Why Are Grilled Chicken Breasts Usually Dry
You probably know that chicken breasts are very lean. Since theres not much fat in them, its hard to keep them juicy on the grill. But, its possible! Read on to find out how to make perfect grilled chicken breasts that are juicy, tender, and full of flavor every single time.
Another reason that chicken breasts can be dry is due to the fact that they are not usually an even thickness. This means that the thinnest part tends to dry out before the thickest part is cooked all the way through. There is only one way to fix this and it involves a tiny bit of work, but not hard work. Dont worry!
What If Im Short On Time
If you can only marinate the chicken for 30 minutes, then marinate at room temperature to expedite the marinating process, however, dont marinate longer than 30 minutes at room temperature otherwise dangerous bacteria can grow and lead to foodborne illnesses. Brushing the reserved marinade on the cooked chicken will also help amplify the flavor if youre short on time.
Pineapple Coconut Hawaiian Chicken Skewers
One bite of these Pineapple Coconut Hawaiian Chicken Skewers, and youll be doing the hula dance! The Hawaiian coconut and pineapple marinade infuses the chicken with tropical flavour as well as tenderising. Skewering not mandatory!
Ingredients: Canned pineapple, coconut milk, sugar, ketchup, lime, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, cumin, paprika, ginger powder, cayenne
Ideal for: Skinless boneless chicken thighs are my first preference, followed by chicken breast.
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How Long Can Chicken Marinate For
Most recipes tend to get better the longer you marinate, but this grilled chicken marinade is an exception. Ive tried all different kinds of marinating times and around 4-6 hours yields the best end product.
Honestly though, even 30 minutes of marinating will give you deliciously flavored chicken! I dont recommend marinating for more than 6 hours because the acid begins to cook the chicken.
How To Freeze Marinated Chicken

Freezing marinated chicken is one of our secret meal-prep tips! Simply place your chicken in a large, gallon-size bag and then add the marinade. Remove as much air as possible and then seal the bag shut. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
PS: there is no need to let your chicken marinate for the full 24 hours before freezing. It will marinate as it freezes and as it thaws!
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How To Marinate Grilled Chicken
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When youre grilling chicken, the key to creating a delicious dish is using a good marinade. A marinade helps to tenderize the meat and gives it lots of flavors. In this blog post, well show you how to make a simple marinade for grilled chicken. Well also provide some tips on how to cook the chicken perfectly every time. So, whether youre a beginner or an experienced grill master, read on for some helpful advice!
What Ingredients Are Needed For Marinated Grilled Chicken
A chicken marinade isnt just made willy nilly. Every ingredient has a purpose and plays a role in making a juicy and bold bite. See the recipe card below for the measurements. These are the ingredients you will need:
- Chicken Breasts
- Dean Jacobs 4 Spice Variety Pack Tuscany Blend
The honey and brown sugar give sweetness and a crusty outer layer when grilled. The soy sauce provides a salty depth of flavor, and the lemon, mustard and garlic lock in that bold flavor you want in a marinade. Dean Jacobs spice pack is the icing on the cake!
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Lemon Rosemary Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs
by Chef Michael | Published Mar 5, 2019 | Last updated Nov 2, 2021 |
CategoryPrep TimeCook TimeTotal TimeYields
Serving Size 1 chicken thigh
Servings 7
- Calcium 9%
- Iron 2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Directions
Place all ingredients except chicken in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Place chicken thighs in a large ziplock bag and pour marinade over. Be sure chicken is thoroughly coated before sealing bag. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours but no more than 12 before grilling.
Preheat grill to medium heat .
Remove chicken thighs from marinade and allow to drain. Place thighs on preheated grill and cook for 6-8 minutes before turning. Chicken thighs will be ready when an internal thermometer reads 170f.
Ingredients
Why Is This The Best Grilled Chicken Recipe
- This recipe is quick and easy.
- This recipe is made with the best chicken marinade! You will agree when you try it!.
- This recipe makes juicy chicken that tastes amazing.
- This recipe is made with simple ingredients you most likely already have at home.
- Grilling chicken provides a versatile low carb protein that can be served in many different ways. Sliced with a side dish or as a topping for salads. You can use it to make quesadillas, burritos or sandwiches also.
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Barbecue Grilled Chicken Marinade
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Need a fast and easy Barbecue Grilled Chicken Marinade that uses ingredients that you have in your cupboard? Look no further, this is the chicken marinade for you! It uses the convenience of bottled BBQ sauce that is then amped up with simple ingredients that you already have at home to make one delicious dinner! This is for those of you that love barbecue sauce chicken but are looking to spice it up!
