This lemon chicken marinade on grilled chicken has quickly become a summertime favorite for us. The marinade uses Greek yogurt as a tenderizer, with bright notes from lemon zest and juice, plenty of garlic, and herbs.

A close up of grilled lemon chicken sliced and displayed on a white and blue vintage plate thats on a wooden board.

A while ago, I shared my favorite grilled chicken marinade that I’ve used for years. And while I still love that recipe, I wanted to make another marinade that could be more of an everyday, go-with-anything type of chicken recipe.

And this recipe is just that! And while the ingredients are simple, the flavors are anything but. This is THE chicken marinade to make for summer! The chicken comes out so tender and juicy – which is rarely the case when grilling chicken breasts, and they’re packed with flavor.

You can almost always find me serving this alongside some grilled zucchini, a refreshing summer salad, and some potato salad – summer on a plate!

Ingredients

See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.

Chicken breasts – boneless/skinless thighs can also be used!
Greek yogurt – the lactic acid in Greek yogurt helps tenderize the chicken perfectly, especially when marinated for a longer period of time.
Lemon – fresh lemon juice is used for acidity, and lemon zest for a bright lemony flavor.
Olive oil – this will help create a vinaigrette-type marinade and give richness.
Italian herbs – I use a dried Italian herb blend (dried basil, parsley, oregano, and rosemary).
Garlic – lots of garlic cloves are used for deep flavor. You can mince or press the garlic for a more pungent flavor or crush it for a milder flavor.

How to Make Lemon Chicken Marinade

A collage of two photos showing steps for making grilled lemon chicken marinade. The first photo is labeled step one, where the marinade ingredients are in a clear glass bowl on a wooden board. The second image, labeled step two, is a whisk mixing the marinade ingredients together.

1

Combine the Greek yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, italian seasoning, lemon juice & zest, and salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl.
2

Whisk the ingredients together until combined.

A collage of two images showing how to make grilled lemon chicken. The first image, labeled step three, is chicken breasts in a clear glass bowl with marinade in it and a fork moving the chicken around. The second photo is the chicken marinading in the clear glass bowl of marinade.

3

Dry the chicken breasts with paper towels and place in the marinade. Toss generously until the chicken is completely covered. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours and up to 24 hours for most flavorful and tender results.

A collage of two images showing how to make grilled lemon chicken. The first image, labeled 4, shows the marinated chicken breasts on the grill. The 2nd image labeled 5, shows the chicken finished cooking sliced and on a plate surrounded by lemons and herbs.

4

Preheat your grill to 425-450F. Grill the marinated chicken for about 5 minutes on both sides or until the internal temp is 160F with a meat thermometer.

Note: I used a pellet grill which doesn’t quite get as hot as propane, so adjust your time and heat accordingly.
5

Remove from grill and cover with foil on a plate for an additional 8-10 minutes so the chicken can rest and continue to cook fully to 165F.

Serve immediately. Enjoy! 🙂

Tips for Tender Grilled Chicken

Milk or Greek Yogurt is key. Both milk and yogurt contain lactic acid, which is key for tenderizing meats. I chose Greek yogurt because it’s even better than milk for tenderizing, but you can use either!

Marinate for 24 hours. This was the best result I had in all my testing. I did multiple tests at 3 hours of marinating and then tests that were 6-8 hours. All were good and flavorful, but they did not compare to the flavor of a 24-hour marinade. The chicken was notably far more tender and juicier, with a flavor that spread throughout the entire breast. I know it’s hard to plan ahead (I am not a planner haha), but this recipe is worth it! However, if you only marinate it for a few hours, it will still be delicious!

Grill until the chicken breasts reach 160°F, then remove and cover. This is essential for getting tender results. Pull the chicken off the grill once the thickest part reaches 160°F (it’s not fully cooked until 165°F). Cover it with foil, let it sit for 8-10 minutes, and the chicken will continue to cook during that time. The results are perfect when this is done! If you are using chicken thighs, this rule does not apply – cook until the internal temperature reaches 175°F or higher, then cover and rest!

A close up of grilled lemon chicken sliced on a vintage white and blue plate. The plate of chicken is displayed on a brown wooden board with lemons and a napkin placed around it.

What to Serve with This

We love serving this with a side of potato salad, grilled zucchini, and a salad like my Artichoke Summer Salad! You can serve this with any of your favorite summer side dishes.