20-Minute Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken
Sometimes a chicken breast can be a bit boring, but I think it's best when it's done properly. You can't overcook it. This is what I do.
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It's really simple. It's lemon, garlic, and then fresh herbs from my garden, whatever I have around, like some dill, parsley, anything. And then you grill them really quickly and let them sit so they stay really nice and juicy.
Five simple dinners. One grocery list.
No recipe hunting, no messy shopping notes, no complicated chef projects. Just family dinners that fit real weeks.
And then I also usually bash the thicker part of the chicken a little so everything cooks evenly.
Honestly, I know everyone has had a dry chicken breast, and no one wants that. Overcooked and not cooked in the middle is not good at all. Get the grill really nice and hot, give that chicken a good sear, and resist the urge to keep turning it.
It needs a few minutes on each side.
And then I like to serve this normally with some crispy potato wedges. I've done the air fryer, a big green salad, and then lots of crunchy fresh vegetables I have in the fridge, like carrots, maybe cabbage, anything fresh. And I get them, I slice them nice and thin.
Carrots, radishes, it all goes in there with lots of feta.
I always keep a homemade yogurty garlic dressing in the fridge, and I drizzle it over just before serving. This is one of my really easy go-to chicken breast dinners that's really fresh and comes together really quickly.


Ingredients
Method
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Mix oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Coat chicken with marinade in a resealable bag or shallow dish; seal or cover and marinate at least 15 minutes.
- Remove chicken from marinade; grill 6-7 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
- Transfer to a plate; rest a few minutes before slicing.
- Garnish with optional lemon slices and herbs; serve hot.
Notes
5-Ingredient Teriyaki Grilled Chicken
Teriyaki grilled chicken gets really nice when you marinate it for about 2 hours. It's what I make when I feel like an Asian meal but don't really want to spend ages cooking, like making the broth and getting the right ingredients, etc. I'll serve it with ramen noodles or fluffy jasmine rice for family, but if I'm skipping the carbs, I have mine with the crunchy Asian salad instead.
One tip I can add is to add the teriyaki sauce toward the end of cooking because the sugar can catch and burn on a hot grill. Also, give the chicken a few minutes to rest before starting so it stays super juicy.
The name of the dish comes from the Japanese word teri, meaning shine, and yaki, meaning grilling, which makes perfect sense when you see that glossy sauce coating. I like to sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds over at the end, and you've got to serve this with lots of cilantro.

Ingredients
Method
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Mix soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl.
- Coat chicken with marinade in a resealable bag or shallow dish; seal or cover and marinate at least 15 minutes, up to 2 hours.
- Remove chicken from marinade; place on hot grill.
- Grill 6-7 minutes per side until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
- Rest a few minutes before slicing.
- Serve hot with optional sesame seeds and green onions.
Notes
Grilled BBQ Ranch Chicken Tenders
Everyone eats these, so it's a really easy meal that I make when I need something fast and don't want a pile of dishes afterward. I toss the chicken with ranch seasoning, grill it, and brush it with barbecue sauce right to the end so it gets sticky and charred.
A tip is: don't overcrowd the grill; give each tender some space so it actually grills rather than steams.
I'll usually serve these with a big salad, some grilled corn, and baby potatoes.
Chicken tenders are actually the small strips of meat found underneath the breasts, so they're naturally tender and cook really quickly, making this a foolproof dinner every single time.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Mix BBQ sauce and ranch in a small bowl.
- Brush chicken with oil; sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Grill 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through and marked.
- Brush with sauce during last minute.
- Remove; brush again with sauce.
- Serve hot with optional extra ranch or BBQ sauce.
Notes
Cheesy Grilled Chicken Quesadillas
Sunday night dinner is always a bit of a free-for-all at my house, so these are perfect when nobody really knows what they're doing for dinner. I usually take whatever chicken and cheese I have in the fridge, tuck it into tortillas, and grill the quesadillas until they crisp on the outside and the cheese melts.
Don't overfill these, or they're impossible to flip, and everything will fall out. I also like to cook them over medium heat and blast them on high, so they get golden while the cheese has time to melt.
These are actually traditionally made with cheese folded into a tortilla, but they are regional variations across makes and occur with different fillings and cooking methods.


