Perfect Grilled Chicken Breast
Juicy, evenly cooked meat with crispy, golden-brown skin. This recipe uses a dry brine and precise temperature targeting so every part of the bird is perfectly done — no dry breast, no undercooked thigh.
Before You Start
- 1Pound your chicken to even thickness before anything else. Uneven chicken means uneven cooking and dry ends.
Ingredients
About 1.5 pounds. Pound to even thickness.
For the marinade.
Brightens and tenderizes.
Fresh garlic.
Classic herb for grilled chicken.
Earthy herb note.
Season generously.
Freshly ground.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Pound the chicken
Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even 3/4-inch thickness with a rolling pin or meat mallet.
Pounding to uneven thickness. The goal is a uniform 3/4-inch slab so it cooks evenly.
Marinate
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Place the chicken in a zip-top bag, pour the marinade over, and seal.
The marinade should coat every piece of chicken, not pool at the bottom of the bag.
Skipping the rest lets all the juices run out. Five minutes of rest makes the difference between dry and juicy.
Preheat the grill
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat, about 400°F to 450°F. Clean and oil the grates thoroughly. Close enough is fine. You're building a foundation, not a museum piece.
If your chicken breasts are wildly different sizes, pound them separately to match. Even cooking is the goal.
Not cleaning and oiling the grates. Sticking chicken tears apart when you try to flip it.
Grill
Remove the chicken from the marinade and let excess drip off. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side, flipping once, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F to 165°F (71°C to 74°C). The chicken should have visible char marks and should release easily from the grates. It's normal to hear sizzling — that's the sound of good browning.
Flipping too often. Let the chicken cook undisturbed for 5-6 minutes to develop good grill marks.
Rest and serve
Tent the chicken with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes. The temperature will rise a few more degrees as it rests. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute. Slice against the grain and serve.
If the chicken is browning too fast but is not cooked through, move it to a cooler part of the grill to finish gently.
Resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat instead of running out onto the cutting board.
How to Know It's Done
- The juices run clear when pierced at the thickest part.
- Internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) for breast meat.
- The meat feels firm to the touch but not hard.
- The chicken should reach 160-165°F at the thickest part. Let it rest for 5 minutes — the carryover heat finishes the job.
Nutritional Profile
Macros listed below scale dynamically based on the serving size selected in the recipe card.
Kitchen Timer
Quick Facts
Need to scale or convert sizes?
This recipe links with our specialized calculators. Use them to calibrate oven dials, adjust brine salinity percentages, or scale baking pans.
Try the Meat Temperature CalculatorTechnique Notes
- For extra flavor, brine the chicken in a 6% salt solution (60g salt per 1 liter water) for 30 minutes before marinating.
- Leftover grilled chicken keeps in the fridge for 4 days. Slice cold over salads or reheat gently in a covered skillet with a splash of water.
- Pound frozen chicken breasts? Place them in a zip-top bag and run under warm water for 2 minutes to soften slightly, then pound.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping the rest before slicing. Cutting into chicken too early lets all the juices run out onto the cutting board.
Troubleshooting FAQ
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Tools For This Recipe
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