Italian Herb Grilled Chicken Breast (Over the Stove!)

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Cooking With Anadi

12K subscribers · lemon, garlic, oregano and chili flakes on a chicken breast

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Grilled chicken is such a staple for me. I’ll be honest with you and share that I actually usually don’t think about grilling my chicken when it comes to meals. I usually opt for baked chicken, such as for Juicy Chicken Shawarmas or Chicken Tikka, or pan-frying my chicken, as I do for Hot & Spicy Cajun Chicken Spaghetti. I like to treat grilling chicken as a treat. As I mention in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, going out to eat can inspire you to cook up your restaurant favorites from home! Those of us who love chicken all know of a time where we’ve had some incredible grilled chicken, so there’s no reason not to bring this to your everyday cooking!

I’m not sure why I do that, though, because grilling chicken is quite simple and it’s well worth it! It may seem intimidating, but there’s no need to be worried about getting your grilling game on! For a full in-depth tutorial on making the perfect grilled chicken with tips and tricks, I recommend you read my blog post about Mastering the Art of a Juicy Grilled Chicken.

Seriously, though. There’s something about making some grilled chicken that really hits the spot. You can have it alone or use it in pasta, sandwiches, or burgers. I’ll list some serving suggestions later on in this post, so be sure to keep reading! Grilled chicken is so versatile!

If chicken breast is a pesky protein for you then this Italian Herb marinade for grilled chicken will definitely change that! Be sure to try out this easy and flavorful grilled chicken breast recipe as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can get started for free today by signing up to my email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be sent right to your inbox so that you never have dinner dilemmas again!

Don’t forget to watch the video recipe for all the tips and tricks and concepts explained in this post visually! If you’re not already, I would really appreciate it if you could please subscribe to my YouTube channel and be sure to hit the bell button so you get notified when my video recipes go live with the written ones! Let’s get grilling!

Why Make Italian Grilled Chicken Breast?

• Everyday marinade: Apart from a simple grilled chicken as I show in my grilling tutorial, this easy Italian chicken marinade is my favorite marinade for a grilled chicken! It’s really easy to make and really takes the classic grilled chicken up a notch! You just need a few spices and other ingredients to really transform your grilled chicken. Furthermore, what makes this Italian Herb Marinade an everyday chicken breast marinade that you can make whenever you want is that it’s a quick marinade. You only need to marinate your chicken for about 10 minutes to get all the deliciousness this marinade has to offer!
• Juicy chicken breast: This Italian marinade will deliver tons of flavor and no dry chicken breast will be the outcome of this recipe! Follow my tips and tricks to guarantee the best chicken breast you’ve ever had!
• Stovetop grilling: If you have a grill pan, then this Italian marinated chicken breast is accessible to everyone! I don’t have an outdoor BBQ, but I can still enjoy the satisfaction of some great grill marks and tasty grilled chicken!
• Healthy: We all know that chicken breast is deemed as an ultra healthy choice! Chicken breast is high in protein and low in fat. We’ve got some added healthy fats from the olive oil in the marinade that will promote heart health - and of course tastiness! You can use this Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast as a protein staple to pair with veggies, pasta, sandwiches, or potatoes for a balanced and satisfying meal.

Making some grilled chicken to meal prep is a fabulous idea too to save you time during the week! Because it’s so versatile, you can easily cook up extra chicken breasts and save them for later in the refrigerator, then reheat when you’re ready to enjoy! If you’re looking to meal prep some chicken breasts, then keep on reading because I’ve got storage and reheating instructions laid out at the bottom of this post. You’ll always have tasty protein on hand when you’re in a pinch for time!

Tools Needed to Make Italian Herb Grilled Chicken

• Meat thermometer
• Salt crock
• Cutting board
• Chef’s knife
• Plastic wrap
• Mixing bowls
• Garlic press
• Rolling pin
• Gloves
• Pepper mill
• Tongs
• Olive oil dispenser
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Grill pan

Ingredients for Italian Herb Grilled Chicken

The marinade will only require a few ingredients that are pantry staples. Check out what you’ll need for this fabulous juicy grilled chicken. Remember, you can scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD or press the “Jump to Recipe” button to see all ingredient quantities and to save the recipe for later. You can also scale the recipe so that you know how much marinade you need based on how many chicken breasts you want to cook. By default, the marinade is for one medium chicken breast.

• Olive oil: Oil in the marinade will penetrate through the meat, enhancing all the other amazing flavors in it! It’s really important to use a sufficient amount here, as this really helps the chicken to get tender. You can also use the leftover marinade to add to the grill pan!
• Lemon juice: Adds a nice zest to the marinade.
• Oregano: This is what’s going to make our Italian Herb marinade a success! You can use an Italian seasoning blend as well, but oregano is easy because you probably already have it in your pantry!
• Chili flakes: Adds a bit of heat to the marinade.
• Salt and pepper: To taste.
• White vinegar: A few drops will go a long way here. Don’t overdo it! You just want a bit extra acidity to the marinade.
• Garlic: Minced cloves.

