Bored with boring, boring chicken? So was I, until I remembered this quick marinade with the fresh flavors that Spring demands: lemon, basil and garlic. You basically toss it all together in a sealable plastic bag or tub in the morning, and by the time you get home from work it is ready for the grill. Add some grilled veggies, a salad, or some couscous and you could be eating really delicious food about 15 minutes after walking in the door.
Try it out this Memorial Day Weekend and you’ll be going back to it all summer long. Leftovers are great for next-day sandwiches or salad toppers. Thanks to Food To Live By by Myra Goodman (of Earthbound Farms) for the inspiration for this adaptation.
Grilled Lemon Basil Chicken
4 chicken breast halves (6-8 oz each), pounded thin
¼ fresh lemon juice
½ Cup extra virgin olive oil (if you have a seasoned oil, like basil oil or garlic oil, you can substitute up to half the plain olive oil with it)
1 heaping Tbs garlic, minced
2 heaping Tbs minced fresh basil (1 Tbs dried)
½ tsp salt
Several generous gratings fresh ground pepper
Place pounded chicken breasts in a quart-size resealable plastic bag
In a separate bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil(s), garlic, basil, salt, and pepper. Add to bag, seal and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours.
Preheat barbecue grill to medium-high or heat up your grill pan and spray a bit of cooking oil (only if your pan tends to stick).
Remove chicken from bag and discard remaining marinade. Grill, turning twice, about 4- 6 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, until fully-cooked (there should be no pinkness in the center). Serve with a salad or couscous or pasta with pesto!
Hot, Cheap & Easy 
Perfect for the burst of basil on the way! Happy start-to-summer season!
My basil at home failed spectacularly! Had to buy four seedlings from Restoration Farm!
It is that time of the year and your chicken sounds terrific. The marinade has to give a nice flavor.
Thanks for the visit! It is a summer grilling favorite over here!
Lemon and Basil are so lovely together
Indeed they are! Thanks for the visit!
looks amazing! What a perfect summer time delight 🙂
Thanks for the visit and the kind words! Hope you get a chance to try this one!
my pleasure…i am looking forward to it 🙂
That does sound good – I did something similar but different last night 😉
Ooooh, do tell…
I’ll post it if the pictures look OK 😉
Look forward to it!
That looks both tasty and easy.
Good post.
Best,
Conor
Glad you liked it! It’s a great way to welcome Spring and Summer!