Description
This recipe delivers flavorful, juicy grilled chicken breasts using a zesty lemon-honey marinade with Dijon mustard and smoked paprika for a perfect balance of tang and sweetness. Thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts are marinated, grilled to perfection, and served tender and moist.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless-skinless chicken breast thin cutlets (approximately 1 ½ – 2 pounds total weight)
Marinade
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare chicken: Place the boneless-skinless chicken breast cutlets into a large, heavy-duty zip-top bag and set aside.
- Make marinade: In a mixing bowl, whisk together fresh lemon juice, canola oil, honey, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper until fully combined.
- Marinate chicken: Pour the marinade over the chicken in the zip-top bag. Seal the bag tightly, squeezing out as much air as possible, place it on a plate, and refrigerate to marinate for 1 hour.
- Preheat grill: Preheat an outdoor gas grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grill chicken - first side: Place the marinated chicken breasts on the grill, close the lid, and cook for 8 minutes.
- Grill chicken - second side: Flip the chicken over and cook for an additional 8 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Rest chicken: Remove grilled chicken to a plate, turn off the grill safely, and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Using pre-packaged thin cutlets makes preparation quick and easy. For thick or bone-in breasts, butterfly or pound to uniform thickness for even cooking.
- Marinade amounts can be doubled or halved depending on the quantity of chicken.
- This marinade keeps chicken moist and tender with a universal flavor that complements many dishes.
- Thicker or bone-in breasts can be marinated up to 8 hours; thin cutlets only need 1-2 hours. Adjust grilling time accordingly.
- You can substitute olive oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil for canola oil.
- Dried thyme is convenient; if using fresh thyme, increase to 2 teaspoons since fresh herbs are less potent.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast (approx. 4 oz)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
