Lemon Basil Chicken is so quick and easy! It’s perfect to toss in pasta, salad, wraps, pitas, etc. You will LOVE having this on hand!
This Lemon Basil Chicken Recipe is crazy juicy from an easy marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, basil, oregano, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes! It’s super easy and super flavorful – winning!
Who doesn’t love a good marinated chicken? Nay, a great marinated chicken? I love marinating chicken because it is the easiest way to tenderize chicken and infuse otherwise boring chicken with tons of flavor…
And by marinating chicken, all the work to create a flavorful bite is already done for you when its time to eat. All you have to do is cook the chicken!
I originally made this Lemon Basil Chicken Recipe for a summer roasted garden vegetable linguine I was making, and it was so tasty, I just couldn’t leave it alone.
I started cooking this chicken to have on hand so I could toss it any pasta, salad, wrap or sandwich I was making. SO convenient, SO delicous! My favorite lunch is a wheat wrap of lemon basil chicken, brown rice, lettuce and ranch yogurt sauce. Mmmmm, I eat that more than anything else – thanks to my Lemon Basil Chicken Recipe!
No matter how you use this chicken, each moist, tender bite is guaranteed to seep with lemon basil goodness. No more boring chicken!
You will love these easy Chicken Marinades
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 12 minutes |
| Servings |
- 1 pound chicken breasts 2-3 chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice approx. 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- dash of red pepper flakes optional
Ingredients
| Rate this recipe! |
- Place chicken inside a freezer bag and pound chicken thin with a meat mallet. (If you don't have a meat mallet, you can use the side of a can) Whisk marinade ingredients together and add to chicken. Marinate chicken for 4 hours up to overnight, occasionally flipping bag over.
- STOVETOP DIRECTIONS
- Let chicken sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (time permitting).
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed for 3-5 minutes, or until nicely browned (or blackened if you prefer) on one side. Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked through. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
- GRILLING DIRECTIONS
- Let chicken sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (time permitting) before grilling.
- Meanwhile, grease and preheat the grill to medium heat, 375-450°F.
- Grill chicken undisturbed for for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. (An inserted thermometer should read 165 degrees F.)
- Remove chicken from grill and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
- Delicious in pasta, salad, wraps, sandwiches, pitas, etc.
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Toni says
such a simple thing: marinating chicken… but it can make or break dinner right? Thanks for this great recipe… will try it this week! ps) looking forward to your hot lemon cake post!! 😉
Jen says
Hi Toni, good to hear from you! Yes, LOVE marinating chicken, can’t wait to hear how you like this Lemon Basil chicken! I haven’t gotten to making the Hot Lemon Cake yet (I always have huge list in my “to make” queue), but I will let you know as soon as I do. I am excited to make it – and eat it 🙂
Sophia @ NY Foodgasm says
Your shots are absolutely stunning, I don’t know how you do it!! You ever tried using fresh basil in this? I think that would be AMAZING!!
Kecia says
This type of pasta is absolutely one of my favorite things to eat! Wonderful recipe!
Jen says
Thank you so much Kecia! I love a light pasta with veggies and chicken in the summer!
Platter Talk says
We are in love with this chicken dish – thanks for sharing; it’s gorgeous!
Jen says
You are so kind Dan, thanks for bringing a smile to my face 🙂
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says
Looks tasty Jen! I am forever in need of new chicken breast recipes, so I’m totally giving this a try!
Jen says
Thanks so much Brandon! Its super quick and easy, hope you like it!
Sonrisa says
Made the chicken and loved it. This will be one of our weekly recipes!!!!
Jen says
YAY! So happy you loved it Sonrisa! Its a nice quick, easy, tasty one!
beverly terry says
hi,
i just got this lemon chicken recipe and would LOVE to have it on the pasta in the photograph (gorgeous photo!). what kind of ‘sauce’ or vinegrette did you use??
thanks!
Jen says
Hi Beverly, thanks so much for visiting! The pasta is from another recipe which it looks I need to post sooner rather than later! To simplify it, I roasted 12 oz. pkg. cherry tomatoes, 1 small zucchini, sliced and cut in half, and 1/2 bunch asparagus, cut into 1” pieces tossed with
4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper for 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until crisp-tender. I then combined these roasted vegetables and oil/spices with the 1 lb. pasta, 1/4 cup lemon juice, thyme, oregano, parsley, basil and up to 1 cup reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency. I hope that’s not too complicated written in this form! Enjoy!
Melody says
love to cook, and like you flavorful recipes
Jen says
Ah, thanks so much Melody! So happy you found my blog and love my recipes! I hope you continue to enjoy!
Sairah says
Lovely photos—I’ve long been on the look out for just such an “all-purpose” chicken recipe, so thanks for posting! Question for you: does this have to be thawed chicken that’s marinated? I have frozen chicken breasts, can I dump those in the freezer bag and let it marinate as it thaws overnight?
Jen says
Hi and thank you Sairah! I have never tried this recipe with frozen chicken but I think it should e just fine. Please let me know how it turns out!
Stacy says
WOW!!! This was a party in everyone’s mouth, absolutely delicious!!! I tripled the recipe to freeze some for future fajitas, but seriously we could not keep our hands off of this…We made this chicken with the roasted vegetables and linguini…I would love this with angel hair also so I can twist more of the pasta around all of those scrumptious veggies! YUM!!! Thanks again 🙂
Jen says
Awesome Stacy! I am so happy you loved it so much! and yes, it would be outstanding with angel hair as well! Thanks for making my day!!
Layne says
I made this tonight and included it in the salad and it was amazing! Jesse said we need to eat it more often. Thanks Jen!
Jen says
Awesome Layne, so happy you both liked it! Thank YOU!
Peachy says
I have lots of fresh basil in my garden. How much should i put if I make this recipe?
Jen says
How nice to have all those fresh herbs. The general rule is 3:1 fresh herbs vs dried. Enjoy!
Amy says
I love this recipe and have made it so many times. I generally sub rosemary for the basil, use fresh garlic and slice the chicken into strips before marinating. When I did a Whole30 this recipe was a go-to. Occasionally I mix the dry seasonings in advance and put them in an empty spice jar. New house gift: a jar of the seasonings, a bag of lemons, a nice bottle of olive oil, some simple instructions, and a gift card to a grocery store.
Jen says
Hi Amy, I was on a cruise without internet for over a week and I am all sorts of behind but thank you so much for your comment! I am thrilled you love this recipe so much and your substitutions sound fabulous! I LOVE your house gift idea – absolutely brilliant! I am going to have to borrow that 🙂 Thanks so much for making my recipes! It’s comments like yours that keep posting fun!