Basic Grilled Chicken Recipe

Two baked chicken breasts garnished with chopped herbs and cracked black pepper, served on a white plate.

This basic grilled chicken recipe gives thin sliced chicken breast real color and lightly charred edges without using an outdoor grill. A few pantry seasonings and the oven’s top heat setting keep the method simple, quick, and reliable.

Course Main Course, Main Dishes

Cuisine American, International

Keyword best grilled chicken, boneless, chicken breast, chicken marinade, chicken recipes, chicken thighs, grill, grill chicken, grill chicken breasts, grill pan, grilled chicken recipe, juice, juicy, lemon juice, marinade, marinate, seasoning, skinless chicken, skinless chicken breasts

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Servings Servings

Calories 67kcal

Author Zuzana Paar

Equipment

Ingredients

1½ Pieces Chicken Breasts large
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1½ teaspoons Garlic minced
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Pinch Cayenne
Fresh Parsley optional
Dill optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Set the oven to grill with top heat, line a tray, and lightly grease it.
Pat chicken dry, slice horizontally into thinner pieces, and brush both sides with olive oil.
Mix garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne, then rub evenly over the chicken.
Grill 8–10 minutes per side, then 3–5 minutes more if needed until cooked through; rest briefly before serving.

Notes

A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out entirely. The chicken should reach 165°Fahrenheit at the thickest point before you pull it, regardless of how many minutes have passed.
If your oven's grill setting runs uneven, rotate the tray once partway through cooking so one side does not brown faster than the other.
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the finished chicken brightens the flavor without adding to the seasoning blend itself.
Marinating chicken in olive oil and a splash of lemon juice for 30 minutes before cooking adds extra flavor if you have the time, though the recipe works perfectly well without it.

Nutrition