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This Easy Grilled Chicken Recipe is completely Foolproof and 100% delicious, and I bet you’ll make it over and over! And this recipe that I’ve been making for years is as easy as it gets for tasty grilled chicken that’s also extra low in carbs!
PIN this Easy Grilled Chicken Recipe to try it later!
There are a lot of different kinds of cooks in the world. And if you’re a busy parent who wants something easy that kids will eat or a low-carb eater who doesn’t like to fuss too much with cooking, this Easy Grilled Chicken Recipe just might become one of your favorites. And I’m not kidding when I say this recipe is completely foolproof and 100% delicious!
There aren’t a lot of recipes using packaged ingredients on my blog, but this favorite grilled chicken with only five ingredients is something I’ve been making for years. The recipe has been a hit with everyone who’s tried it, and I’m excited to feature it for this week’s Friday Favorites post!
The recipe uses all my tricks for juicy grilled chicken, but instead of a homemade marinade, this one just mixes a few packaged ingredients and your chicken is ready to marinate! You can also use the same marinade for kabobs or tin-foil dinners, so check for links below for those variations. And I’m sure this marinade would also be great for grilled chicken thighs or legs, either with or without the skin if that’s what your family would prefer.
How the Easy Grilled Chicken Recipe got so popular:
This grilled chicken recipe that’s foolproof and delicious has had a lot of fans on the blog through the years, but it got even more popular when it was featured at Parade.com!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
How low in carbs is this Easy Grilled Chicken Recipe?
This grilled chicken that’s so easy and delicious only has 1 net carb per serving!
Tips for Making Juicy Grilled Chicken Breasts:
Even though this recipe is ridiculously easy, if you’re not experienced at grilling chicken you might want to read my post on how to make juicy grilled chicken breasts before you make this.
Can you make this Grilled Chicken Recipe without an outdoor grill?
Of course I love cooking on the outdoor grill. But if you don’t have an outdoor grill or it’s not grilling weather, you can cook this chicken on a stove-top grill pan with ridges or it would be great cooked on a George Foreman Grill as well. (affiliate links) Remember the George Foreman Grill cooks both sides at once, so adjust the grilling time.
How to make this Easy Grilled Chicken Recipe:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- The simple recipe for this grilled chicken recipe I got from an old boyfriend uses Newman’s Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing (affiliate link) mixed with a package of Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Mix (affiliate link), a bit of Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) or your favorite all-purpose seasoning blend, and some black pepper.
- I only made half the recipe to take new photos, so I wrote MARINADE on the bottle and saved the extra marinade in the fridge.
- I get ready to marinate by trimming the chicken and then making small slits the length of each chicken breast to help the chicken cook evenly and provide more surface for the marinade to coat with flavor.
- Then put the chicken in a Ziploc bag or plastic container, add enough marinade to cover, and let it marinate all day.
- When you’re ready to cook drain chicken into a colander placed in the sink, and let it come to room temperature.
- Spray the grill with non-stick spray or brush with oil and preheat to medium-high.
- Lay chicken at an angle to grill grates, top side down, and cook 3-4 minutes, or until you see grill marks.
- Then rotate going the other direction and cook 3-4 minutes, until you see criss-cross marks.
- Turn chicken over and cook until it’s firm but not hard to the touch), about 2-3 minutes more.
- For best results, use an Instant-Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) and cook chicken until it reaches 165F/75C. Serve hot.
More ways to use the Easy Grilled Chicken Marinade:
You can also use this easy chicken marinade to make Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Vegetables or Low-Carb Foil Packet Dinners.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
Easy Grilled Chicken is shown in the photo with Cucumbers Caesar, which would be great for a low-carb summer meal. I’d also love this with Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan, Kalyn’s Keto Coleslaw Recipe, or Cucumber Radish Salad with Feta Dressing.
More Easy Chicken Dinners:
Ingredients
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 16 oz. bottle Newman’s Own Classic Oil and Vinegar Dressing (see notes)
- 1 pkg. Zesty Italian dressing mix (powdered mix)
- 1 T Spike Seasoning (see notes)
- Coarse ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim all visible fat and undesirable parts from chicken breasts, then cut small crosswise slits about 1/2 inch apart down the length of each chicken breast. (This gives more surface area for the marinade to cover and makes chicken cook more quickly and evenly. It also gives a nice look to the cooked chicken breasts.)
- Combine marinade ingredients and mix together. (You can pour out a bit of the dressing and combine ingredients in the bottle, then shake well.)
- Put chicken in single layer in a ziploc bag.
- Pour marinade over chicken. (If you’re not using all the marinade, just label it and store in refrigerator for next time.)
- Marinate chicken in the refrigerator 6 hours or longer. This is great to put in the refrigerator in the morning when you go to work and cook after work that night.
- To cook, remove chicken from the refrigerator, drain into a colander, and let it come to room temperature.
- Spray grill with non-stick spray or olive oil, and preheat to medium high. (You can only hold your hand there for 2-3 seconds at that heat.)
- Have a spray bottle ready to spray flames which may shoot up when chicken is first put on the grill.
- Drain chicken, then put it on the grill at an angle to grill grates with top side of chicken down.
- After 3-4 minutes (when you see grill marks), rotate chicken so it’s going the opposite angle to get criss-cross marks.
- Cook 3-4 minutes more, then when you have good grill marks turn and cook until chicken is well browned and firm but not hard to the touch.
- Actual cooking time will depend on how hot your grill is, temperature of the chicken, and even air temperature if you’re cooking outside, but I cooked the chicken in the photos about 12 minutes. For best results, use an Instant-Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) and cook chicken until it reaches 165F/75C.
- Don’t baste chicken with reserved marinade which contains bacteria from the raw chicken.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8
Serving Size
1
Amount Per Serving
Calories 204Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 102mgSodium 677mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 37g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
The dressing I used in this Easy Grilled Chicken Recipe has only 1 carb per serving, making it perfect for low-carb or Keto diets or for the original South Beach Diet. (It’s probably gluten-free but check your label ingredients to make sure.)
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Grilling Recipes for more ideas like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This favorite recipe for the easiest grilled chicken you’ll ever make was first posted in 2009, and I’ve been making it regularly since then. It was last updated with more information in 2024.
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