Garlic and Herb Marinated Chicken

Try this incredibly tender garlic and herb marinated chicken recipe! You can cook these flavorful and juicy chicken breasts in a cast-iron skillet, in the oven, or on the grill. 

Our garlic and herb-marinated chicken breasts are so delicious and easy to make. The marinade can be mixed in minutes, and there are several options for cooking the breasts.

Another bonus: You can serve the garlic herb-marinated chicken in countless ways. Just as they are, as a main dish, with some sides like Cheesy Smashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potatoes, and Beet Apple Salad, you can slice them and serve them on crunchy salad; you can make sandwiches or wraps.

Marinating chicken breasts improves their taste by adding flavors like garlic, herbs, or spices. It also helps to make the chicken softer and juicier when you cook it. And while I strongly recommend making this super flavorful garlic and herb marinade for chicken, you can experiment with other flavors, too. For instance, try the one we used to make these amazing Mediterranean Lamb Chops.

Recipe ingredients

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: For consistent cooking, choose chicken breasts that are alike in size and thickness, ideally weighing about 7 oz/200 g each. Try our Crispy Panko Chicken, too.
• Fresh herbs: I often use a combination of herbs that grow in my garden in spring, such as parsley, thyme, oregano, basil, maybe chives, and a bit of lovage. But don’t worry—you can make this garlic and herb marinade for chicken any time of the year. 
  • Use whatever herbs are available at the grocery store; if you have only parsley, you will still love the flavor.
• Fresh garlic: Two or three fat garlic cloves (to taste – for me, the more, the better when it comes to garlic).
• Other chicken marinade ingredients are honey, lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, red chili flakes or cayenne pepper, fine sea salt, and ground black pepper.

How to make chicken with garlic and herb marinade?

Step #1: Blend chopped herbs, garlic, and remaining marinade ingredients in a small food processor.

Step #2: Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken pieces to an even thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap. 

Step #3: Marinate the breasts for 30 minutes (on the counter) and up to 3 hours (in the fridge). Bring to room temperature before cooking. 

Step #4: Pan-fry the chicken breasts in a large cast iron skillet or frying pan for 13-15 minutes, flipping a few times in between. Rest before serving. 

Alternative cooking methods

Chicken breasts cooking time

Internal temperature for cooked chicken breasts

To ensure the chicken breasts are cooked through, check the internal temperature using an instant-read meat thermometer (the Amazon link opens in a new tab); it should be 165°F/74°C. 

How to store and reheat?

• Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Use the leftovers for other dishes, such as Enchiladas, Chicken Soup, sandwiches, tortillas, and quesadillas. 
• Freeze leftovers in freezer bags for 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat before serving. 
• Reheat in the microwave at 20-second intervals, in a skillet over medium heat, or in the oven at 350°F/ 175°C for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.

📖 Recipe

Garlic and Herb Marinated Chicken

Try this easy and flavorful garlic and herb-marinated chicken breast recipe; it’s perfect for cooking in a cast-iron skillet, grilling, or baking.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Marinating time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 248kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

• ▢
  Cast iron skillet or frying pan

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts Note 1
• ▢ 1 small bunch of fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, oregano, basil, chives, etc, Note 1
• ▢ 2-3 garlic cloves grated, to taste
• ▢ 1 lemon Note 2
• ▢ 2-3 teaspoons honey to taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ▢ ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil divided

Instructions

Herb garlic marinade:

• Marinade: Blend lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs, honey, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, soy sauce, salt, and pepper in a small blender until smooth. Taste it and add more lemon juice or honey if you want. Adjust until it's just right.

  1 small bunch of fresh herbs + 2-3 garlic cloves + 1 lemon + 2-3 teaspoons honey + 1 tablespoon soy sauce + 2 tablespoon of the oil + ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

  Alternatively, chop the herbs finely and mix them with the remaining marinade ingredients.
• Tenderize chicken: Place the breasts on a cutting board between two sheets of plastic wrap. Gently hit them with the meat mallet until they achieve an even thickness. This helps them cook evenly and quickly.

  4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• Marinate the chicken: Combine the breasts and the marinade. Leave it on the counter for 30 minutes or in the fridge for about 3 hours. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.

  Alternatively, use a Ziplock bag to hold the chicken and marinade. Seal the bag and press out the extra air.

Cook marinated chicken:

• Cook chicken: Heat a cast-iron skillet very well (for 5 to 10 minutes). Add the rest of the oil, then the breasts. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 13-15 minutes, turning it a few times but leaving it alone for the first 4-5 minutes.

  1 tablespoon of the oil
• Lower heat: After the first few minutes, lower the heat and move the chicken around in the skillet if the chicken gets too dark too quickly.
• Check if it's done with an instant-read thermometer; it should be 165°F/74°C. Or poke a skewer into the thickest part; the juices should be clear. Be careful not to overcook. Rest the meat for about 5 minutes before serving.

Alternative cooking methods:

• Oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake the chicken for 18-22 minutes, depending on its size (between 6 – 8 oz/ 180 – 240 g). If it is large, increase the baking time slightly. Make sure to check that the chicken is cooked through.
• Grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and cook the marinated chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through but not overcooked.

Notes

1. Herbs: You can use a combination of 2 or 3 of your favorite fresh herbs, whatever it’s available. If all you have is a bunch of parsley, that’s great too.
2. Lemon: It is preferable to use an unwaxed lemon as you will need some of its zest as well.

Nutrition

Serving: 1chicken breast | Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 981mg | Potassium: 483mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 138IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

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