Lemon Rosemary Chicken
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Zesty, juicy and so delicious, you’re going to love this Lemon Rosemary Chicken recipe! It’s easy to make with only 7 ingredients and features THE BEST chicken marinade, made with lemon zest and juice, rosemary, basil and garlic!
After the chicken breasts take a quick bath in the marinade, they’re grilled to perfection. No grill? No problem! The chicken can also be roasted in the oven. Serve it with pasta or sliced on top of your favorite salad!
This chicken recipe is one that has been in my back pocket for almost 2 decades! I’ve made it over 100 times and served it at least a dozen different ways.
It’s one of those great easy, versatile recipes that’s always good to have around. Need some grilled chicken to top a salad? Look no further than this Lemon Rosemary Chicken!
Looking to add some extra protein to a healthy bowl with quinoa and veggies? This chicken is perfect for that!
Want to make a wonderful Italian meal? Toss this lemon chicken on a bowl of pasta!
Needless to say, this chicken recipe really is a jack-of-all-traits. The light, fresh flavors means it pairs well with a number of dishes. You can also serve it as the main dish with your favorite potato or veggie side dish.
In under 45 minutes, this chicken is marinated, grilled and on the table for dinner tonight! You can’t beat that time for this amount of flavor!
Table of contents
What you’ll need
- Lemon – you’ll use the zest and juice of the lemon, so be sure to find a nice, bright lemon with no visible marks on the skin.
- Olive Oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Steak Seasoning – I like to use a Montreal steak seasoning to add coarse salt and pepper to the marinade.
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Basil – can be omitted and substituted with additional rosemary if you’d like, but I love the combination of both herbs in this marinade!
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – this marinade is also delicious for chicken thighs if you’d like to try one or the other, or both!
Step by step instructions
- Prepare the lemon rosemary chicken marinade.
- In a large bowl, or zipper bag, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic, steak seasoning, fresh basil and rosemary.
- Add the chicken breasts to the marinade and toss to coat.
- Marinate the chicken.
- For this recipe, you only need a quick marinade of 15-30 minutes for the lemon herb flavor to soak into the chicken.
- Grill the chicken.
- While the chicken is marinating, preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
- Use tongs to remove the chicken from the marinade. Discard the extra marinade.
- Note: you do not need to rinse the marinade off the chicken, just discard any marinade that’s left in the bowl or zipper bag.
- Place the chicken on the grill. Grill for 7-8 minutes, flip and grill for an additional 7-8 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Quick Tip! I recommend using a meat thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of the breast to verify that it’s cooked to the proper temperature.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing the chicken. During this time, the internal temperature of the chicken will come up at least 5-10 degrees, bringing it to a safe temperature of 165°F or above.
How to serve it
- With pasta – I’ve been making this chicken for almost 20 years now and I love serving it over a big bowl of spaghetti tossed with a little olive oil, crushed garlic and diced tomatoes.
- With risotto – zesty grilled chicken on top of creamy Parmesan Risotto, it doesn’t get much better than that!
- On top of a salad – who doesn’t love a little fresh sliced grilled chicken on top of their favorite salad? It’s delicious with a caesar salad or on top of my Panera Bread copycat Fuji Apple Chicken Salad. You can also dice it up and add it to this Roasted Cauliflower Salad or this Greek Quinoa Salad.
- With zoodles – for a healthy, low carb meal, serve the chicken over sautéed zucchini noodles, with an extra lemon wedge on the side for drizzling over the meal. Or since you already have the grill fired up, try pairing it with this Grilled Zucchini!
- Added to a bowl – I love a good bowl recipe and if you’re looking to add some protein to a bowl, there’s no better way than with this healthy, grilled chicken! Try it on these Roasted Broccoli Bowls or these Charred Cauliflower Bowls.
- With potatoes – serve this chicken as the main dish with sides of Cast Iron Skillet Rustic Potatoes, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes or Rosemary Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- With veggies – serve the chicken with a side of delicious veggies, like Roasted Garlic Broccolini, Garlic Lemon Green Beans or Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower!
Whit’s tips and tricks
- This chicken will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days after it’s cooked. Feel free to make extra and slice or dice it up to toss on salads throughout the week!
- You can also roast this chicken instead of grilling it. If roasting the chicken, I recommend either slicing it in half through the middle or pounding it to 1 inch thickness. This will allow the chicken to cook evenly from the inside to the outside. Preheat the oven to 425°F. After the chicken has marinated, place it on a baking sheet or in a baking dish and into the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. It’s also perfect for a whole30, paleo or keto diet, as each serving only contains 1 net carb and 2 total carbs!
- I’m a fan of serving this chicken with a couple lemon slices or wedges on the side, for juicing over the chicken. I like the fresh zest of lemon right on top, but that’s totally optional!
More easy chicken recipes to try
- Buffalo Chicken Cheesy Pasta
- Bruschetta Grilled Chicken Zoodle Bowls
- Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
- Guacamole Stuffed Chicken
- Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Avocado Sauce
- Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Gluten Free Chinese Honey Chicken
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
Zesty, juicy and so delicious, you're going to love this Lemon Rosemary Chicken recipe! It's easy to make and features THE BEST chicken marinade, made with lemon zest and juice, rosemary, basil and garlic!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
Prepare the lemon rosemary chicken marinade.
- In a large bowl, or zipper bag, combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, crushed garlic, steak seasoning, fresh basil and rosemary.
- Add the chicken breasts to the marinade and toss to coat.
Marinate the chicken.
- For this recipe, you only need a quick marinade of 15-30 minutes for the lemon herb flavor to soak into the chicken.
Grill the chicken.
- While the chicken is marinating, preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
- Use tongs to remove the chicken from the marinade. Discard the extra marinade.
- Place the chicken breasts on the grill and grill for 7-8 minutes, flip and grill for an additional 7-8 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing the chicken. During this time, the chicken will come up at least 5-10 degrees, bringing it to a safe temperature of 165°F or above.
Notes
- This chicken will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days after it’s cooked. Feel free to make extra and slice or dice it up to toss on salads throughout the week!
- You can also roast this chicken instead of grilling it. If roasting the chicken, I recommend either slicing it in half through the middle or pounding it to 1 inch thickness. This will allow the chicken to cook evenly from the inside to the outside. After the chicken has marinated, place it on a baking sheet and into a preheated 425°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. It’s also perfect for a whole30, keto or paleo diet!
Nutrition Facts
Calories 331kcal (17%)Carbohydrates 2g (1%)Protein 48g (96%)Fat 13g (20%)Saturated Fat 2g (10%)Cholesterol 145mg (48%)Sodium 264mg (11%)Potassium 864mg (25%)Fiber 1g (4%)Sugar 1g (1%)Vitamin A 123mg (2%)Vitamin C 10mg (12%)Calcium 27mg (3%)Iron 1mg (6%)
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One Comment on “Lemon Rosemary Chicken”
Great recipe!!!