07.12.2015

Grilled Greek Lemon Chicken | Cooking Classy

One of my all time favorite kinds of chicken is marinated Greek chicken. It’s so flavorful and I love that it’s healthy. And when you grill it like so you just add that much more flavor. This recipe is so easy and it’s perfect for a weeknight meal. You end with perfectly tender chicken, a vibrant lemon flavor and perfect pairing of herb flavors to enhance the lemon. Just be sure to preheat your grill so you get a nice sear on the chicken breast and it will also help keep the chicken from drying out. Another thing to prevent dry chicken is always use a instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken breasts, if you get much past 165 degrees you’ll likely end with dry chicken. Chicken breasts are my favorite portion of chicken to cook with but they can be temperamental if not properly cooked or grilled.

This is likely going to be one of those recipes you’ll turn to time and time again. I’m already making them again today for company. The other great thing about this recipe is my kids absolutely loved it! They’ll eat anything I make (sometimes with a little dessert bribery) but getting them to love it can be a different story. I love a recipe like this that my whole family can agree on. And this makes for the perfect summer dinner. It is grilling season after all, so let’s take advantage before the cold weather comes!

Grilled Greek Lemon Chicken

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 (6 oz) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing grill
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Directions

Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound thicker parts of chicken to even thickness. In a small mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary and season with salt and pepper (about 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper).
Place chicken in a gallon size resealable bag, pour in olive oil mixture. Seal bag while pressing air out. Rub marinade over chicken. Transfer to refrigerator and allow to marinate 2 - 5 hours (rotate bag and move chicken around halfway through if possible). Preheat grill over medium-high heat (to about 425 - 450).
Brush grill grates lightly with olive oil. Place chicken on grill, close lid, and grill about 4 minutes per side, or until chicken registers 160 - 165 degrees in center of chicken on an instant read thermometer. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, garnish with fresh parsley then serve immediately.
Recipe source: Cooking Classy