Grilled chicken with lemon and herbs is the kind of recipe that never gets old. The marinade — bright with citrus, fragrant with oregano and thyme — penetrates the meat in an hour and then caramelizes on the grill into something slightly charred, deeply savory, and impossible to stop eating. Perfect for summer, but worth making year-round on a grill pan.
The Marinade
Combine all marinade ingredients. Score the chicken 2–3 times to let the marinade penetrate. Coat thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Up to 8 hours is ideal — beyond that, the acid starts to break down the texture.
The Grill
Remove chicken from fridge 30 minutes before grilling. Shake off excess marinade — wet chicken steams and won't get grill marks. Preheat grill to medium-high.
- For breasts: 6–7 minutes per side over direct heat
- For thighs bone-in: 8 minutes direct, then move to indirect for 15 minutes
- Do not move the chicken for the first 4 minutes — let the grates sear a clean mark
- Rotate 90° halfway through each side for crosshatch marks
- Rest 5 minutes off the heat before serving
"A clean, oiled grill is the difference between chicken that releases cleanly and chicken that tears and sticks. Heat the grates, then wipe with an oiled paper towel using tongs. Every time."
Serve with a simple salad, tzatziki, or grilled vegetables. Squeeze a fresh lemon over the chicken the moment it comes off the grill — the heat releases the aromatics from the juice in a way that bottled lemon never matches.