Grilled Chicken Breasts

The best Grilled Chicken Breasts recipe with garlic and thyme that guarantees juicy, tender and flavorful chicken every time.

This summer I bought a new outdoor grill and put it into work almost every weekend! The joy of having my family and friends gathering around the dinner table and anxiously waiting for freshly cooked meats is a moment I cherish a lot.

The Californian summers are often long, and we make sure to be outdoors as much as we can. We live in Southern California where there is no shortage of parks, trails, beaches and outdoor activities around us! To be honest, I like and enjoy all of that, but what I like most is to light up my grill on a lazy afternoon and enjoy a nicely charred lamb chop or some chicken drumstick with all the salads and side dishes that go with it.

This boneless grilled chicken breast recipe is one of my kids’ favorites, and I love to cook everything my kids like.

Grilling boneless, skinless, chicken breasts can be tricky! No one wants to eat raw, under–cooked chicken or chewy dry meat either. Properly cooked chicken has an internal temperature of 320F (160 degrees). If you do not have an instant–read thermometer, then cut into the chicken to ensure it is not pink in the middle.

Follow my tips below for the perfectly grilled chicken

Grilling Tips

• Marinate the chicken at least four hours before grilling. Overnight is even better.
• Bring the chicken or any meat you plan to grill, to room temperature before cooking. Sudden heat change on meats in general can make it dry and chewy.
• Always place the chicken on the hottest part of the grill for 2 minutes to give it a lovely char then reduce the heat, or move the chicken to the sides of your grill to cook evenly on medium heat.
• While removing the chicken breasts, if you feel them sticking to the grill, this means they are not ready yet. Give them one more minute. When grilled well, chicken should remove easily.
• Remove the chicken breasts off the grill and cover them for 5 more minutes before you serve or cut them into pieces to retain their juices.

Ingredients

For this recipe you will need a chicken breast, garlic, lemon juice and zest, fresh thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper.

How To Make Delicious Grilled Chicken Breasts

Step 1:

Prepare the chicken: Start by slicing the breasts lengthwise to thin out the thick part of each breast and get even thickness on all sides for even grilling. Alternatively, you can pound the chicken breasts with a mallet to get the desired thickness though I prefer slicing the breasts to keep all the flesh intact.

Step 2:

Marinate the Chicken: In a ziplock bag , mix the crushed garlic with the lemon juice and zest, fresh thyme, olive, salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts, cover well with the marinade, zip the back and leave them for 30 minutes to marinate.
If you like it spicy, feel free to add some chili flakes, or any cayenne pepper.

Step 3:

Grill the Chicken: Before you start grilling the chicken, heat the grill very well and oil the grates. Arrange the chicken breasts on the grill and leave them for around 3 to 4 minutes. Then, turn them over and leave them for another 3 minutes or until you get the char you desire.

Try this healthy and fresh Avocado Chicken salad with your grilled chicken.

what sides go with grilled chicken

Several side dishes go really well with grilled chicken though if you are looking for a truly Lebanese dining experience, then I highly recommend trying the following sides:

Easy Hummus
Lebanese Tabbouleh
Garlic Butter Potatoes
Baba Ganoush