Combination of fresh lemon juice and simple dry rub is all you need for the easiest and tastiest grilled chicken breast. You’ll get juicy, tender and flavorful chicken every time in no time!

The best part is that you can play with different herb combinations for dry rub to change things up.
This simple lemon juice and dry rub combination is perfect treatment for chicken breasts for grilling when you’re short on time.
And because lemon juice is acidic, it’s not recommended to marinate chicken for longer than 2 hours, or the meat will get mushy and weird.
5 Simple Ingredients for Simplest and Tastiest Grilled Chicken Breasts
- Fresh lemon juice is the secret for our quick marinade. We’re piercing the chicken with a fork to ensure lemon juice penetrates deep into the meat, adding more flavor. And because lemon juice is acidic, it’s not recommended to marinate chicken for more than 2 hours, or it’ll make the meat mushy and weird.
- Change things up! You can play around with dry rub, using different seasonings, herbs and flavors. Adding olive oil, honey, garlic, replacing parsley with basil, rosemary, etc are all great ideas. The possibilities are limitless!
Quick Tip: Also avoid using any metal, or aluminum dishes for marinating chicken, because it’ll react with acid in lemon juice, adding metal flavor to meat and changing color of chicken. Stainless steel or glass bowl, or ziploc bag, or simple plate are your best bet.

What to serve with grilled chicken breasts?
These quick and easy grilled chicken breasts are great for any salads, grains, grilled vegetables, etc.

Quick & Easy Grilled Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt or your favorite seasoning salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium heat, and lightly oil grates using a paper towel soaked in oil. If using charcoal grill, pile one side with more charcoal than the other to create 2 level heat.
- Pour lemon juice into a shallow bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix together parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Dip chicken breasts in lemon juice, piercing with a fork to infuse the meat inside.
- Place the chicken breasts on a large plate.
- Sprinkle the prepared dry rub on both sides of chicken breasts.
- Cook chicken breasts on indirect heat (the side with less charcoal) for about 8 minutes per side.
- Then transfer onto direct heat (hotter side), or increase the heat to medium high, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until no longer pink and juices run clear. (This 2 heat-level method ensures meat cooks evenly throughout and yields juicy meat inside and nice grill marks on the outside.)
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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Reader's Reviews
Pamela J Miller says
I do this one every summer, since I live in the frozen north and we still have quite cold weather in May this year, but seeing this has inspired me to get to grilling anyway! Great recipe and I love your tips <3
Shinee says
I have yet to dust off my grill this year, but may this coming weekend! Hope you’ll try and enjoy this recipe, Pamela.
Liz Della Croce says
Love how easy this is – and so flavorful!
Shinee says
Thank you, Liz. It sure is easy one!
Wilhelmina Wessel says
I am looking forward to trying this!
Shinee says
Yay, hope you’ll love it, Wilhelmina! Let us know if you try it. Thanks!