Lemon and Thyme Grilled Chicken Breasts
Updated June 25, 2025
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 4(6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1½teaspoons kosher salt
- 1teaspoon black pepper
- 2tablespoons chopped thyme leaves
- 4garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
- 2lemons, as needed
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
- Torn basil or mint leaves, as needed
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
283 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 39 grams protein; 521 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap. Using a mallet or rolling pin, pound each to an even thickness of ½ inch. Do not make them any thinner or they could dry out.
- Step 2
Place chicken in a large bowl and toss with salt, pepper, thyme, garlic and the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Mix in olive oil. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Remove chicken from fridge while you heat the grill.
- Step 3
Light the grill, building a hot fire, or heat your gas grill to high. Once grill is fully heated, brush breasts lightly with olive oil and place chicken on the grill. Cook until undersides are browned and chicken is about halfway cooked, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip breasts and grill until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
- Step 4
Transfer chicken to a platter. Drizzle with oil and garnish with additional lemon juice, olive oil and basil or mint leaves.
Private Notes
Comments
I put the marinade and chicken in a ziploc, worked well. Also cooked it on a cast iron skillet instead of grill (apartment living...), came out delicious nice and crisped.
Like RLB, I skipped the pounding and cooked each thicker piece of chicken on a gas grill for 4 minutes on each side. Results were moist and tasty. I've found with other recipes that if I do beat boneless, skinless breasts down to half-inch thickness, they only need 3 minutes per side. Note that in this recipe you are really being asked to cook TWO breasts, or FOUR HALF BREASTS, for four servings. Your butcher may sell you twice what you need if you ask for four breasts.
PSA for impatient cooks: you don’t actually have to marinade for 1-2 hours. I read the recipe too quickly and made the marinade as listed, then realized I bought 2 breasts not 4. I also wanted lunch like, now. I figured having too much marinade/sauce meant a shorter time would be ok, and I was correct. Let it sit in a bowl on the counter for 20 min then pan seared in a cast iron pan- came out beautifully
I plan to make this tonight! But comment re pounding: I've found consistently that pounding (as opposed to partner who halves the breasts horizontally) produces chicken that is considerably more tender and juicy. He's even coming around to see the light.
Have been doing something similar for a long time with spatchcocked chicken as well as boneless thighs except with oregano and garlic mixed with the lemon juice plus some olive oil. Delicious, so will try this as well with fresh thyme and that lentil salad looks splendid. All you need is a good rose’!
Regarding cleaning the grill grates — lots of commentary recently about steel brushes breaking off and being ingested. That’s the only way I know to effectively clean a hot grill but we also wipe it down with a paper or cloth towel drizzled with peanut or vegetable oil before putting food on.