Ingredients
Method
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Brush chicken with oil; sprinkle with taco seasoning.
- Grill 6-7 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C); rest a few minutes.
- Slice into thin strips or bite-size pieces.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium; add a tortilla and 1/2 cup cheese evenly.
- Add chicken and cilantro.
- Top with another 1/2 cup cheese and second tortilla.
- Cook 2-3 minutes per side until cheese melts and tortillas are golden and crisp.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
- Cut into wedges; serve hot with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.
Notes
Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken Skewers
Next time you're in the store and find yourself reaching for those chicken strips already pre-made, marinated, and packaged, stop yourself, because this recipe is so easy to make at home.
I make these honey mustard dressings myself instead of buying the pre-made versions, because I like knowing exactly what's going on today. The store-bought ones often have hidden preservatives, extra sugars, and additives I prefer to avoid.
But don't be like me; you can skip soaking the wooden skewers if you don't want to, so they don't turn to wood. Make sure to brush a little extra honey mustard on the skewer right after grilling for a glossy finish.
And then I serve these with a delicious salad. These skewers are almost always a part of a barbecue that we have.


Ingredients
Method
- Soak wooden skewers in water at least 15 minutes to prevent burning.
- Mix honey, mustard, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Coat chicken with marinade in a resealable bag or shallow dish; seal or cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Thread chicken onto skewers, leaving small spaces between pieces.
- Grill 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, until fully cooked and marked.
- Serve hot, brushing with optional additional honey mustard sauce.
Notes
Citrus Garlic Grilled Chicken
This was kind of an experiment that went well. I didn't have enough lemon; I had a very small one, and then I had tons of oranges. My intention was to make a lemony kind of chicken breast situation, but I was pleasantly surprised by how this one came out.
What I did was mix garlic, citrus juice, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and chili in a bowl, and then I just let the chicken pieces sit in that to get them nicely coated for about 30 minutes. This also goes really well with a little bit of honey.

Ingredients
Method
- Mix lemon juice and zest, orange juice and zest, garlic, oil, parsley, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Coat chicken with marinade in a resealable bag or shallow dish; seal or cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Remove chicken from marinade; place on hot grill.
- Grill 6-7 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C) and center is no longer pink.
- Transfer to a plate; rest a few minutes before slicing.
- Garnish with optional lemon zest and parsley; serve hot.
Notes
15-Minute Pesto Grilled Chicken
I probably make this minute pesto grilled chicken at least once a week, no word of a lie. I have tons of basil growing in the garden, and it gets to a point where I need to do something with that basil before it starts going bad, so I either make a huge batch of basil pesto and freeze it, or I try to use that basil in meals during the week.
This is delicious with mozzarella as well, if you want to then make a pocket in there and just stuff some mozzarella in and serve with some roasted cherry tomatoes, you've got like a caprese thing going on. This is a really fresh, summery meal that I like to make.

Ingredients
Method
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Mix pesto and oil in a small bowl.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper; brush generously with pesto mixture.
- Place on hot grill.
- Grill 6-7 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C) and center is no longer pink.
- Rest a few minutes before slicing.
- Serve hot with lemon wedges.
Notes
Maple Dijon Grilled Chicken
This one's quite happy to use as a marinade for chicken. It's really easy to make, and I guarantee you have these ingredients in your pantry right now. The combination of Dijon mustard and maple gives the chicken that sweet, tangy, slightly sticky coating that works really well on the grill.
This is my husband's go-to chicken dish, and we've also learned not to put the grill on full blast because the maple does caramelize really quickly and burns before the chicken is cooked through. At least my husband learned some of that, because I sent that chicken back. It needs to be on medium-high heat and then gives you that char-edged situation.
I like to serve it and have it at a barbecue when the boys are all eating meat. I'll just do a quick, sneaky maple-Dijon grilled chicken wrap, and I'm very happy.