Tips for Italian Herb Grilled Chicken Breast

• Make sure to pound/tenderize the chicken evenly to ensure it cooks evenly and quickly. Alternatively, you can butterfly the chicken instead of pounding it thin.
• While 10-15 minutes to marinate helps add flavor to the chicken, if time permits, marinating for at least 30 minutes will help with developing a deeper flavor.
• Make sure to perform the water droplet test on the grill pan before cooking the chicken. If a drop of water dances around the pan before evaporating, the pan is hot enough.
• Don’t move the chicken for the first 3-4 minutes to allow for the chicken to get a good sear and grill marks. Once the chicken is ready to flip, it should release very easily.

How to Make Juicy Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast

Portioning the Chicken

Chicken Breast (Grill Pan only): Place the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound the chicken to about 1/4 inch thickness using a meat tenderizer or a heavy object (like a rolling pin or pan).

Chicken Breast (Grill Pan + Oven): Marinate the chicken breast whole without pounding.

For sandwich portions: If using a large chicken breast (>150 g), cut it diagonally into two equal halves. Place the portions in a Ziploc bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to about 1/4 inch thickness.

For the Easy Italian Marinade for Chicken

Combine all marinade ingredients (olive oil to salt and pepper) in a bowl and whisk well. Add the chicken and marinate for at least 10-15 minutes.

How to Grill the Chicken

Cooking on a Grill Pan

Place a grill pan on medium heat until hot. Test readiness by sprinkling water on the pan; if droplets dance and evaporate, the pan is ready.

Place the marinated chicken on the hot grill, letting any excess marinade drip back into the bowl.

Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side until lightly charred. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes on low heat, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) at its thickest point.

Finish Cooking in the Oven

For the whole unpounded chicken breast flip the chicken and transfer it to an oven preheated to 350°F (175°C).

Cook for 8-12 minutes or until the internal temperature at the thickest point is 165°F (74°C).

Resting

Let the chicken rest for 2-4 minutes before slicing or serving.

What to Serve with Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken

Here are some recipes I have that feature Italian Grilled Chicken!

• Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken and Peas
• California Grilled Chicken Burger

You can also serve it with salads, such as:

• Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Almonds, Gurkensalat - German Cucumber Salad or replace the Simple Grilled Chicken Breast that’s in my Chicken Caesar Salad recipe!

With vegetable side dishes, such as:

• Garlic Creamed Spinach
• Garlic-Butter Sautéed Broccoli

Potatoes:

• Easy Baked Greek Lemon Potatoes
• Crispy Patatas Bravas
• Butter Garlic-Herb Mashed Potatoes
• Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
• Super Easy Butter & Garlic-Herb Sautéed Baby Potatoes

Fries:

• Air Fryer Waffles Fries from Scratch
• Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
• Air Fryer French Fries
• Air Fryer Feta Fries

Soup:

• Simple Roasted Tomato Soup
• Vegan Minestrone Soup
• French Onion Soup
• One-Pot Cream of Asparagus Soup

Bread:

• Pita Bread, where you can use the chicken breast as a wrap with some greens, Toum Garlic Sauce or Spicy Mayo, and veggies of your choice!
• White paratha, if you want to make some chicken wraps using homemade bread! You could also use Rumali Roti for a luxurious experience!

Storing Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast in the Fridge

Allow the cooked Italian Herb Chicken Breasts to completely cool down, then transfer them into an airtight container. Cooked chicken breast will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days. If you will not eat it within that timeframe, then the good news is that cooked Italian Herb Chicken Breast is freezer-friendly!

Storing Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast in the Freezer

Yes, you can store your cooked chicken breast in the freezer! To prevent freezer-burn, keep the cooked Italian Herb Grilled Chicken for no longer than 4 months.

Reheating Italian Herb Grilled Chicken

The best way to reheat the chicken while trying to preserve its moistness would be in the oven. Just preheat the oven to 350F and place the chicken in an oven-safe dish with some chicken broth or water. Then cover and heat for 15-20 minutes, the extra splash of liquid will help with keeping the chicken moist. You can technically do the same on a pan, and use a lid to gently heat the chicken with a splash of water or broth.

The quickest way to reheat your Italian Herb Grilled Chicken is to microwave it for about 30 seconds to a minute, depending on the thickness of the chicken breast and how much you are reheating at once. Be careful though since over-heating in the microwave will cause the chicken to turn rubbery.

More Essential Chicken Cooking Techniques!

• Perfectly Poached Chicken Breast
• No-Fail Roast Chicken
• Grilled Greek Souvlaki Chicken Skewers
• Panko-Crusted Lemon and Thyme Chicken Schnitzel
• Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Building Your Italian Herb Blend

The marinade leans on half a teaspoon of dried oregano, and as the ingredient notes say, an Italian seasoning blend works just as well. It is worth knowing what is actually in that jar, though, because then you can put it together from whatever is already in your cabinet.

