Garlic Herb Chicken (Print Page)
Juicy chicken breasts infused with fresh garlic and herbs, baked or grilled for a satisfying weeknight meal.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
→ Marinade
02 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
03 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
→ Garnish
10 - Fresh parsley, chopped
11 - Lemon wedges
# Directions:
01 - In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, chopped parsley, rosemary, thyme, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until a uniform paste forms.
02 - Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag or a shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, massaging it into each piece to ensure even, complete coating. Marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours for deeper flavor penetration.
03 - Preheat the oven to 400°F or heat a grill to medium-high, ensuring the grates are clean and lightly oiled.
04 - Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard any excess. For oven baking, arrange the chicken in a baking dish and bake for 25–30 minutes until the internal temperature registers 165°F. For grilling, cook the chicken for 6–7 minutes per side until cooked through with appealing char marks.
05 - Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges alongside.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The marinade comes together in about two minutes with nothing more than a bowl and a fork, which means almost zero cleanup before you even start cooking.
- It works beautifully in the oven or on the grill, so you can make it year round without thinking twice.
- Leftovers slice beautifully cold over salad the next day, which is a small victory I did not see coming.
02 -
- If you marinate longer than two hours the lemon juice will start to break down the texture of the meat and make it mushy, which I learned the hard way after an overnight experiment I do not care to repeat.
- Dried herbs will save you if fresh are not available, but use one teaspoon dried for every tablespoon of fresh called for and crush them between your fingers to wake up the oils before adding them to the marinade.
03 -
- An instant read thermometer is the single most reliable way to nail the doneness, and once you start using one you will never go back to guessing and cutting open the meat to check.
- Pulling the chicken off the heat when it reads about 160 degrees Fahrenheit works perfectly because carryover cooking will bring it up to 165 while it rests, keeping the meat more tender than if you cook it all the way to temperature on the heat.