Rooster breasts marinated in a daring mixture of lemon, garlic, honey, paprika, and herbs, then pounded, grilled, and basted with a light-weight honey-mustard drizzle. Be taught step-by-step methods and ideas for grilling juicy hen breasts.

Simple, Restaurant-High quality Grilled Rooster
My recipe offers you all the guidelines for tender, juicy grilled hen breasts—by no means bland or rubbery—together with a daring marinade, a light-weight honey-mustard drizzle, and the important thing strategy of pounding for even cooking. Should you do not wish to grill, use my recipe for pan-seared hen breasts.
- Lemon-Herb-Garlic Marinade: I take advantage of a mixture of lemon juice, zest, garlic, honey, paprika, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper to tenderize the hen breasts and infuse them with flavors that stand out from fundamental oil-and-herb marinades. No extra dry or rubbery hen breasts! Grilled hen pairs effectively with my creamy garlic parmesan orzo or refreshing Greek orzo.
- Grilling Ideas: I present step-by-step directions for grilling hen breasts on a stovetop grill pan or an out of doors fuel grill, so it’s simple to make year-round—not simply in the summertime. By pounding the hen to an excellent thickness, I be certain it grills evenly and stays juicy, with no dry edges or undercooked spots.
- Full Meal: I pair grilled hen breasts with grilled zucchini rounds, however the marinade and sauce work with any grilled veggies—like asparagus, corn, or bell peppers, making it a strong possibility for summer season dinners, fast meal prep, or wholesome lunches. You’ll be able to also can serve the hen with my roasted garlic mashed potatoes, baked asparagus with bacon and cheese, Mediterranean orzo salad, or cilantro-lime black bean rice. Or, merely make my grilled hen salad.

Greatest Rooster Marinade
My hen marinade makes use of these substances: olive oil, lemon juice and zest, honey, paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and pepper. It provides savory, herby taste and in addition tenderizes the meat for juicier outcomes. This marinade works for any boneless hen—breasts, thighs, or tenders—with as little as quarter-hour of marinating, and can be utilized for grilling, pan-searing, or baking.

Greatest Rooster Breasts for Grilling
I at all times go for skinless, boneless hen breasts which might be uniform in dimension and thickness. I want recent hen over beforehand frozen as a result of it holds moisture and texture higher on the grill. If I do use frozen hen, I be certain it’s totally thawed and pat it fully dry to take away any extra moisture. If the breasts are thick, I slice them in half or pound them to about ½-inch thickness for even cooking, and I trim off any extra fats or connective tissue earlier than marinating.

Ideas for Completely Grilled Rooster Breasts
- Open Flame Grill (Fuel or Charcoal): Set your grill to medium-high warmth. If utilizing an open flame fuel grill, permit it to totally preheat earlier than putting the hen on. For thicker breasts, sear over direct warmth first to get colour, then transfer to a cooler a part of the grill (oblique warmth) to complete cooking with out burning the surface.
- Correct Rooster Prep: Pat hen dry earlier than grilling to encourage browning, and at all times pound hen to an excellent thickness for uniform cooking. Use tongs to flip the hen, not a fork, to keep away from piercing and dropping juices.
- Verify for Doneness and Relaxation: Use an instant-read thermometer to examine for 165°F on the thickest level. As soon as cooked, let the hen breasts relaxation for five minutes off the warmth earlier than slicing to maintain it juicy.
- Keep away from Overcooking: Rooster breasts dry out shortly, so hold a detailed eye whereas grilling. For a juicier end result, take the hen off the grill when it reaches 160°F, then let it relaxation—the temperature will rise to 165°F because it sits. Should you’re grilling a number of items, place the thicker components in direction of hotter areas and thinner components in direction of cooler spots.
- Let the Rooster Relaxation: Resting is essential—don’t skip it. Cowl the grilled hen loosely with foil for about 5 minutes after cooking. This permits the juices to redistribute, making each chunk moist and flavorful.
- Slice In opposition to the Grain: When able to serve, slice the hen breasts towards the grain. This makes it extra tender and simpler to eat, particularly in case you’re serving it over salads or in sandwiches.

