Best Grilled Chicken Breast
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This is the BEST grilled chicken breast recipe! The chicken breasts are marinated in an easy to make wet rub using pantry staple spices then grilled until juicy and crazy delicious. With a few tips, learn how to grill chicken breast so it is juicy and delicious every time.
Let's give it up for easy and delicious grilled chicken breast recipes! This one is our all-time favorites and the one we make all summer long. The chicken breasts are flavorful and always juicy.
This recipe is really simple and the perfect recipe to keep in your back pocket for when you need to get dinner on the table quickly or you just don't feel like thinking about what to make for dinner. The answer is always these grilled chicken breasts. After you make them once, you'll make them again and again.
Serve these with some grilled veggies and a big salad for a quick and delicious dinner.
Why you want to make this grilled chicken breast
- This is the juiciest grilled chicken ever. ← truth!
- And tastiest. ← also true!
- The wet spice rub (made with pantry-staple spices that you probably have on hand right now) give it tons of flavor.
- Lean chicken breast is a healthy protein option. Learning how to cook them on the grill so they don't dry out will make your dinners healthier and tastier.
- They are low-carb, gluten-free, paleo, and Whole30 compliant!
Best Grilled Chicken Marinade
To make the tastiest grill chicken breast you need the best grilled chicken marinade. We've tested more chicken marinades than we can count and this is the very best one. It's adapted from the rub used in both the Perfect Baked Chicken Breasts and Juicy Baked Pork Chops recipes.
Since the dry heat of the BBQ can dry out chicken breasts, we've made this a wet marinade. It's more like a paste (as you can see in the picture above) and it coats the chicken in a blanket of spices which help prevent it from becoming dry. It's also amazingly flavorful.
The spices you'll need are:
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Oregano
- Salt
- Pepper
Then you'll mix a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into the spices (which helps to tenderize the meat) and enough olive oil to make a paste. This basic grilled chicken marinade helps to keep the chicken juicy and has so much flavor.
How long should I let my chicken marinade?
As this marinade really coats the chicken, you don't need to let it marinate long. If you're in a rush, coat the chicken in the marinade right before you turn on the BBQ. Even then, with only 10 minutes to soak up the flavor, it is still delicious.
If you have the time, 2-3 hours is ideal. Just don't let the chicken breasts marinate longer than 8 hours as the acid from the vinegar will start to break down the meat.
How to grill chicken breast
If you've ever wondered how to grill the perfect chicken breast, we've got the answer for you. Luckily, it's easy to grill juicy and delicious chicken breast.
- Start with the best grilled chicken marinade. The apple cider vinegar in the marinade will help make the chicken tender while the coating of spices will help prevent it from drying.
- If you have a BBQ Mat, use it. It makes clean up a breeze!
- Use a medium-high heat setting. You want to cook the chicken quickly and get lots of tasty charred bits. To do this, you'll need a hot BBQ.
- Let the chicken breasts rest for 5 minutes after they come off the grill.
How long to grill chicken breast
The ‘trick' to making juicy grilled chicken breasts is to not overcook them. Chicken breast is lean meat and it will dry out and become tough if you leave them on the BBQ for too long.
The best way to tell if your chicken breasts are ready to come off the grill is to use an instant read meat thermometer. Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. We use our meat thermometer to make sure we don't overcook the meat.
Most chicken breasts are perfectly cooked after 18 minutes on the grill at medium-high heat. Smaller ones may need 2 minutes less time and larger ones may need 2 minutes more. It's best to cook the breasts for 9 minutes then flip them over and let them cook for another 7 minutes before testing to see if they are done. This way you won't risk overcooking them.
Is this grilled chicken breast recipe healthy?
It sure is! Chicken breast, which is lean meat, is low in calories and fat and high in protein. This recipe is made without any sugar. Often, grilled chicken recipes will call for sugar in the ingredients. But adding sugar increases the chance of the marinade burning. It's also totally unnecessary to take a healthy cut of meat and add a bunch of unhealthy sugar. Sugar-free is the way to go!
This recipe is also low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and Whole30 compliant.
So yes, it's a very healthy grilled chicken recipe!
Once the weather cools down, make sure to check out our perfect baked chicken breast recipe. It's the oven baked version of this one and a great way to keep enjoying the flavors of this grilled chicken breast all year long.
What to serve with this grilled chicken
We like to serve grilled chicken with a simple salad and some grilled veggies. Here are a few of our favorites:
Side salads
- Best Greek Salad
- Grilled Peach Salad with Curry Pecans
- Bacon Kale Caesar Salad
- Cauliflower Salad with Dreamy Avocado Pesto (it's what you see in the picture below)
Grilled veggies
Grilled potatoes
And of course, make sure to have a Fizzy Lime Margarita in your hand while you're at the BBQ!
Grilled Chicken Recipes
- Grilled Chimichurri Chicken
- Lemongrass Grilled Chicken with Sriracha Mayo
- Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Skewers with Coconut Rice
- Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette
- Smoky Gochujang BBQ Chicken
Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder and garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano, salt, and pepper
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. It will be a thick paste.5 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon onion powder and garlic powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt, and pepper
- Add the boneless chicken breasts to the bowl and mix well so they are completely coated in the marinade. Let them marinate while your BBQ heats up, or up to 8 hours.4 boneless chicken breasts
- Preheat your BBQ to medium-high heat and oil the grates well. (Or use a grill mat for easy cleanup.) Grill the chicken breasts for 9 minutes on each side, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove them from the grill and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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