With this Garlic Herb Marinated Chicken recipe, you will never have to eat bland dry grilled chicken again! Just 6 ingredients (including salt) and only 20 minutes of prep will give you juicy chicken breast that sings with flavor. And check out my no-muss-no-fuss marinade!

Garlic Herb Grilled Chicken on a plate

I originally shared this recipe on June 26, 2012. I have updated the images and some of the text today.

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Why We Love This Recipe For Garlic Herb Grilled Chicken

Do you ever find yourself in the grocery store staring at those boneless skinless chicken breasts and think “Ugh, I’m so tired of boring old chicken”? Well, let me tell you my friends you don’t want to miss this garlic herb marinated chicken recipe. You will be so shocked at the flavor you get from such a simple combo of ingredients.

The chicken is marinated in a marinade inspired by this garlic marinade. Seriously, this Garlic Herb Grilled Chicken will be the hit of your next cookout!

Recipe Highlights

  • High in protein and low in fat.
  • It’s the perfect make-ahead recipe for busy weeks or when meal prepping lunches.
  • You only need 6 ingredients–including salt!
  • Goes great with so many side dishes. From our simple cucumber salad, or these skillet green beans to grilled potatoes! It goes with everything!
Garlic Herb Grilled Chicken on a sheet pan

Key Ingredients to Make This Recipe

  • Garlic: Fresh whole garlic cloves are a must here for maximum flavor. No jarred or pre-chopped garlic and no garlic powder!
  • Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Chicken breast is so great on the grill. If you’re not familiar with grilling chicken, there are a few key things to keep in mind to make sure it comes out juicy and flavorful every time (check out my tips in the FAQ section). Also, if your chicken is frozen, here are tips on how to safely thaw chicken. 
  • Sherry vinegar: Read about what you can use instead of sherry vinegar in my post all about vinegar.
  • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • Kosher Salt
  • Dry herb mix: For the herbs, dried herbs work best (fresh just burns up.) For convenience, I like to use an herb mix, like Italian Seasoning, Herbes de Provence or this Shepherd Herb Mix.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make This Garlic Herb Grilled Chicken

Step 1: Make garlic marinade

Here is a really easy way to make a fast and garlicky marinade for chicken breast without making a big mess or even getting a knife dirty. All you need is a resealable bag (aka a Ziploc) and a meat mallet with a smooth side. No need to chop the garlic. Just peel it, pop it in the bag and then get your aggression out by smashing it silly with the smooth side of a meat mallet. Then open the bag and add your chicken. Taking the time to pound that too will make it so your chicken will cook evenly and won’t dry out. You’re looking for it to be an even thickness. (Ideally, the fat side will be as thin as the thin side.)

Then, create a crazy-flavorful marinade with lots of vinegar. Unlike other more mild marinades, the acid in the vinegar and the salt will work its way into the meat quickly. Just be sure not to leave the chicken in the marinade for more than two hours.

Step 2: Grill Garlic Herb Marinated Chicken

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the remaining marinade. Liquid will prevent the chicken from browning. So if you dab off excess marinade with a paper towel, you’ll end up with better grill marks. 

To prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill, you can oil it just before you set the chicken down on it. To do so, soak a paper towel with oil. Hold the towel with long-handled tongs. Then pull the towel along the grill grates toward you to avoid flare-ups.

Grill chicken until no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

If possible, flip the chicken only once during the grilling process. You can do a quarter turn if you want to make cross hash marks. 

Alternatively, grill on an indoor grill pan over medium-high heat, 6 to 8 minutes per side.

After you’ve taken the garlic herb grilled chicken off the grill, give it a few minutes to rest before slicing it. This allows the proteins in the cooked chicken to relax so the juices inside have time to redistribute. That means it will be super juicy!

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Garlic Herb Grilled Chicken on a sheet pan with a knife

FAQs and Expert Tips

Leftovers and Reheating

Grilled chicken will last in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Store it in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave for 90 seconds or until steaming hot. You can also reheat it in the oven, covered in foil. Bake at 350 degrees F until steaming hot, about 20 minutes.

Additional Summertime Recipes to Try

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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Garlic Herb Marinated Chicken

Garlic Herb Marinated Chicken

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5 from 6 reviews

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Description

Garlic Herb Grilled Chicken—6 ingredients and 20 minutes of prep will give you a gluten-free, dairy-free and low-carb entree that sings with flavor.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders separated if included, about 1 pound
  • 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons dry herb mix such as Provençale or Shepherd Herb Mix

Instructions

  1. Place garlic cloves in a large Ziploc bag, press air out and seal the bag. Smash garlic with the smooth side of a meat mallet. Open bag and add chicken breasts. Press air out of bag and reseal. Pound meat through the bag until the thickest part of the breast is level with the thinnest, about 1/2-inch thick. Open bag again and add tenders if included, vinegar, oil, salt and herb mix. Press out air and reseal bag and agitate until the chicken is coated in the herb garlic mixture. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 2 hours.
  2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Grill chicken until no-longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Alternatively, grill on a indoor grill pan over medium high heat, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Let rest about 5 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Grilling Tips:

  • Preheat the grill—preheating the grill is key when grilling chicken. You want the chicken to start cooking as soon as it hits the grill. If you throw the chicken onto a lukewarm grill, it’ll take more time to heat up and you’ll likely wind up with dry, overcooked chicken.
  • Remove Excess Marinade– liquid will prevent the chicken from browning. So if you dab off excess marinade with a paper towel, you’ll end up with better grill marks.
  • Oil The Grill- To prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill, you can oil it just before you set the chicken down on it. To do so, soak a paper towel with oil. Hold the towel with long handled tongs. Then pull the towel along the grill grates toward you to avoid flare ups.
  • Prep Time: 12 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Grilled
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 3 1/2 ounces each
  • Calories: 166
  • Sugar: 0 g
  • Sodium: 489 mg
  • Fat: 10 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 1 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 20 g
  • Cholesterol: 70 mg

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herb grilled chicken collage with text overlay
chicken photo collage with text overlay