Ingredients
Method
- In a small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper to create the maple Dijon glaze.
- Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag or shallow dish and pour the glaze over them. Seal the bag or cover the dish and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and place them on the preheated grill.
- Grill the chicken for about 6-7 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C) and the chicken is cooked through.
- During the last few minutes of grilling, brush the chicken with any remaining glaze for extra flavor.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- Serve hot, optionally garnished with fresh herbs for added color.
Notes
Spicy Grilled Chicken Tacos
This is a nice way to entertain when there are lots of kids involved. I pretty much have everything ready beforehand, so the chicken's been grilled, some of it spicy for the adults, some of it non-spicy for the kids, and everything sliced up into little bowls on the table.
So everything is crunchy: cabbage, salsa, lime, warm tortillas, and then anyone can build their own. Some make this ridiculously spicy, and some like to put tons of cheese in. It's a fun way for people to come in and out and help themselves to as much as they like, and I don't have to really fuss around with plates or anything; it's all already done.
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Ingredients
Method
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Mix oil, chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub chicken generously with mixture.
- Grill 6-7 minutes per side until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
- Rest a few minutes; slice into thin strips.
- Grill tortillas about 30 seconds per side until lightly charred and pliable.
- Fill tortillas with chicken and preferred tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, lime, and cilantro.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Grilled Caprese Stuffed Chicken
I actually made this one for dinner last night, and it was so good, and it reminds me, right, of rotation in our household. It looks a bit tricky to make, but it's not; you cut a pocket in a chicken breast and then stuff it. You want to keep it relaxed in there; don't overfill it, or it explodes in the oven, then weeps out, and you lose all your cheese.
I do this one on the air fryer after I have given it some color by frying it in a pan or trying it outside on the grill. But sometimes I don't feel like doing that, and we just do a French dip.
This is a good one to use up all that basil from the garden and the cherry tomatoes that have gone a little bit soft, because you could just sauté them with some garlic and balsamic. I like to serve this with a herb salad that I've made from all my herbs; it's really fresh and light.

Ingredients
Method
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Cut a pocket in each breast with a sharp knife, without cutting through.
- Fill with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil.
- Secure with toothpicks.
- Brush with oil; season with salt and pepper.
- Grill 6-7 minutes per side until cooked through and marked.
- Rest a few minutes.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze.
- Serve with preferred side.
Notes
Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients
Method
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Mix oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub chicken all over with mixture.
- Grill 6-7 minutes per side until cooked through and marked; rest a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine pineapple, pepper, onion, cilantro, and lime juice in a medium bowl.
- Season salsa with salt; mix well.
- Top chicken with salsa.
- Serve.
Notes
Not my favorite because I don't really enjoy pineapple and salsa, but my son and husband love this, so I make this for them when we have a pineapple at home- a fresh pineapple, that is.
And sometimes if the boys don't feel like chicken, they use pork chops instead, and they say the combination works really well. I normally make them some potato wedges in the air fryer, and that's them happy as Larry.
30-Minute Greek Chicken Gyros

Ingredients
Method
- Mix oil, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add chicken; toss to coat evenly.
- Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high.
- Grill chicken 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through and charred.
- Meanwhile, warm pitas on grill about 1 minute per side.
- Put a few chicken slices on each pita.
- Top with cucumber, onion, tomatoes, and parsley.
- Drizzle with tzatziki; fold pita around filling.
- Serve immediately and enjoy your delicious 30-Minute Greek Chicken Gyros!
Notes
Sometimes I really crave something Greek, and this is what I end up making. It's also one of those dinners that everyone can just make themselves. I typically make a few pounds of chicken that I've grilled, make a tzatziki from scratch using high-protein Greek yogurt, and then some kind of salsa.
I grill a chicken with lemon, garlic, fresh oregano from my garden, and then a splash of good olive oil. Sear for a little bit, and then slice it up.
I like to make the tzatziki myself, another one of those meals that I like to do from scratch, knowing that nothing is added in there. And then my son and I will go walk around the neighborhood looking for wild dill and add it to the tzatziki.
Tangy Grilled Chicken Salad

