Best Grilled Marinated Chicken Recipes

LEMON AND HERB MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine the lemon juice and zest, chopped herbs, garlic, crushed red pepper, and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Whisk to combine.
• Place the chicken thighs in a wide flat dish so they are in a single layer. Add the herb mixture. Massage the thighs to coat with the herb mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Note: If doing a quick marinade, leave the chicken out of the fridge for up to 1 hour.
• Preheat grill. Brush and oil the grill to clean.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade and brush off any excess herbs and oil. Season the chicken generously with salt and drizzle with a little bit of fresh olive oil.
• Cut the 2 whole lemons in half and cut the tips off the ends; this will allow the lemons to stand up without rolling around. Place the chicken, skin side down, on the preheated grill. Place the lemons, flesh side down, on the preheated grill. Grill the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes and then rotate the chicken 90 degrees to create the lovely crosshatch pattern. Grill the chicken for another 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. Check for doneness (the chicken should be well cooked). Check the lemon halves to see if they are beautifully caramelized. Turn over to grill on the bottom for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Serve the chicken with grilled lemon.
• Call yourself a superstar!
• March - Why We Love: Lemons

GRILLED PESTO-MARINATED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix together pesto, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, pepper, and salt in a 1-gallon resealable freezer bag. Add chicken, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from the marinade and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
• Cook chicken on the preheated grill over indirect heat until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 6 to 8 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

CILANTRO-LIME MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine chiles, canola oil, cilantro, lime zest and juice, garlic, jalapeno, honey, salt, and pepper in a 1-gallon freezer bag and seal completely. Gently massage the bag to combine ingredients well. Add chicken and turn to completely coat with marinade. Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours for best flavor, turning bag occasionally.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from the marinade and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
• Grill chicken, covered, on the preheated grill until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, 4 to 6 minutes per side.
• Remove chicken from the grill and let rest under aluminum foil to redistribute juices back into the meat, 4 to 5 minutes.

YOGURT-MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN SHAWARMA

Steps:

• For the chicken shawarma: Combine the yogurt, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, onion powder, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric and 2 teaspoons salt and mix to combine.
• Add the chicken and toss to make sure every piece is fully coated and smothered in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours. Soak 3 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
• For the toum: Meanwhile, slice the garlic cloves in half and remove any green sprouts. Place the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and blend until it becomes a paste, scraping down the bowl as needed.
• With the food processor running, pour in 1/2 cup of the oil in a very thin stream; this should take about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape down the bowl. Turn on the processor again and stream in the lemon juice, then stream in another 1/2 cup of the oil very slowly. Add 1 tablespoon of the ice water and pulse to combine. Add another 1/2 cup of the oil, then the remaining 1 tablespoon ice water. Then add the remaining 1/4 to 1/2 cup oil until creamy and fully emulsified. The whole process should take about 20 minutes. The toum will keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 2 months. Makes about 2 cups.
• Preheat an outdoor grill to medium high and set it up for both direct and indirect heat. (For a gas grill, leave one or two burners on low or off; for a charcoal grill, bank the coals on one side of the grill.)
• For serving: Cut the onion in half and place one half cut-side down on a cutting board. Insert the wooden skewers in the onion, blunt side in. The skewers should be spaced apart equally from each other to form a triangle.
• Thread the pieces of marinated chicken onto all 3 skewers on top of each other with no space between them. When all the chicken pieces are threaded, top the skewers with the other half of the onion.
• Place the shawarma on the direct-heat side of the grill and cook, rotating every 3 to 4 minutes using a pair of sturdy tongs, until you achieve nice grill marks, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Move the shawarma to the indirect heat side of the grill, cover and cook, turning occasionally so it cooks evenly on all sides, until the meat feels firm to the touch and the internal temperature reaches 160°F, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer the shawarma to a cutting board. Cover the with a piece of aluminum foil and let it rest for 5 minutes. Uncover and hold the shawarma upright on a sturdy cutting board. Cut the chicken into strips from the top to the bottom of the stack using a sharp knife.
• Spread a lavash all over with toum. Place some lettuce, onions with sumac, tomatoes and pickles on the lavash and add the sliced shawarma and some French fries. Wrap tightly and serve.

GRILLED BASIL-MARINATED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Whisk together the oil, vinegar, basil, onion, salt, peppercorns, and garlic in a bowl. Transfer the marinade to a gallon-sized sealable plastic bag with the chicken and shake to combine. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours.
• When ready to cook, build a charcoal fire or preheat gas grill.
• Remove chicken from the marinade. Grill the chicken, turning once, until browned and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a platter and garnish with the basil sprigs.

GRILLED CITRUS MARINATED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper. In a non-reactive baking dish large enough to hold all the chicken to marinate, whisk together the vegetable oil, citrus zests and juices, cayenne pepper and the thyme. Add the chicken thighs and turn to coat. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to a couple hours in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the grill. Remove the chicken from marinade and let excess drip back into dish. Place chicken on the hot grill, without overcrowding the pieces. Grill until fully cooked through, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes total, depending on how hot your grill is. Serve immediately.