A standard Italian blend is oregano first, then basil, thyme, rosemary and marjoram in smaller amounts. Oregano is the backbone - the most assertive of the five and the one that reads as Italian on its own, which is why it can carry this marinade by itself. Basil softens it and adds a little sweetness. Thyme and marjoram give a quiet savory depth you notice more when they are missing than when they are there. Rosemary is the one to go easy on: it is resinous and will take over a marinade this small if you use as much of it as you would oregano.

A few practical notes if you are mixing your own:

• Dried rather than fresh for this one. Dried herbs release their oils into the olive oil over the ten to fifteen minutes the chicken sits, which is exactly what a quick marinade needs. If fresh is all you have, use roughly three times as much and chop it finely.
• If you swap in a blend, keep the total at that same half teaspoon. Increasing it does not make the chicken taste more of herbs - it just leaves loose dried herb on the surface that scorches on a hot grill pan.
• Extra virgin olive oil is fine here despite the heat, because the oil is on the chicken rather than sitting in the pan, and most of the excess is meant to drip back into the bowl before the chicken goes down.
• Fresh minced garlic is what the recipe calls for and it is better, but a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder will stand in if you have none - with the small advantage that it will not catch and blacken on the pan the way minced garlic sometimes does.

Chicken Thighs, and Other Cuts That Work

This marinade is not fussy about what it goes on. If you would rather use boneless skinless chicken thighs, they are arguably the easier option:

• No pounding needed. Thighs are already thin and reasonably even, so you can skip the Ziploc and rolling pin entirely and go straight into the marinade.
• They are far more forgiving. A breast goes from perfect to dry inside a minute; a thigh has enough fat and connective tissue that a little extra time on the pan will not ruin it.
• Still cook to 165 F (74 C) at the thickest point, the same target as the breast. Thighs are often taken a touch past that on purpose because their texture keeps improving, which is not true of breast.
• They render more fat onto the grill pan, which gives you a better char and, in exchange, a smokier kitchen. Turn the extractor on before you start.

Everything else stays exactly the same: marinate for ten to fifteen minutes, do the water droplet test on the pan, leave the chicken alone for the first few minutes so it can build a sear, and rest it for two to four minutes before slicing.

And if you do not own a grill pan, a plain cast iron or heavy stainless skillet will do all of this apart from the grill marks. You lose the stripes and gain a full surface sear instead, which is arguably the better result for sandwich portions anyway.

Is Italian Herb Grilled Chicken Gluten-Free and Low Carb?

The marinade is olive oil, a minced garlic clove, the juice of half a lemon, half a teaspoon of oregano, chili flakes, a few drops of vinegar, salt and pepper. There is no flour in it, no breadcrumb coating and no sugar, so the chicken as written is naturally gluten free and about as low carb as a main course gets - the only carbohydrate in the whole thing is the small amount that comes along with the lemon juice.

Two things are worth checking before you call it either. The first is the vinegar. Distilled white, apple cider, red wine and white wine vinegars are all fine; malt vinegar is brewed from barley and is not gluten free, so that is the one to leave out if it matters to you. The second is a bought herb seasoning blend, if you use one in place of the oregano - most are nothing but dried herbs, but some carry anti-caking agents or flour-based fillers, so read the label rather than assuming.

Where gluten and carbohydrates actually enter is at the serving stage, not the cooking one. Putting the sandwich portions into pita or paratha, or laying the chicken over pasta, is what changes the arithmetic. The salads and the sauteed broccoli further up this page leave it exactly where it started.

Cooking More Than One Portion

The recipe card is written for a single serving: one medium chicken breast, half a tablespoon of olive oil, one garlic clove, half a lemon and half a teaspoon of oregano. Thirty minutes end to end, split evenly down the middle - fifteen minutes of prep and a cook time of fifteen. The marinade scales straight up, so doubling or tripling every quantity is all the arithmetic you need.

What does not scale is the pan. Keep the grill pan at medium as the method says, not medium-high heat, and cook in batches with space around each piece. Medium-high sounds like the faster route and is not: at that temperature the half tablespoon of olive oil and the minced garlic clinging to the surface blacken well before the inside of a quarter-inch breast is done. Crowding causes the opposite problem - the pan temperature drops, the chicken gives up moisture faster than it can evaporate, and you get grey steamed chicken with no sear at all. Wipe the pan between batches too, because the marinade that drips off will burn onto it and the next piece picks that up.

The cook time per batch does not change when you scale up, because it is governed by thickness rather than by quantity. Every piece is pounded to about a quarter inch, so it is still three to four minutes on the first side and one to two on the second, and still 165 F (74 C) at the thickest point. Cook two or three extra on purpose while the pan is hot - the storage and reheating sections above cover what to do with them.