Ingredients
Method
- Mix oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub chicken all over with mixture.
- Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high.
- Grill chicken 6-7 minutes per side until cooked through and charred; rest a few minutes and slice into strips.
- Combine greens, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, and feta in a large bowl.
- Whisk dressing oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl.
- Drizzle over salad; toss.
- Top with chicken.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
I think I have those at least three times a week. I know it's quite boring here, but when you just get something right every single time, and it just works, and it's delicious and healthy, it's just one of the things that I just lean towards every single time. I always have lettuce and cucumber and cherry tomatoes and red onion; it's just in my fridge all the time.
And then, of course, I make my own dressing. My husband's very happy with the ranch stuff off the shelf. But I make a vinaigrette with some red wine vinegar, honey, garlic, and Dijon mustard, and then, of course, a good olive oil, which I think just brings it all together.
Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Wraps
These Mediterranean grilled chicken wraps were one of the best sellers on the menu when we owned my little cafe a few years ago. I think it was because I marinated that chicken with fresh oregano, garlic powder, pepper, a little bit of olive oil, and a little bit of lemon.
I also made my own hummus because it is just so easy to make. You don't have to go and soak dried chickpeas overnight; just use the tins, guys. Chuck the whole thing into a blender and then add your tahini, garlic, a big squeeze of lemon, and they go so easily.
No preservatives in there.
And then you just build it, put everything onto your wrap, and then fold it up. I like to grill the wrap also after it's put together and lightly toasted.

Ingredients
Method
- Mix oil, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub chicken all over with mixture.
- Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high.
- Grill chicken 6-7 minutes per side until cooked through and charred; rest a few minutes and slice into strips.
- Warm flatbreads on grill about 1 minute per side until lightly toasted.
- Generously spread each with hummus.
- Top with chicken, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, olives, and feta.
- Sprinkle with parsley.
- Roll flatbreads around filling.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Cajun Grilled Chicken with Avocado Sauce

Ingredients
Method
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Mix oil, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub chicken all over with mixture.
- Grill 6-7 minutes per side until cooked through and marked; rest a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, put avocados, lime juice, yogurt, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor.
- Blend smooth and creamy.
- Slice chicken.
- Top chicken with avocado sauce.
- Serve.
Notes
We'll make this whenever avocados are in season, but right now they are not, and they are so expensive. I'll make this avocado sauce when the others are just a little bit too overripe, and I need to use them up after something because I cannot stand waste.
This is such a quick dinner to make, it's just like six minutes per side, make sure you rub the cajun seasoning all over your chicken. And then typically serve it with couscous; I make, like, a salsa couscous, and I think that really goes really well.
I like to finish it off with some sriracha; I think it just cuts through that avocado so nicely.
Garlic Butter Grilled Chicken Breasts
I can't resist garlic butter, and then, of course, you need something to put it on; if it's not bread, I put it on breasts. When the boys are grilling their burger patties outside, I do the garlic butter chicken breast, and sometimes I even just make this for myself during the week anyway.
I'll do it inside on a skillet or pan. Make sure that when you are doing this in a pan, you put a little bit of olive oil with that butter because it stops it from burning. And then you just get a spoon and pour it over the chicken breast to make sure you get all of that garlic butter spread evenly.
This is even better with some fresh rosemary and thyme chopped up finely, and sage, if you've got sage, is great. You can serve it with pretty much anything.