RED CHILE-CITRUS MARINATED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH GRILLED TORTILLAS AND AVOCADO-TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• For the grilled tortillas: Brush each tortilla on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill for 1 minute on each side. Yield: 8 servings For the Avocado and Grilled Tomatillo salsa: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Yield: 2 cups
• For the marinade and the chicken breasts: Whisk together all ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl until combined. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Reserve 1 cup of the marinade and set aside. Transfer remaining marinade to a large shallow baking dish, add chicken breast and turn to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour in the refrigerator, turning once.
• Preheat grill. Remove chicken from marinade and season on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the breasts, skin-side down, for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the breasts over and baste with some of the reserved marinade and cook for 4 minutes. Baste, turn and baste again, cover the grill and cook the breasts for 4 more minutes. Repeat the process once more for a total grilling time of 16 minutes, or until the chicken is well-browned and cook through. Remove the chicken to a platter, cover and let sit 10 minutes. Serve with Grilled Tortillas and Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa on the side.

YOGURT-MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix Greek yogurt, cilantro, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin, cayenne, and pepper together in a large bowl. Place chicken thighs in a large resealable plastic bag; cover with yogurt mixture.
• Let chicken marinate in the refrigerator, 3 to 8 hours.
• Bring chicken to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Pour off marinade.
• Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Grill chicken, turning occasionally, until grill marks form, about 5 minutes per side.

MARINATED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH GRILLED PINEAPPLE RELISH

Steps:

• To make the marinade: Slice the pineapple crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds. Using a paring knife, remove the core from each round (this can be done roughly, since the core is edible). Chop half the pineapple coarsely; set aside the remaining half for the relish. Add the chopped pineapple to a blender, together with the jalapeño, onion, vinegar, garlic, and salt and blend until smooth. Transfer the marinade to a bowl, add the chicken breasts, and refrigerate, covered, for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
• Wipe the grill grates with oil to prevent sticking. Build a two-zone fire. Your high-heat zone should have embers 1 to 2 inches from the cooking surface, with occasional flames licking it. To create your medium-heat zone, nudge the embers 2 to 3 inches lower than that.
• To make the relish: Toss the remaining pineapple in oil, honey, and salt to coat. Grill over medium heat until it is nicely caramelized, about 3 minutes per side. Meanwhile, grill the jalapeño and onion over medium heat until lightly charred, turning often, about 3 minutes for the jalapeño and 8 minutes for the onion. As they finish cooking, transfer the pineapple, jalapeño, and onion to a cutting board.
• When they are cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the pineapple, jalapeño, and onion and add to a bowl with the vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, and cilantro. Season with more salt, and add more vinegar or honey, if needed. Set aside until ready to serve.
• Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and bring to room temperature. Place skin side down over high heat. After about 90 seconds, using tongs, rotate 45 degrees and cook for another 2 minutes. Flip the breasts and do the same on the other side. Once you have nice grill marks on both sides, move to medium heat and cook, turning often, until an instant-read meat thermometer, placed in the thickest part of a breast, reads 160ºF on a meat thermometer. Transfer to a cutting board and let the breasts rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the relish.

HERB-MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN PAILLARDS WITH PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• One by one, place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, or inside of a resealable plastic bag, and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin or heavy-bottomed pan until about 1/2-inch thick. In a glass baking dish, combine the zest and all but 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the shallot, garlic, and a little more than 2 tablespoons of each of the chopped fresh herbs. (Reserve the remaining chopped herbs.) Add the pounded chicken breasts to the herb mixture and turn to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and put in the refrigerator to marinate, at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Cook the breasts 2 at a time if the pan is too small. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the white wine to the pan, scraping to loosen any brown bits, and reduce until almost dry. Add the chicken broth and reduce by half, then off the heat add the reserved herbs and cold butter, swirling to melt the butter and thicken the sauce. Pour over the chicken paillards and serve immediately.

MARINATED GRILLED TERIYAKI CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• In shallow glass or plastic dish or resealable plastic food-storage bag, mix all ingredients except chicken. Cut and discard any fat from chicken with kitchen scissors or knife. Rinse chicken under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Add meat, turning to coat both sides. Cover dish or seal bag and refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Brush grill rack with vegetable oil. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Heat to MEDIUM heat, which will take about 40 minutes for charcoal or about 10 minutes for a gas grill.
• Place chicken breast on grill. Cover and grill 15 to 20 minutes, turning once with tongs. If desired, brush chicken with remaining sauce during the last 5 minutes of grilling. Grill until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST WITH MARINATED CHERRY TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• For the marinated cherry tomatoes: Toast the coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crack. Allow to cool.
• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Make a small "x" incision at the bottom of each tomato. Blanch the cherry tomatoes for 1 minute and immediately transfer them to a large bowl filled with ice water (an ice bath). Allow the tomatoes to cool, and then peel the tomatoes and discard the skins.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the coriander, peeled tomatoes, onions, olive oil, ginger juice, basil, mint, vinegar, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and allow the tomato mixture to sit at room temperature for 4 hours.
• For the chicken: Combine the olive oil, basil and garlic in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts, making sure to coat all sides with the marinade. Cover and let marinate for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the grill to medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with a towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add chicken breasts and grill for around 5 minutes on each side, depending on how hot your grill is, or until cooked through.
• Serve the chicken with some of the marinated tomatoes on top.

