This easy grilled dinner only requires chicken breasts, a few pantry ingredients, and a grill. The recipe works any night of the week and is perfect for those backyard BBQ parties.

Prep Time	Marinade Time/Cook Time	Servings	Prep Level
10 minutes	4 hours/6-8 minutes	4	Beginner +

What You’ll Love

The chicken can be grilled, baked, or cooked on the stovetop.
You can marinate it a day in advance, even while the breasts are thawing out (if frozen).

Sliced grilled chicken breast garnished with chopped herbs, placed on a wooden board. A lemon wedge is visible in the corner, adding a fresh look to the dish. The chicken is sliced and seasoned and cooked to a golden brown.

Ingredients

Chicken breast – I like to pound the chicken breasts so they will cook more evenly and retain their juice. It only takes a minute but it makes all the difference.
Pantry seasonings – I use minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, and oregano, but you can also use what you have on hand in the pantry.
Lemon zest – lemon zest gives the recipe a zippy, fresh flavor without adding any extra liquid like lemon juice would.

Raw chicken breasts on a square white plate, surrounded by lemon, garlic, and bowls containing various herbs and spices, salt, pepper, and olive oil on a wooden surface.

Two raw chicken breasts, flattened and covered with plastic wrap, lie on a green cutting board. A meat mallet with a black handle rests nearby on a dark wooden surface.

Gather your ingredients and trim the extra fat off the chicken breasts. Set the chicken on a plastic cutting board and cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken breasts until they are all approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick. You want the thickness to be uniform across all chicken breasts.

Raw chicken breasts marinating in a clear ziplock bag, placed on a wooden surface. The marinade has herbs and spices.

Add the olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper, and lemon zest to a gallon-size Ziplock bag and mix the ingredients. Place the chicken breasts into the Ziplock bag and rub the marinade over all parts of the breast. Refrigerate for four hours.

After four hours, preheat the grill to high. Once fully heated, grab a silicone brush and brush olive oil on the grates. Be careful of any flare-ups.

Two pieces of seasoned raw chicken breast placed on a grill grate. The chicken is marinated with herbs and spices, and the background shows the dark grill bars.

Two pieces of seasoned chicken breast with clear grill marks are being cooked on a grill. The chicken is lightly charred and has a sprinkling of herbs for seasoning.

Place the chicken breasts on the grill and close the cover. Cook for 3 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Do not overcook.

Remove the chicken from the grill, place it on a plate, and allow it to rest for five minutes before cutting and serving! Feel free to sprinkle fresh minced parsley over the chicken and serve with extra wedges of lemon.

Oven And Stovetop Directions

For the oven, follow the same prepping instructions. Set your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray it with olive oil or nonstick spray. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees with a meat thermometer.

For the stovetop, follow the same steps for prepping. Preheat a skillet on medium-high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the chicken on each side for 5-6 minutes each, or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.

If you want a chicken dish to bake in the oven, try tender baked chicken coated in mayo, ranch mix, and parmesan cheese.

What To Serve With Grilled Chicken

Easy creamy potato salad from Inspired Taste
Grilled pineapple
Fritos corn salad goes along great with any grilled meal
Classic Southern macaroni salad with creamy dressing and crunchy veggies is the perfect addition to a picnic.

Grilled chicken breasts sliced and garnished with chopped parsley and lemon wedges on a wooden serving board. A small bowl of fresh parsley and lemon slices are in the background. Brown cloth napkins accent the setting.

Grilled Chicken Breasts With Pantry Ingredients

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Juicy grilled chicken breasts made easy with simple pantry seasonings for a quick, flavorful meal any night of the week.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Marinate 4

Total Time 4 18

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine American

Servings

Ingredients

1.5-1.75 pounds of boneless and skinless chicken breasts
5 Tablespoons olive oil plus extra for oiling grill grates
4 cloves minced garlic bottled or fresh
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
½ teaspoon of dried rosemary
½ teaspoon of dried oregano
1 ¼ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons of lemon zest

Instructions

Trim the extra fat off the chicken breasts. Set the chicken on a plastic cutting board and cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap.
Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken breasts until they are approximately ½ – ¾ inch thick all over. You want the thickness to be uniform across all chicken breasts.
Add the olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper and lemon zest to a gallon-size Ziplock bag and mix the ingredients together.
Place the chicken breasts into the Ziplock bag and rub the marinade over all parts of the breast. Refrigerate for four hours. (If you don’t have time, you can skip the marinating, and you’ll still have amazing chicken breasts.)
Preheat the grill to high. Once fully heated, Grab a silicone brush and brush olive oil on the grates. Be careful of any flare ups.
Place the chicken breasts on the grill and close the cover.
Cook for 3 minutes on one side then flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Do not overcook.
Remove the chicken and place it on a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving! Feel free to sprinkle fresh minced parsley over the chicken and serve with extra wedges of lemon.