If you are a fan of meal prepping chicken for the week, or are just looking for a simple, yet delicious grilled chicken recipe to top your favorite salads with, these grilled honey lemon garlic chicken breasts are a must try! With plenty of fresh garlic, and bright citrus notes, this chicken pairs well with just about anything. The best part is that there is no long marinating time required!
These grilled chicken breasts are the perfect topper for fresh salads like this steakhouse wedge salad, or avocado panzanella salad, too! If you prep this chicken in bulk, you can use it in your favorite pasta recipes throughout the week, like this tomato basil pasta, or creamy no-vodka pasta or serve with homemade mashed potato rolls!
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👩🏽🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Simple pantry ingredients: You do not need any fancy ingredients to bring this marinade together. All you need is a quick dive into your fridge and pantry - it doesn't get easier! If you are a fan of simple marinades, you'll want to give my pork souvlaki recipe a try, too.
- No marinating time needed: While this flavors in this chicken will always get better as it sits in the marinade, you can also grill it up right away. This makes for an easy meal prep idea, or quick and ready to eat grilled chicken in a pinch.
- Versatile cooking methods: You can make this chicken on the barbecue, on a grill pan, or even in the air fryer or on the stove. The options are endless, and this recipe works to adapt to the tools that you have on hand.
🥘 Ingredient notes
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets: Chicken breast cutlets are essentially whole chicken breasts that have been sliced in half horizontally. Chicken cutlets cook quicker as they are much thinner. You can usually find chicken cutlets sold as is in your grocery store. If you can not find chicken cutlets, you can easily butterfly chicken breasts that you already have on hand.
- Fresh garlic: I highly recommend using fresh garlic instead of pre-minced or garlic paste. This marinade is heavily garlic-based so you definitely want the sharpness and punch that fresh garlic brings in flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil: The oil not only helps to keep all of the ingredients emulsified together, but also adds a delicious fruity flavor that you usually expect from Mediterranean flavors. You can use whatever olive oil you have on hand at home - no need to buy anything special!
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖 Substitutions
- Chicken breast cutlets: You can use full-sized chicken breasts in place of chicken cutlets. Alternatively, you can use chicken thighs that are either boneless and skinless, or bone-in skin-on thighs if you have them on hand.
- Dijon mustard: Grainy mustard is an easy substitute for dijon mustard. You can also use mustard powder if you do not have any prepared mustard on hand. I would avoid using traditional yellow mustard for this marinade.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Avocado oil is a good substitute for olive oil.
- Honey: If you prefer, brown sugar or agave work in place of honey.
🔪 Variations
- Spicy: Add calabrian chillies, cayenne pepper, or just a touch of red chilli flakes to the marinade for a spicy twist.
- Herbaceous: Add your favorite fresh herbs to the mix, like fresh rosemary, basil, parsley, or even cilantro.
- Balsamic: Add a touch of balsamic vinegar into the marinade, for an extra depth of flavor.
⏲️ Step-by-step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
- Collecting all your ingredients: This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Add all the marinade ingredients to a small blender container. Top with the lid, and give the ingredients a shake so that all the ingredients will reach the blender blade. [photo 1]
Blend the marinade ingredients on HI, until the garlic is completely minced down and the marinade has formed a thick, creamy consistency. [photo 2]
Pour the marinade of chicken breast cutlets in a large bowl, and toss to ensure all of the cutlets are covered with the marinade. The chicken can be cooked immediately, or left to marinate for up to 24 hours. [photo 3]
When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat a cast iron grill pan, or cast iron skillet if pan-searing, over medium heat. Spray the grill pan liberally with avocado or vegetable oil spray. Grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the chicken has reached 165°F internally. [photo 4]
💭 Expert Tips
- Do not use high heat: Cast iron grill pans or skillets are know for retaining heat, so medium heat is just fine. If you use overly high heat, the grill pan may start to smoke up.
- Remove excess marinade before cooking: To prevent burning and extra smoke, drip off the excess marinade off of the chicken before grilling.
- Allow the chicken to rest: Once the chicken is cooked through, tent with foil for 5-10 minutes. This will guarantee juicy chicken, and the foil keeps everything warm!
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
The marinade for this chicken can be prepared days in advance, and stored in covered in the fridge. When you are ready to use, just pour over your chicken, and cook.
The chicken can sit in the marinade for up to 24 hours. Ensure that you store the chicken covered in a container or a bowl, in the fridge until you are ready to grill.
Leftover cooked chicken can be stored in the fridge for approximately 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the air fryer, oven, or in a skillet. To prevent the chicken from drying out, reheat loosely covered in foil.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
While fresh lemon juice is generally best for the freshest flavor, you can use bottled lemon juice if that's what you have on hand. Be sure to adjust the amount of bottled juice you use, as it may have a different intensity.
Ensure the grill pan, or grill grates if using a gas or charcoal grill, are well-oiled before placing the chicken. Also keep in mind that if you try to flip the chicken before it is ready, you may find the chicken is sticking to the grill. Give the chicken some to properly sear, and it should flip with no issues.
Yes, you can freeze the grilled chicken breasts for longer storage. Use freezer-safe bags or containers, and remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. This will give you the longest freezer-time.
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Grilled Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken Breasts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken breast cutlets - or 4 chicken breasts, halved into 8 cutlets
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 2 Lemons - juiced
- ⅓ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 2 teaspoon Sea salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Add all the marinade ingredients to a small blender container. Top with the lid, and give the ingredients a shake so that all the ingredients will reach the blender blade.6 cloves Garlic, 2 Lemons, ⅓ cup Extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon Honey, 2 teaspoon Sea salt, 1 teaspoon Black pepper, ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon Dried oregano, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Blend the marinade ingredients on HI, until the garlic is completely minced down and the marinade has formed a thick, creamy consistency.
- Pour the marinade of chicken breast cutlets in a large bowl, and toss to ensure all of the cutlets are covered with the marinade. The chicken can be cooked immediately, or left to marinate for up to 24 hours.8 Chicken breast cutlets
- When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat a cast iron grill pan, or cast iron skillet if pan-searing, over medium heat. Spray the grill pan liberally with avocado or vegetable oil spray. Grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the chicken has reached 165°F internally.
- Remove the cooked chicken from the grill, and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
✱Recipe Notes
- Do not use high heat: Cast iron grill pans or skillets are know for retaining heat, so medium heat is just fine. If you use overly high heat, the grill pan may start to smoke up.
- Remove excess marinade before cooking: To prevent burning and extra smoke, drip off the excess marinade off of the chicken before grilling.
- Allow the chicken to rest: Once the chicken is cooked through, tent with foil for 5-10 minutes. This will guarantee juicy chicken, and the foil keeps everything warm!
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