Juicy & Flavorful Mediterranean Grilled Chicken

Craving chicken that's fresh and flavorful? This Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Recipe is your new go-to for meal prep! Marinated in a bright blend of lemon, garlic, and herbs, it’s tender, juicy, and bursting with bold, bright flavors. Whether you’re layering it into salads, wrapping it in pita, or serving it with roasted veggies, this recipe always delivers!

I will go ahead and say it - this is the PERFECT grilled chicken breast recipe. This Mediterranean chicken marinade is easy to make and packed with flavor. It works for pretty much any meal you're pulling together that needs some grilled chicken - salads, sandwiches, pasta, and MORE!

It's also easy to transform into a weeknight dinner with sauteed baby broccoli and this lemon orzo salad, or your favorite sides. Even better, it's a great meal prep recipe since you can use the leftovers for different meals throughout the week.

Looking for more delicious ways to cook chicken? This mojo- flavored grilled chicken legs is one of my favorites, especially during the summer grilling season! This Mexican pulled chicken is another one perfect meal prep!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Simple Flavors: The lemon and herb chicken marinade creates a flavorful piece of chicken that goes with everything. Plus, I bet you already have half the ingredients in your kitchen.
• So Versatile: Enjoy as a healthy protein with a starch and veggie as a meal, pile it on top of your favorite salad, add it to sandwiches, and so much more.
• Make Ahead Friendly: Make a double or triple batch, portion it out into containers, and store in the freezer. This makes it easy to grab when you need to throw together a meal quickly.

Mediterranean Chicken Ingredients & Substitutions

The ingredients for this recipe are simple, healthy and delicious with classic Mediterranean flavors. It's my go-to recipe for making tasty chicken for a variety of meals.

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: If your chicken breasts are very large or particularly thick, I recommend butterflying them for more even cooking. This marinade will work with any cut of chicken, including bone-in or boneless. Just adjust your marinating and cooking times appropriately depending on what you're using.
• Olive Oil: Always use a high quality olive oil. My go-to is always The Furies.
• Lemon: Fresh is definitely best! You will need the juice and zest of one whole lemon and I recommend some extras on hand for serving. If you don't have lemons on hand, add a little more red wine vinegar to the marinade.
• Red wine vinegar: This brings a bit more tang and flavor to the chicken marinade. You can use any brand but this Napa Valley brand is my favorite!
• Herbs and spices: Dried herbs make this a pantry friendly recipe. You will need a mix of basil, thyme and oregano for a classic Mediterranean flavor and a bit of paprika for some color. I also like some fresh parsley for a splash of color and fresh flavors.
• Fresh garlic and shallot: The shallot adds subtle onion flavor and the garlic adds those classic aromas and flavors. Fresh garlic is the only way to go in a marinade in my opinion.

How to Make Grilled Mediterranean Chicken

To get started, grab all your ingredients together and prep your chicken. You will need to butterflying or pound the chicken to ensure that the thickness is more uniform throughout the meat for even cooking.

To butterfly the chicken breasts make a cut lengthwise about ¾ of the way through the breast. Once it's cut, open it like a book and gently flatten. The other option is to pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness in between two sheets of plastic wrap using a mallet or a rolling pin.

Step 1: Make the marinade. Combine the minced shallot, garlic, and parsley with the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, dried herbs, paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl. If you're planning to marinate in a zip-top bag you can make the marinade right in the bag!

Step 2: Marinate the chicken. Place chicken breasts in a shallow dish and coat all the pieces completely with the marinade. Cover tightly and place in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to two hours.

Step 3: Grill the chicken. Preheat your grill (or grill pan) to high heat and oil the grates. Place the marinated chicken pieces on the hot grill and cook for 4-8 minutes on one side, flip, and then cook on the other side until it's cooked through to an internal temperature of 165° F.

Step 4: Rest and serve. Remove the chicken from the heat, tent with foil, and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes before slicing.

⭐️ Pro Tip: Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your chicken breasts. I recommend using a meat thermometer to cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Jessica's Tips for the Best Mediterranean Grilled Chicken

• Marinating the Chicken. Do not marinate the chicken for longer than two hours. The acid from the lemon juice and vinegar will start to change the structure of the meat if left too long.
• Preheat the Grill. For perfect grill marks and no sticking, make sure that the grill is super hot before you start cooking your chicken. If you go to flip the chicken breast and it feels stuck, let it keep cooking on that side for another 30 seconds or so. Meat will easily release from grill grates when it's ready to flip.
• Use a Meat Thermometer! If you have a probe thermometer for the grill, fantastic, if not, a good instant-read thermometer is your best friend in the kitchen.
• Let it Rest. Do not skip this step! If you cut into meat that hasn't had a chance to rest, the juices will run out all over the cutting board and your chicken will likely be dry.
• NEVER Re-use Meat Marinade. Either to baste or poured over cooked meat. This could make you very sick. Once the raw chicken is done marinating, discard the marinade. If you want some for extra flavor, make a separate batch and set aside to add on the cooked chicken.
• Grilled Lemon Garnish. If you have a few extra lemons, cut in half and place cut side down on grill to char for a few minutes. Serve with charred lemons and fresh parsley for garnish.

Storage Tips

• Store Leftovers: Mediterranean grilled chicken is great for meal prep! It will keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can use it cold straight from the fridge for sandwiches or salads, or use the reheating tip below.
• Freezing and Thawing: Cooked grilled chicken can also be frozen in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for 3-4 months. To thaw, place frozen chicken in the refrigerator and let it fully defrost. I don't recommend doing it in the microwave as this can result in uneven defrosting and cold spots in the meat. It can also cause it to become dry and rubbery around the edges.
• Reheat: To reheat, gently warm chicken on the stovetop or the oven to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. You can add some water or broth to the pan to prevent the chicken from drying out during reheating.

Serving Suggestions

Marinated grilled chicken is great on its own with veggies and rice or potatoes but you can also use it in so many different meals. Some of my favorites meals to make with it inlcude:

• Add it to a green salad with cucumbers, tomato, olives and feta for a Greek-ish salad. You can also add it to a classic Caesar salad or an iceberg wedge salad for a heartier main dish.
• Add it to a sandwich or wrap with hummus or creamy avocado sauce.
• Use it in a grain bowl with rice, farro or quinoa, some roasted vegetable salad, and a healthy drizzle of your favorite tahini dressing or Italian dressing.

Really, the possibilities are endless with a great piece of grilled chicken!

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Recipe FAQs