Lemon and Thyme Grilled Chicken Breasts
Updated June 25, 2025
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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 added a bit of dijon to the sauce/marinade. After an hour with the chix/sauce marinade, I grilled the chix and heated the marinade to serve over the chix and farro.
This was delicious! As another person suggested I used the full recipe of marinade although I only had 20 ounces of chicken. I used one tbs thyme and one tbs chopped lemon basil from the garden. Marinated chicken for 30 minutes and then grilled half of the chicken for 4 min to a side at 400degrees on our gas grill. It was perfect for the two of us. I left the other two pieces marinating in the fridge for an easy dinner for tomorrow.
Brilliant recipe, we did the same as another commenter and put it in a bag to marinate and cooked it on a skillet because I couldn’t be bothered to fire up the barbecue (grill). I also prepped it in the morning and left it marinating all day. We cooked it for friends and it was an utter winner all round. I think the thyme in my garden is maybe a bit mild so next time I’d definitely go a little heavier on the thyme as it can take it for sure. I’m a sucker for a marinade at the best of times and this is quick, easy and super tasty.