Easy and Delicious Herby Lemon Chicken Marinade
This herby lemon chicken marinade is great for grill outs, sheet pan dinners, meal prep Sundays, or anytime you want something fresh, and protein packed! I love the zesty flavor brought out by the lemon and find that it pairs well with rice and roasted veggies. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
o 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 large sized chicken breasts)
o 5 cloves of garlic minced or grated
o juice and Zest of 2 lemons
o 3 tbsp of red wine vinegar
o 1/4 c olive oil
o 1/3 c filtered water
o 2 tsp lemon pepper
o 1/2 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper
o 1/2 tbsp salt
o 2 tsp of fresh chives chopped (chives optional)
o 3 tsp Onion Salt from Trader Joe’s (can be substituted with a dried onion/garlic/green onion salt mixture)
o 1 1/2 tbsp of Herbs de Provence
o 1/4 c fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions:
1. Rinse chicken breasts, pat dry, and place them onto a cutting board, either covered by a thin towel, plastic wrap, paper towel, etc. You could also put them into a Ziploc bag for the same desired effect. Pound meat with a meat mallet or rolling pin into an even thickness.
2. If you have small or medium sized chicken breasts, skip this step. If you have larger chicken breasts, you could cut them in half horizontally to make them all roughly the same size. This is something I usually do as it helps to let the chicken cook evenly.
3. Combine all other ingredients in a small bowl. I find using a whisk to mix everything together is easiest.
4. Place your chicken into a gallon size plastic bag or onto a shallow glass container with a lid. You want to ensure that the liquid is able to cover all surface area of the chicken with an even coating.
5. Add marinade to bag/container with chicken and let sit for at least 2 hours, but 12-24 hours is ideal for moist, juicy chicken! Important: do not marinade longer than 24 hours otherwise chicken will start to break down.
6. Cook and enjoy! I prefer to grill my chicken at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-10 minutes each side, or when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Notes:
o If you’re not a garlic person, adding 2-3 cloves would suffice.
o Grilling or baking chicken vs using the stovetop seems to be the best way to keep in moisture to prevent dry, chewy chicken.
o Whatever cooking method you use, make sure to pat dry the chicken prior to cooking otherwise the extra juices/bits might burn.