A grilled chicken recipe that pairs well with all your favorite sides! Weeknight Balsamic Grilled Chicken gets a quick marinade and has fresh, bright flavor.
Lately I have gotten a LOT of grilling requests, a ton of chicken requests, and ultimately…a lot of grilled chicken requests! So now (drumroll please), I’d love to introduce my Weeknight Balsamic Grilled Chicken. This is a super easy chicken marinade. It gives you chicken that’s a great base for fruit salsa or your favorite sauce. You could even put it in a burger or salad!
Perfect Grilled Chicken
There are a couple tricks to getting the perfect grilled chicken! It’s really so easy, and perfect for summer nights.
- Make sure your chicken is the same thickness all the way across. If you need to, butterfly it by slicing horizontally through the middle so it’s a bit thinner and all the same thickness.
- Marinate the chicken! It doesn’t need to be overnight and can even be as little as 30 minutes. Ideally your chicken would marinate between 2 and 6 hours.
- Grill the chicken for 6-8 minutes per each inch of thickness. If the breasts are less than an inch thick, plan on 4-5 minutes each side. To be safe, you can check to make sure the internal temperature is at 165 degrees.
Balsamic Grilled Chicken Ingredients
This is an easy, bright marinade made with ingredients found in most pantries!
- Olive oil
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- Balsamic vinegar
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Thyme
More Weeknight Recipes
- Easy Picadillo
- Tuscan Sheet Pan Chicken with Potatoes and Kale
- Moroccan Baked Fish with Chickpeas
- Skillet Chicken & Green Beans
- Turkey Taco Bake
Food photography by Ashley Cuoco
Print
Weeknight Balsamic Grilled Chicken
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: chicken
- Method: Grilling
Description
A grilled chicken recipe that pairs well with all your favorite sides! Weeknight Balsamic Grilled Chicken gets a quick marinade for fresh, bright flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 lemons, zested, then juiced
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- If your chicken breasts are pretty thick, use a sharp knife to butterfly them into two thinner pieces. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt, garlic powder and thyme. Add the chicken, making sure all pieces are coated well in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2-6 hours.
- Remove chicken from the fridge and preheat the grill to medium/high heat (about 400 degrees). Once the grill is preheated, spray with avocado oil or grill spray to prevent sticking.
- Place chicken on the grill for about 5-6 minutes on each side. Internal temperature should reach 165 degrees. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Follow Life is but a Dish on PINTEREST | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM for all the latest content and behind the scenes! Remember to subscribe to my free Life is but a Dish Weekly Newsletter and receive easy recipes delivered to your inbox every week!
Comments
Jennifer S
This is the easiest and tastiest weeknight chicken EVER. Hands down! My go to every time. xx
★★★★★
Laney Schwartz
So glad you love it! It’s one of my faves too!
Karen
This has become my go to marinade. Very quick and easy and tasty!
★★★★★
Laney Schwartz
I’m so happy you like it Karen!
Julianne Esteves
So easy and makes the chicken so flavorful. Will be making this on repeat!
★★★★★
Darrah
So easy, so flavorful! Comes together so quick and makes me feel like a famous chef when I sprinkle the fresh herbs on at the end. 10/10 one of my weekly staples!
★★★★★
Sophia
Do you think I could use a pan on the stove instead of a grill?
Life is but a Dish
Sure! I think that will totally work!
Anice
Such an easy tasty recipe! Put with some rice grilled zucchini and balsamic glaze
★★★★★
Life is but a Dish
So glad you enjoyed it!