Description
This Best Grilled Chicken Breast recipe features flavorful boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets marinated in a zesty blend of lemon juice, honey, dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and thyme. Perfectly grilled to juicy tenderness, this quick and easy dinner is ideal for a healthy and delicious meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless-skinless chicken breast thin cutlets (approximately 1 ½ – 2 pounds total weight)
Marinade
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Place the boneless-skinless chicken breast cutlets into a large, heavy duty, zip top bag and set aside.
- Make Marinade: In a mixing bowl, whisk together fresh lemon juice, canola oil, honey, dijon mustard, smoked paprika, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper until fully combined.
- Marinate: Pour the marinade over the chicken inside the zip top bag. Seal the bag, squeeze out as much air as possible, place it onto a plate, and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.
- Preheat Grill: Preheat an outdoor gas grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grill Chicken: Place marinated chicken breasts on the grill, close the lid, and cook for 8 minutes without moving them.
- Flip and Continue Cooking: Flip the chicken breasts over and cook for an additional 8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the chicken is cooked through.
- Rest Chicken: Remove the grilled chicken to a plate and turn off the grill according to the manufacturer's instructions. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving to retain juiciness.
Notes
- Using pre-portioned chicken breast cutlets speeds up preparation and ensures even cooking.
- You can butterfly or pound larger chicken cutlets for uniform thickness and cooking.
- The marinade quantity can be doubled or halved based on the amount of chicken being cooked.
- For thicker or bone-in chicken breasts, marinate up to 8 hours, and expect longer grilling times.
- Canola oil can be substituted with olive oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil for different flavor profiles.
- Dried thyme works well for convenience, but fresh thyme can be used by increasing the amount to 2 teaspoons for equivalent flavor.
- Allowing the chicken to rest after grilling keeps it moist and tender.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast cutlet
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
