Skip to content
RecipesWhipped Up

American

Grilled Chicken Breast

Boneless chicken breasts take a simple salt-and-paprika rub and grill over direct heat until they reach 165°F. A short rest keeps the slices juicy.

Prep
10 min
Cook
16 min
Total
26 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Sliced grilled chicken breasts with dark grill marks on a cutting board

Why you’ll love it

  • A hot grill browns the outside while the inside stays moist.
  • Even thickness means the breasts finish together.
  • The rub is salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika. No marinade wait.
  • Sliced leftovers work in salads and sandwiches.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

View list

Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.

Instructions

  1. 1

    If the chicken is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator first. Pat the breasts dry. Do not rinse the chicken. If a breast is much thicker at one end, cover it with plastic and pound it to an even thickness.

  2. 2

    Rub the chicken with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder.

  3. 3

    Heat a grill to medium-high, about 400°F if your grill has a thermometer. Oil the grates.

  4. 4

    Place the chicken on the grill. Close the lid and cook 6 to 7 minutes, until the underside has clear grill marks and releases from the grate.

  5. 5

    Flip and cook 6 to 8 minutes more. Pull the chicken when the thickest part of each breast reads 165°F. Check every piece, not just one.

  6. 6

    Rest the chicken 5 minutes. Slice across the grain, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.

Pro tips

  • Pounding to even thickness is the difference between a dry end and a juicy center.
  • If the chicken sticks, it is not ready to flip. Give it another minute.
  • Carry a thermometer. Color alone is not a doneness test for chicken.

Easy substitutions

Paprika
Smoked paprika for a slightly smoky rub.
Parsley
Cilantro.
Lemon wedges
Lime wedges.

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate whole or sliced chicken for up to 3 days.

Reheating

Warm in a covered skillet over medium-low with a spoon of water until the center reads 165°F. Do not recrisp it on high heat or it will dry out.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
239
Protein
42 g
Carbs
2 g
Fat
7 g
Fiber
0 g

Budget friendly · Grill · High Protein

You might also like

Sliced chicken over rice with cucumber, tomato, and a white yogurt sauce.
High Protein

Yogurt Chicken Bowl

Sliced chicken sits on white rice with cucumber, tomato, and a garlic yogurt sauce. The plate is filling because the rice is a full side, not a garnish, and the sauce is tangy rather than sweet.

38 min · Easy

View recipe
Chicken Caesar salad with sliced grilled chicken, romaine, croutons, and Parmesan
Salads

Chicken Caesar Salad

Chicken is grilled to 165°F and sliced over romaine with Parmesan, croutons, and a lemon-anchovy dressing. It is a full salad, not a side of leaves.

34 min · Easy

View recipe

Still hungry?

More in the same lane, not a random mix.

Chicken thighs over rice with cabbage slaw and a pale yogurt drizzle.
High Protein

Chicken Thigh Power Bowl

Boneless chicken thighs are seared and served over rice with a cabbage slaw and a yogurt drizzle. The slaw is crunchy and tart, and the rice is what makes the bowl a full dinner.

42 min · Easy

View recipe
Grilled chicken skewers with a bowl of peanut sauce and lime wedges
Chicken

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Chicken strips are marinated, threaded onto skewers, and grilled, then served with a warm peanut and coconut sauce. The chicken tastes lightly sweet and charred, and the sauce tastes nutty with lime.

40 min · Medium

View recipe

Find something else

Healthy but TastyChickenLunchQuick & Easy

From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

Read the affiliate disclosure.

Ingredients