Easy Lemon Chicken Marinade

chicken breasts sitting in a lemon and garlic marinade

5 from 6 votes

This lemon marinade for chicken is so easy and perfect for any day. It's packed with so much flavor, and it makes chicken tender, juicy, and moist. It can be used on chicken breasts, thighs, drumsticks, or wings.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Marinating2

Total Time2 25

Course: Main Course, Marinades

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 388kcal

Author: Tania

Equipment

Ingredients

4 medium chicken breasts, pounded evenly to ½ inch thickness (see note)
¼ cup olive oil
Zest of 2 lemons
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (see note)
1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Lemon slices for garnish

Instructions

Make the marinade: In a large resealable plastic bag, whisk the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Add the chicken breasts to the marinade, making sure all the chicken is coated with the marinade evenly to ensure proper flavor. Seal the bag and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours (maximum 3 hours). Important: Don’t let it marinade for longer than about 3 hours, or it could turn out tough and chewy, see note below.
Once it has marinated, let the chicken sit on the counter for 15 minutes so it’s not so cold. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Discard any excess marinade. Grill the chicken breasts 6-8 minutes on each side, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and let chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

I use chicken breasts and boneless chicken thighs interchangeably. You can grill or even pan-sear them until cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees F). Make sure the chicken breasts are pounded to ½ inch thick evenly before adding it to the marinade. This will ensure even cooking.
If using bone-in thighs, drumsticks, or wings: Cook them longer on the grill, preferably covered, so that they get cooked through inside. If cooking them in an indoor grill or skillet, you may have to finish them in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes, or until the thickest part registers 175 to 180 degrees F.
Marinate for 2-3 hours only: Don’t marinate for longer than 3 hours. This marinade uses lemon juice, which often makes chicken tough and rubbery if left for too long.
Italian seasoning substitution: You can also use dried oregano or herbs de provence. If you prefer to use fresh herbs, substitute 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs per every 1 teaspoon of dried herbs - try a blend of rosemary and thyme.

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