CHICKEN THIGHS TERIYAKI (MARINATED AND GRILLED)

Steps:

• For the marinade, in a resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, orange juice, ginger, garlic and red pepper.
• Remove skin from chicken, if desired. Add chicken to the marinade and refrigerate 2-24 hours, turning occasionally.
• Preheat grill to medium.
• Remove chicken from marinade and grill, covered, for 50-55 minutes or until tender and no longer pink (180 degrees F.) turning once.

MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix together the oil, honey, lime juice, chile powder, and cumin in a ziploc bag. Place chicken inside, zip bag closed, and make sure that chicken is fully coated by marinade. Place bag of chicken in the fridge and let marinade for at least 30 minutes (I actually let mine go for about 2 hours- but you could even let it go for 8-10 hours for really flavorful meat!).
• Remove chicken from fridge and preheat grill to medium high heat. Grill the chicken for a couple of minutes on each side, turning once, until the chicken is no longer pink and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
• If you want, you can toast your buns on the grill.
• Top with your favorite toppings.

GRILLED CHIPOTLE MARINATED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place garlic, onion, chipotle peppers, and vinegar into a blender. Puree until smooth, then add water, lime juice, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper, and hot sauce. Blend until incorporated, then add Worcestershire until mixed. Pour marinade over chicken in a large bowl, and toss to coat. Cover, and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours to overnight.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil grate. Remove chicken from marinade, and shake off excess; discard remaining marinade.
• Grill chicken until juices run clear, turning frequently, about 20 minutes.

YOGURT MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN WITH HARISSA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, ginger, cumin, chile flakes and salt. Whisk until smooth and pour into a baking dish. Lay the chicken halves, skin-side up, in the yogurt mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours to marinate.
• Preheat a very clean grill to medium. When the grill is hot, brush with the oil.
• Remove the chicken from the yogurt, leaving any excess behind, and lay them out on the grill, skin-side down. Cook until the skin is brown and crispy, and then flip. You want to roast them, essentially, on the grill, and avoid "flaming" them or cooking them over too intense heat. That would dry them out. Grill the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers between 155 degrees F and 160 degrees F, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the grill to a cutting board. Cut into small pieces or serve whole, family style. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with lemon juice. Top with some of the Harissa and serve immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, combine the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and caraway seeds. Add the spices to a sheet tray and toast in the oven for 1 to 2 minutes; you should faintly detect the scent of the spices. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside to cool. Add the paprika and chile flakes to the spice mix.
• Using a mortar and pestle (or, alternatively, a food processor), grind the garlic cloves until they become a paste, and then add the red bell pepper. Season with salt, and then add the spices and the 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and blend well. When blended, transfer the harissa to a container and top with some additional olive oil. This will keep for 3 to 6 weeks, covered, in the refrigerator.

SPICY LIME MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Combine all marinade ingredients in a large, resealable plastic bag and add chicken; tightly seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 to 8 hours, turning occasionally.
• Grill over high heat, 4-6 minutes per side (depending on size/thickness of breasts).
• To freeze:.
• Place chicken and marinade in a freezer bag; seal, label and freeze.
• Thaw in fridge overnight and proceed with cooking directions.

HARISSA MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Put the red peppers on the grill and char them until they are black on all sides. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. When cool enough to handle, scrape the charred black skin off the peppers and remove the stem and seeds. Coarsely chop and reserve. This can totally be done ahead.
• Put the cumin, coriander, fennel and caraway in a dry saute pan and toast them until they become very aromatic. Grind all the spices into a coarse powder in a spice grinder.
• Coarsely chop the dried chiles, toss them into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to pulverize. Add the toasted ground spices, the roasted red peppers, chopped garlic and tomato paste. Puree until the mixture is smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil and pulse to combine. Add in another 1/4 cup of olive oil and pulse again. Season with salt, to taste, if needed. Store in an airtight container.
• Toss the chicken parts liberally with the harissa and let sit at room temperature up to 2 hours, or overnight or even a few days in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the grill to medium.
• Put the chicken on the grill and grill for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. You may have to move the chicken around, or flip it over a couple of times to prevent burning. You may also want to brush it a couple times with the leftover harissa, just remember it is pretty spicy! Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

CHIPOTLE MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the chipotle peppers, garlic, cayenne pepper, paprika, black pepper, cumin, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, honey, vinegar, and olive oil into a blender. Puree until no pieces of garlic remain. Pour 1/4 of the marinade into a small dish and set aside. Rub a pinch of kosher salt into each chicken drumstick and place into a resealable plastic bag. Pour in the marinade, shake, and seal. Marinade at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
• Cook the chicken legs on the preheated grill until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 8 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Once the legs are completely cooked, baste well with the remaining marinade, cover the grill, and cook and additional 2 minutes per side to glaze.

MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD

Steps:

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first eight ingredients; add the chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes or until juices run clear, turning several times.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the romaine, croutons and tomatoes; add dressing and toss to coat. Divide among six salad plates.
• Slice chicken; arrange on salads.