You can have perfectly juicy, tender grilled chicken if you follow our simple recipe. With a few tricks, you can make the best rotisserie chicken at home! Our method works for any cut of chicken, but is especially useful for grilled chicken breasts.
watch the video
Related: We love this whole fried chicken.
How to grill chicken
Say goodbye to tasteless, dry chicken and hello to delicious, succulent, juicy chicken. It’s easy to do at home.
Here’s what we think is the best way to grill chicken:
Pound the chicken into a thick layer — This is especially relevant when cooking chicken breasts. I’m sure you’ve noticed that chicken breasts are thicker on one end than the other. By pounding the thicker end to a similar thickness as the thinner end with a mallet or rolling pin, you will ensure the chicken cooks evenly. If you have boned breasts or thighs, you can skip this step.
Marinate — You don’t need a long marinating time for the best grilled chicken. Twenty minutes is long enough to get the job done. If you have more time, do it. You can marinate chicken up to a day in advance.
Use two grill zones — This is a great tip for grilling almost anything! Increase the heat in one zone of your grill and keep the other zone low. The hotter zone is perfect for a nice sear and grill marks, while the cooler zone is perfect for finishing the cooking process so the chicken stays nice and juicy.
Let the chicken rest — There’s some disagreement as to why it’s a good idea to let meat rest after cooking, but here’s the thing: Give the chicken a few minutes before slicing. During this time, the cooking process is complete and all the juice inside will either spread out or fall onto your plate. If you have juices on your plate, save them! They make the best sauce. You can also spread some of our homemade BBQ sauce on the chicken (so delicious!).
To prepare chicken breasts in a skillet: If you prefer to cook your chicken indoors on the stove, check out our succulent roast chicken!
Our method works for any cut of chicken, but is especially useful for grilled chicken breasts. If you are interested, we also have a recipe for grilled chicken wings.
Note: If your grill isn’t clean or you’re worried the chicken will stick to the rack, you can always place a cast iron skillet directly on the rack and cook the chicken in it. The method is the same, but instead of using two temperature zones, heat the grill to medium and monitor the internal temperature.
Which chicken parts can I grill?
This method works for all chicken cuts. You can use boneless or boneless chicken, as well as skinless or skinless chicken. Leaving the bone in and the skin on maximizes flavor and succulence. For bone-in chicken pieces, you do not need to mash the chicken.
Our favorite chicken marinade
As I mentioned above, you can use any marinade you love. Here’s our favorite marinade for grilling chicken. It’s light, flavorful and delicious.
It’s based on this marinade recipe, but we add honey. We add the honey because we love how it caramelizes on the grill grate. You can only marinate the chicken for 20 minutes! It’s so fragrant. Our easy (and healthy) chicken marinade is made with a flavorful combination of lemon, garlic, red pepper flakes and mustard. This might be one of the best marinades ever.
We love this flavor combination so much we used it to make Baked Chicken Breasts and our incredible Lemon Chicken Thighs.
What to serve with grilled chicken
We hope that you will try this juicy grilled chicken soon. If so, try one of these side dishes as a side dish:
Make tips in advance
- Make the marinade a day ahead, then add the chicken and marinate.
- Marinate the chicken up to a day in advance.
- Grilled chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Grilled chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Easier Chicken Recipes
The best juicy grilled chicken
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PREPARATION
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You can have perfectly juicy, tender grilled chicken if you follow our simple recipe. With a few tricks, you can make the best rotisserie chicken at home! Our method works for any cut of chicken, but is especially useful for grilled chicken breasts.
Serves 6 (about 6 ounces each)
Watch as we prepare the recipe
you will need
2 to 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs, Use skinless or skinless chicken
Zest of 1 lemon, peeled or finely grated
3 garlic cloves, crushed or chopped with the side of a large knife
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 to 2 lemons
2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you like it
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
fresh herbs and lemon wedges, optional, for serving
directions
- prepare chicken
1Make the marinade. Whisk together lemon juice, oil, maple syrup (or honey), mustard, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper until salt is dissolved. Stir in the garlic and lemon zest. Cover and refrigerate. Consume within a day.
2If you are grilling chicken breasts, mash them first. Place the chicken in a large zippered bag, then pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even thickness, between 1/2 and 3/4 inch. Depending on how many breasts you have, you may need to do this in multiple batches.
3To marinate the chicken, place the marinade and chicken in a resealable, food-safe bag or container and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 day. We recommend marinating the chicken no more than a day in advance, as the lemon in the marinade can cause the chicken to become tougher.
- Grill chicken
1When you’re ready to grill the chicken, take it out of the fridge and then prep your grill. Clean the grates, then heat the grill so that one side is on high heat (for direct grilling) and the other side is on low heat (for indirect grilling).
2Carefully brush the grates with highly heated oil (I use avocado oil). Be careful when doing this as the oil may fall into the flame and flare up.
3Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any garlic and lemon zest. Place the chicken face down on the hottest side of the grill. With the lid open, let the chicken cook until the underside shows grill marks (it’s okay to lift a piece of chicken to check); 3 to 5 minutes.
4Gently pick up each chicken piece, gently moving it from side to side if it’s stuck in a few spots, then place it back on the cooler side of the grill, grill marks facing up.
5Close the grill lid and cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit, 5 to 10 minutes. Alternatively, if you’re concerned that the chicken is overcooking, remove it when the thermometer reads between 155°F and 160°F, then cover with foil. After a few minutes, the chicken will be fully cooked and will reach 165°F.
6Let the cooked chicken rest on a plate, loosely covered with foil, for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into thick slices. Reserve any juice that remains on the cutting board and plate, then pour over the sliced chicken. Serve with lemon wedges and fresh herbs sprinkled on top.
Adam and Joanne’s tips
- Nutritional Information: The nutritional information below is an estimate. We used the USDA database to calculate approximate values. We assumed 2 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
If you make this recipe, take a picture and tag it with the hashtag #inspiredtaste – we love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
Nutritional value per serving
serving size
about 6 ounces of chicken
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calories
286
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total fat
9.7g
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Saturated Fatty Acids
1.6g
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cholesterol
137.9 mg
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sodium
150.6 mg
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carbohydrate
4.2g
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fiber
0.2g
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total sugar
3.2g
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protein
42.7g