Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken Breast
46g protein. The chicken breast that actually tastes good.
Seasoned, grilled chicken breast with a lemon-garlic cream drizzle. Perfectly juicy, sliced thick, and proof that chicken breast does not have to be boring.
Let me be real: I have eaten more chicken breast in my life than any human should. During wrestling season, it was chicken breast for lunch and dinner, five days a week, for four months straight. Most of that chicken was terrible. Dry, unseasoned, cooked in a microwave sometimes. I still have flashbacks.
This recipe is my redemption arc. The secret is brining. Not a fancy brine with twelve ingredients. Just salt water for 30 minutes. It changes the texture completely. The chicken stays juicy even if you slightly overcook it, which you will eventually because life happens. After that, the garlic-lemon seasoning does the heavy lifting on flavor.
The cream sauce is optional but it makes this go from good to great. Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, parsley. You can drizzle it on or dip the chicken in it. Either way, you are getting an extra hit of protein from the yogurt. I batch cook four of these on Sunday and slice them for salads, bowls, wraps, or just eating straight out of the container at my desk.
Lemon Garlic Grilled Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- FOR THE CHICKEN
- FOR THE LEMON GARLIC CREAM
Instructions
- Dissolve 2 tablespoons salt in 4 cups water. Submerge chicken breasts and brine for 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours in the fridge. Remove and pat completely dry.
- Whisk olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, smoked paprika, onion powder, and black pepper. Coat the chicken evenly.
- Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (about 425F). Cook chicken 6-7 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Do not press down on the chicken while it cooks.
- Rest the chicken for 5 minutes on a cutting board. This is non-negotiable. Cutting it immediately lets all the juice run out.
- Make the cream: stir together Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Slice chicken at an angle into thick strips. Drizzle with lemon garlic cream and garnish with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.