5 from 1 vote

Grilled Herb Chicken

ByStacie Vaughan On July 9, 2014July 9, 2024 Updated July 9, 2024

Change up your barbecue chicken game this season with this Grilled Herb Chicken! This homemade marinade combines balsamic vinegar, garlic, green onions, tomatoes, thyme, tarragon, basil, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Grilled herb chicken on a plate with sauce.

It’s barbecue season and I’m losing precious days without my barbecue! Our old one went to barbecue heaven before we moved to Ontario last month. Thankfully, my parents bought a new barbecue and have kindly offered us their old one. It still works and all we need to buy is a propane tank. Easy enough!

In the meantime, I’ve been using my indoor grill. It’s not quite the same as using an outdoor barbecue, but it will do in a pinch till our “new” grill arrives. I whipped up a batch of one of my signature grilled chicken recipes: Grilled Herb Chicken. I started making this when I was a teenager. The marinade is fresh herbs, tomatoes, green onion, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.

The chicken breasts are soaked in it for at least an hour and then grilled to perfection. The marinade then becomes a sauce thanks to my handy blender puree setting and voilà, dinner is served.

The herbs I use are just a suggestion. If you can’t find them fresh, try another kind or use the ones you have in your herb garden. It’s a simple, fresh and delicious way to enjoy chicken breasts. Serve with a barbecued potato and salad for an amazing summer meal.

Why You’ll Love Grilled Herb Chicken

The herb marinade is so flavorful.
Are you barbecuing for a crowd? Double (or triple) the recipe. Easy-peasy.
Simple grilled chicken done in 30 minutes- 15 minutes of prep and 15 minutes on the grill rack
Versatile chicken recipe- easy to swap out seasonings, herbs, or spices and pairs with many side dishes and goes nicely on top of a salad
Beautiful visually appealing grill marks on both sides of the chicken

Ingredients

Chicken breasts
Balsamic vinegar
Green onions
Garlic cloves
Tomato
Cayenne pepper
Salt
Fresh thyme
Fresh tarragon
Fresh basil
Olive oil
Sugar

How to Make Grilled Herb Chicken

Step One: Place boneless chicken breasts in a single layer in a large dish. Set aside.
Step Two: In a large bowl, mix together balsamic vinegar, green onions, garlic, tomato, cayenne pepper, thyme, tarragon, salt and basil to create a simple marinade. Whisk in olive oil.
Step Three: Remove ½ cup of the marinade and pour over chicken breasts. Marinate for one hour on the counter or overnight in the fridge. Reserve remaining marinade.
Step Four: Pre-heat grill. Grill chicken breasts on the barbecue on medium high heat or on an indoor grill, about 5 minutes or so per side (or until cooked).
Step Five: Meanwhile, place the reserved marinade in a small pot on the stove and add sugar. Bring to a boil. Boil for about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer marinade to a food processor or blender and puree. Serve sauce drizzled over the grilled chicken breast.

Equipment Needed

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A grilled herb chicken breast on a dinner plate with slices of garlic bread and green beans.

What to Serve with Grilled Herb Chicken

A sliced grilled herb chicken breast on a plate with garlic bread and green beans.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Food safety tip: Always check the internal temperature of your chicken before consuming it. Be sure that it reaches 165F using a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken breast.
You can place chicken breasts in a large zip lock bag with this easy marinade to coat it and make clean up easier.

Variations and Substitutions

Add a dash of lemon juice and some lemon zest for a zesty flavor, creating a delicious lemon herb chicken.
You can swap the chicken breasts out for skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless thighs and marinade them before grilling. You may need to alter your cooking time if you choose to do this.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover juicy chicken in an airtight container or plastic bag in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can make a big batch of this herb chicken recipe and use it for multiple meals, making it the perfect meal prep recipe.

Can I Freeze This Chicken Recipe?

Of course, you can. Once your Grilled Herb Chicken has cooled, place it in an airtight freezer safe container or freezer safe resealable bag with the excess air squeezed out for up to 3 months.

More Chicken Recipes

Sliced grilled herb chicken on a plate with garlic bread and green beans.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Chicken Farmers of Canada campaign managed by SJ Consulting. I received compensation in exchange for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.

The Chicken Farmers of Canada have a large selection of chicken recipes including more recipes for chicken on the grill. I found several recipes on their site that I want to try including:

Besides chicken recipes, Chicken Farmers of Canada has a wealth of information. Learn more about chicken farms, nutrition, tips and techniques, how-to’s and more on their site.

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