Ingredients
Method
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over low; cook garlic 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in parsley, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Brush chicken with oil; season with salt and pepper.
- Grill 6-7 minutes per side until cooked through and marked.
- Brush generously with garlic butter during last few minutes.
- Rest a few minutes.
- Drizzle with remaining garlic butter.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Grilled Chicken and Veggie Skewers
When I make these grilled chicken and veggie skewers I get my son involved, and it's actually such a winner because I'm making to everything he loves it and he ends up eating it. Also he weren't eat typically the veggies if they were on a plate, but because he's made them and he's gotten involved he will eat the whole thing.
Or sir when it comes to skewers, guys, you've got to let them soak for about 15 to 20 minutes because they burn to acres. I don't know how I think I can get away with that each time by not soaking them.
And then these can go with any kind of veggie that you've got, so bell peppers, red, I am too small toes, anything really that you need to use up on your fridge. Delicious grow, but if you don't have a barbecue outside you can do it air fry even in a pan.

Ingredients
Method
- Soak wooden skewers in water 15-20 minutes to prevent burning.
- Mix oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Toss chicken in marinade; marinate at least 15 minutes.
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Thread chicken, peppers, zucchini, onion, and tomatoes alternately onto skewers.
- Grill 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables lightly charred.
- Rest a few minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Balsamic Rosemary Grilled Chicken
I was gifted the real stuff from Italy, real balsamic vinegar from Modena, so when I make this chicken, I can't just make chicken and corn for tonight; I end up making a whole Italian feast.
I'll go to such lengths to marinate some aubergine, roast some artichokes, get some olives, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil from the garden, and then I make a huge mezze-style spread. The chicken goes on the grill with some rosemary and balsamic until sticky and caramelized. And suddenly Tuesday night feels like we're sitting somewhere in Italy.

Ingredients
Method
- Whisk vinegar, oil, rosemary, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Coat chicken with marinade in a resealable bag or shallow dish.
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Remove chicken from marinade; grill. Discard remaining marinade.
- Grill 6-7 minutes per side until fully cooked, charred, and internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
- Rest a few minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
An absolute golden oldie is the chicken Caesar salad. I'll have this as a meal on its own, and then I'll make a wrap for my husband to take to work. I never get the bottled Caesar dressing from the shop; I always just make it myself at home.
It's pretty easy, actually; you just need to chuck everything into a blender.
If you don't want to make the mayonnaise from scratch, just use your store-bought mayonnaise; it needs to be nice and creamy and rich. And then blitz up your anchovies, parmesan, and garlic, and just chuck it into the mayonnaise, squeeze of lemon juice, and a grating of pepper and parmesan, and then they go.
I do the croutons in the air fryer; I never really do fried croutons, cuz it just ends up being sometimes like a mouthful of oil, and that's not what I'm about here. And then make sure that you use cos lettuce; it does make a big difference here. I definitely put some thought into it when I make it.


Ingredients
Method
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Mix oil, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub chicken evenly with mixture.
- Grill 6-7 minutes per side until fully cooked, marked, and internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
- Rest a few minutes.
- Slice into thin strips.
- Combine romaine, Parmesan, and croutons in a large bowl.
- Toss with Caesar dressing to coat evenly.
- Top with chicken.
- Garnish with lemon wedges.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Honey Lime Grilled Chicken
We'll do this one when my parents come down because they actually have a real lime tree. Can't always find limes, but they bring down a big package.
And then I'll do the honey-grilled chicken or even a lemon chiller. And hey, they also bring down honey; they've got friends who are big into their bees, and so we always get a jar of honey and a packet of some kind of fruit, but it's usually limes.
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk honey, lime juice and zest, oil, garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Coat chicken evenly with marinade in a resealable bag or shallow dish.
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
- Heat grill to medium-high.
- Remove chicken from marinade; grill. Discard remaining marinade.
- Grill 6-7 minutes per side until fully cooked, marked, and internal temperature reaches 165°F (75°C).
- Rest a few minutes.
- Serve immediately.