Extra Rooster Breast Recipes
- Basil Pesto Tomato Mozzarella Rooster Bake
- Mexican Road Corn Black Bean Rooster Bake
- Mediterranean Rooster
- Mozzarella Rooster with Tomato Sauce and Mushrooms
- Bacon Pineapple BBQ Rooster
- Rooster with Bacon Mustard Sauce

Grilled Rooster Breasts
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Substances
For the marinade + hen:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- Salt and pepper to style
- 2 lb hen breasts skinless and boneless (4 hen breasts)
For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt to style
- 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 ¼ tablespoons honey
To serve with:
- 2 medium zucchini (zucchini rounds grilled)
- Contemporary herbs chopped, like parsley, thyme, or rosemary
Directions
Put together the marinade:
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In a bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, paprika powder, dried Italian herbs, garlic, and salt and pepper to style.
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Whisk till effectively mixed. Reserve round 3 tablespoons of the marinade and put aside.
Marinate the hen:
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Place the hen onto a chopping board and canopy with plastic foil. Pound the hen with a meat mallet till ½-inch thick evenly throughout the floor.
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Add the hen to the ready marinade and coat effectively. Marinate the hen within the fridge for 4 hours, flipping the hen midway by means of. This may guarantee all of the hen items are coated evenly.
Grill the hen:
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Evenly oil the pan: Use a paper towel dipped in high-smoke-point cooking oil to evenly coat the pan earlier than cooking. Do not use an excessive amount of oil, as it will probably trigger smoking.
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Preheat the grill pan to get sizzling over medium-high warmth earlier than including the hen. This helps create good grill marks and prevents sticking.
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Take away the hen breasts from the marinade and discard the marinade.
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Add the hen and grill for 4-5 minutes per facet, with out shifting. Don’t overcrowd the pan: Go away area between the items so warmth circulates and the hen sears reasonably than steams.
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EXTRA TIPS for utilizing a grill pan:
Use a spatula or grill press to softly press the hen into the ridges for higher grill marks and even cooking.
Preserve the kitchen vent on: Grill pans can get smoky. Activate the exhaust fan or open a window for higher air flow.
End with a Lid (if Wanted): For thick hen breasts, cowl the pan with a lid after flipping to assist the within prepare dinner by means of with out burning the surface.
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Set the hen apart to relaxation whilst you put together the mustard sauce. All the time let the hen relaxation for a couple of minutes after grilling to maintain it juicy.
Serving sauce (honey-mustard sauce):
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Add extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt to style, Dijon mustard, and honey in a mini meals blender or a bowl. Mix or whisk till emulsified and thick.
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Serve the grilled hen with grilled zucchinis and drizzled with honey-mustard sauce.
Notes
- How one can grill zucchini: Slice zucchini into thick rounds and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little bit garlic powder or recent minced garlic earlier than grilling. Grill zucchini about 5–7 minutes, turning a couple of times.
- Pound the hen: Cowl your hen with plastic foil earlier than pounding it with a meat mallet to forestall the hen from splattering throughout the kitchen surfaces. It’s also a good suggestion to put a chunk of plastic foil beneath the hen, as this may stop your hen from breaking whereas being pounded.
- Different instruments: You can too pound your hen with a rolling pin in case you do not need a meat mallet.
- Grill undisturbed: When grilling hen, be sure you don’t transfer it round. Let it grill on one facet, with out flipping. This may guarantee you have got these good grill marks.
- Use digital meat thermometer: When the thermometer reaches 165°F, the hen is cooked.
- Serve the hen with grilled zucchinis, mango avocado salad, peach salsa, grilled peaches, or different desired grilled veggies to make it a whole meal. See extra serving recommendations above this recipe card.
Storage, Reheating, Freezing, and Make-Forward Directions
- Storage: Retailer leftover grilled hen in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat the hen gently in a skillet over low warmth or within the microwave till simply warmed by means of. Add a splash of water or additional marinade to forestall drying out.
- Freezing: You’ll be able to freeze cooked hen breasts for as much as 2 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating. Sauce is greatest made recent.
- Make-Forward: Marinate the hen as much as 24 hours upfront. The honey-mustard sauce can be made forward and refrigerated.
Diet
How To Grill Rooster Breasts (in 4 Simple Steps)
- STEP 1. Make the marinade: In a bowl, whisk collectively olive oil, lemon juice and zest, honey, paprika, Italian herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the marinade and put aside.

- STEP 2. Pound the hen: Place the hen breasts on a chopping board, cowl with plastic wrap, and pound to ½-inch thickness for even cooking.

- STEP 3. Marinate the hen: Add the hen to the marinade, coat effectively, and refrigerate for 4 hours, flipping midway to make sure all items are evenly marinated.
- STEP 4. Grill the hen: Warmth 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil in a grill skillet over medium-high warmth. Take away the hen from the marinade, discard the used marinade, and grill for 4–5 minutes per facet with out shifting. Within the final minute, brush with the reserved marinade. Let the hen relaxation.

- FOR SERVING. Make the honey-mustard sauce/glaze: mix or whisk collectively extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, Dijon mustard, and honey till emulsified. Serve the grilled hen with grilled zucchini slices and drizzle with the honey-mustard sauce.



