0 August 22, 2023Reply

Made this for a grillout last weekend with the fam and it was great! We ended up putting some BBQ sauce on it too for the BBQ lovers in the group.
Jane
0 August 22, 2023Reply

I love this recipe! I’m not sure what it is about the mustard, but it just makes the chicken so flavorful!
Glenda
0 August 22, 2023Reply

We loved the zingy kick of mustard on this grilled chicken. It really brightened and complemented the savory herbs. So good!
Rebecca
0 August 22, 2023Reply

I’ve grilled chicken breasts many times but last night I followed your tip to brine the breasts first and the difference in flavor and juiciness was HUGE. I’ll never make grilled chicken any other way from now on. Thank you!