S To Making The Best Dang Grilled Chicken Breast:
The marinated chicken after marinating for 2 days . Word.
Cast iron grill pan, baby.
For smaller meals this is THE way to go. I wouldnt even try to grill my shish kabobs on this bad boy because there are just too many, but just grilling chicken breasts on this, my kitchen rockstars, totally just rocks.
I sliced them up for photographic purposes because they just look so dang purdy, huh? Having guests? Slice em up, throw some freshly chopped parsley on top and become the kitchen gangsta of your inner circle. The chopped parsley is totally optional but it totally makes it look restaurant-y for your guests. It just adds that special touch that always seems to be missing on a good ol chicken breast. )
And seriously, do you see the inside of this grilled chicken breast? Not one dry shred of meat in there. Its so juicy you will need some napkins for this chicken.
Its legendary.
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The #1 Bbq Chicken Marinade
This easy and deliciously savory BBQ chicken marinade is our go-to! We try to keep these 7 ingredients on hand at all times, so were ready to marinade BBQ chicken to perfection at a moments notice!
BBQ chicken is delicious grilled, baked, or pan seared. We love serving it next to steamed broccoli, roasted potatoes, or grilled Brussels sprouts.
How To Grill Chicken Breasts:

1. Preheat the grill on high for 10-15 minutes, then use your grill brush to scrape any previous remnants off your grates.
2. the fully thawed chicken breasts. A clean and easy way to marinate the chicken is to place it in a large plastic zip top bag, add your marinade and make sure your entire chicken breast is covered. In this particular instance, I used olive oil and added a few fresh basil leaves.
3. Here’s how long to grill chicken on a gas grill. Once you have preheated your grill for 10-15 minutes, prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat at 425-450°F and get your iGrill probes inserted into the chicken.
4. Place marinated chicken breasts on grill over direct medium heat.
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What You Need For This Bbq Chicken Marinade
All you need is 7 ingredients for this perfect BBQ chicken marinade. Youll need to round up:
- BBQ sauce: Any kind will do! Grab your favorite BBQ sauce or whatever you have on hand in the fridge.
- Olive oil: The perfect amount of olive oil will help keep this chicken moist and delicious during the marinating and cooking process.
- Smoked paprika: Smoked paprika gives this marinade a delicious smokey flavor.
- Chili powder: Give your BBQ marinade a little savory kick!
- Garlic cloves: Dont skimp on the garlic, friends! We keep a tube of minced garlic in the fridge at all times.
- Salt and pepper: So simple, but adds such great flavor!
Ways To Jazz Up Your Grilled Chicken:
- Add an easy fruit or vegetablesalsa. This mango salsa is my personal favorite.
- Serve it on a salad. Chop the chicken and add it to some greens. Dress it with the cilantro-ranch dressing from this BBQ Chicken Salad recipe. Yum!
- Add it to a burritobowl. Serve it on top of rice or quinoa, add in some roasted vegetables, and drizzle on your favorite sauce .
- Sprinkle on freshherbs. Add some fresh cilantro, parsley, green onions or basil after grilling.
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Quick Tips For Grilling Chicken Breasts:
How long do I grill chicken breast?
Grill chicken breasts for around 9 to 10 minutes total, flipping halfway through.
How long do you grill chicken on each side?
Grill chicken breasts around 5 minutes on each side.
Whats the perfect grilled chicken temp?
Internal temperature of chicken breasts should be 165°F.
How hot should your grill be for chicken?
Heat your grill to between 425 and 450°F for chicken breasts.
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Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs Pro
- Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs Rastellis chicken thighs come nicely trimmed, but if your chicken thighs have excess fat on them you may want to trim it. This will help the chicken to cook evenly and for the chicken not to shrivel up as it cooks.
- the longer you let the chicken sit in the solution, the more flavor it will impart onto the meat. At a minimum, marinate the chicken for 30 minutes 2 hours. For optimal flavor, marinate for 12 24 hours.
- Scrape the grill grates before heating up the grill removing any old burnt food bits from the grill before preheating protects the flavor of the chicken and keeps any burnt food chunks from sticking to the chicken.
- Drain/discard the marinade the solution imparts plenty of flavor into the chicken so we wont need to reuse it in the recipe. If youd like, you can pour the marinade over the chicken as it cooks, but you can also just discard it after adding the chicken to the grill.
- Rest the chicken before serving this allows the chicken juices to redistribute in the meat, making it more tender and succulent. Let the chicken rest at room temperature for at least 5 minutes. If you are concerned about keeping the chicken hot, you can tent the chicken with foil or cover it with a bowl or plate while it rests.
