Juiciest Grilled Chicken Breast With Citrus Marinade
4.4
(21)
This easy grilled chicken recipe is a fast track to weeknight dinner, with a built-in marinade that’s made entirely with inexpensive ingredients you may already have in your pantry. It also adjusts to your schedule and equipment setup: The marinated chicken can rest for 30 minutes or up to several hours before cooking, and is equally delicious if fired on a gas or charcoal grill or even cooked in a grill pan on the stovetop.
About that marinade: The punchy mix of shallots, garlic, sherry vinegar, and citrus takes skinless, boneless chicken breasts—an infamously bland cut when treated poorly—to a better plane, imbuing the meat with bright flavor and ensuring it’s juicy all the way through. A pinch of sugar encourages defined grill marks and crispy edges. Make sure to portion off a bit of the marinade before adding the chicken—you’ll use it to sauce the meat once it’s off the grill.
Cook the chicken for 5–7 minutes per side (the internal temperature should reach 160°F) before removing from the heat, where the chicken temperature will continue to rise. Then, slice the charred and juicy chicken against the grain to pile on to salads or grain bowls, stuff into tacos and sandwiches, or eat alongside any of your favorite grilled side dishes.
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes, plus marinating
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk 2 large shallots, finely chopped, 4 garlic cloves, finely grated, ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. sugar, and ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper in a medium bowl to combine. Set ⅓ cup marinade aside.
Step 2
Arrange 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1½ lb.) in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour remaining marinade over chicken and turn to coat. Cover dish and chill, turning chicken halfway through, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
Step 3
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; oil grate. Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip back into dish; discard marinade in dish. Grill chicken, turning halfway through, until cooked through and blackened grill marks appear, 10–14 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5–10 minutes before slicing.
Step 4
Serve chicken with reserved marinade spooned over.
Editor’s note: Head this way for more of our best chicken breast recipes →
Recipe notes
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