This easy and delicious Grilled Lemon Chicken recipe from Barefoot Contessa is perfect for a quick, flavour-packed meal. Marinated in fresh lemon, thyme, and olive oil, this juicy chicken is grilled to perfection, offering a tender, smoky taste. It’s a simple, nutritious option that’s easily adaptable with ingredients you have on hand!
Ingredients Needed
- 180ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
- 180ml good olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 900g boneless chicken breasts, halved and skin removed
How To Make Grilled Lemon Chicken
- Prepare the Marinade: Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme in a bowl until well combined.
- Marinate the Chicken: Pour the marinade over the chicken breasts in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight to allow the flavours to develop.
- Grill the Chicken: Heat a charcoal grill to a medium-high temperature. Grill the chicken breasts for about 10 minutes on each side, until they are cooked through and golden brown.
- Slice and Skewer: Once cooked, allow the chicken to cool slightly before slicing it diagonally into 1.5cm thick pieces. Skewer the slices onto wooden sticks for easy serving.
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh lemon zest: Freshly grated lemon zest gives the best flavour. Avoid using bottled lemon juice, as it won’t have the same freshness.
- Don’t skip the chilling time: Let the salad chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. This helps the flavours blend together.
- Choose full-fat Greek yoghurt: It makes the salad creamy and rich. Low-fat yoghurt can make it watery.
- Season to taste: Taste the salad before serving and add extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed.
- Mix gently: Stir the salad gently to keep the chicken pieces from breaking apart and turning mushy.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store Grilled Lemon Chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: wrap Grilled Lemon Chicken tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place it in a freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. - Reheating: To reheat Grilled Lemon Chicken, preheat the oven 350°F and heat for 10-15 minutes, or microwave for 1-2 minutes on medium, or warm in a pan over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 200g)
- Calories: 349 kcal
- Total Fat: 21.6g
- Saturated Fat: 6.5g
- Cholesterol: 105mg
- Sodium: 100mg
- Potassium: 500mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 0g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 35g
Try More Recipes:
Barefoot Contessa Grilled Lemon Chicken
Description
This easy and delicious Grilled Lemon Chicken recipe from Barefoot Contessa is perfect for a quick, flavour-packed meal. Marinated in fresh lemon, thyme, and olive oil, this juicy chicken is grilled to perfection, offering a tender, smoky taste. It’s a simple, nutritious option that’s easily adaptable with ingredients you have on hand!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the Marinade: Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme in a bowl until well combined.
- Marinate the Chicken: Pour the marinade over the chicken breasts in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight to allow the flavours to develop.
- Grill the Chicken: Heat a charcoal grill to a medium-high temperature. Grill the chicken breasts for about 10 minutes on each side, until they are cooked through and golden brown.
- Slice and Skewer: Once cooked, allow the chicken to cool slightly before slicing it diagonally into 1.5cm thick pieces. Skewer the slices onto wooden sticks for easy serving.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon zest: Freshly grated lemon zest gives the best flavour. Avoid using bottled lemon juice, as it won’t have the same freshness.
- Don’t skip the chilling time: Let the salad chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. This helps the flavours blend together.
- Choose full-fat Greek yoghurt: It makes the salad creamy and rich. Low-fat yoghurt can make it watery.
- Season to taste: Taste the salad before serving and add extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed.
- Mix gently: Stir the salad gently to keep the chicken pieces from breaking apart and turning mushy.
Barefoot Contessa Grilled Lemon Chicken