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What To Serve With Grilled Chicken
Grilled chicken is a healthy, delicious main course to serve by itselfbut there are tons of ways to dress it up, too. You can put grilled chicken in just about anything: sliced on top of salads, stuffed into sandwiches, shredded for chicken soups or skewered on a kabob. Or top the dish off with a heaping pile of grilled veggies and youve got yourself dinner!
Fast & Easy Grilled Chicken Marinade
This was thrown together because I didnt quite have enough BBQ sauce to cover 4 chicken breasts and the subsequent basting while barbecuing. I emptied my bottle of basic chicken & ribs BBQ sauce and proceeded to make a marinade with the scant amount that I had left. This is actually far nicer than using just a BBQ sauce and to be honest, BBQ sauce has been my least favourite thing to use on meat when grilling it. Until now, that is. By turning some ready-made sauce into a marinade with some other ingredients its literally the best of both worlds. You thin out what I consider to be too much flavour and thickness with bottled BBQ sauces and instead reap the benefits of the flavour while turning it into something you can marinate your chicken in for the day.
Another tip? in the marinade like shown in the photo below to really get the flavour into the meat and skin.
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Ways To Cook Bbq Chicken
- Oven: Follow our easy baked chicken tutorial for directions on how to bake the most perfect marinated chicken!
- Slow Cooker: Easily whip up our Crock Pot BBQ pulled chicken recipe for the most tender BBQ shredded chicken recipe!
- Sous Vide: Want super tender chicken? Use your sous vide to get perfect marinated chicken every time.
Grilled Chicken Breast: The Solution

One method is to marinate chicken cutlets, or chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness, and quickly grill them on high heat. We use this method for our cilantro lime chicken and it works fine.
Another way, which doesnt require you to change the shape of the chicken breasts, is to brine the chicken first.
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A Few Marinating Tips
Grilled Chicken Thighs Faq
How long does it take to grill chicken thighs on a gas grill?
Cook bone-in skin-on chicken thighs over indirect heat at 425F for 45 minutes. If your chicken thighs are small start checking for doneness at 35 minutes.
What is the best way to grill chicken thighs?
The best way to grill chicken thighs is over indirect heat.
How do you grill chicken without drying it out?
Grilling dark meat like chicken thighs with bones and skin intact is your best option for tender juicy chicken. Chicken breasts are much more likely to dry out on the grill.
This is one of those chicken recipes where you spend 5 minutes of hands-on time and then let your gas or charcoal grill do the work. With indirect heat, you set it and forget it. Let it cook while you relax with a cool, refreshing beverage and maybe some great conversation.
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How To Make Chicken Marinade
This easy marinade comes together in just minutes!
How Long To Marinate Chicken
- Typically, I find that marinating chicken between 5 to 6 hours is ideal for both texture and taste.
- I dont recommend keeping chicken in a marinade with citrus juice or vinegar for more than 6 hours, as its texture declines from there. After 12 hours, the meat may even start to break down.
- Chicken can rest in a buttermilk/yogurt marinade for up to 24 hours. So, this is the best choice for those who want an overnight chicken marinade.
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We Are Shooting To Pull The Marinated Chicken Breasts Off Of Our Grill At A Temp Of 155 To 160 Degrees
After removing chicken breast from the grill, place on a plate and tent with tinfoil for an additional 5 minutes. This should bring the chicken up to a safe 165 degree internal temperature.
When you know how to grill marinated chicken breast correctly I am sure you will do it all the time. We do around here. It also keeps from complaining that the wife keeps buying boneless skinless chicken.
The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe
When we were newly married, we lived near Dean’s brother, his wife, and two kids. We were living in an apartment, going to college full-time, and working crazy hours to pay the bills. We were poor little college students and would love when Deron and Sarah would invite us over for dinner. Their go-to meal was grilled chicken in a delish marinade. They knew how much we loved it so we ate it almost every time we had dinner at their home.
So I had to ask her what was in this amazing chicken marinade recipe. It is beyond simple! I decided to tweak it and add a few more flavors to make it extra tangy and zesty.
This Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe is made with extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper.You have such a variety of seasonings in this marinade.
The extra virgin olive oil keeps the chicken extra moist and juicy. The fresh lemon juice and balsamic vinegar break down the fibers in the chicken to make it tender. The soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce give it a salty depth of flavor. The brown sugar adds some rich sweetness and gives the chicken a nice crust when grilled. All of the ingredients work together in such harmony to make the perfect chicken marinade!
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