Garlic Lemon Basil Chicken

It is August in Indiana. That means we are all on a solid sweet corn and BLT diet. So to change things up a little, I decided to visit the idea of adding some chicken to the BLT. Thanks to my overgrown basil plant that I refuse to show you, I pulled together quite the marinade. The main stars beside the basil were some lemons with a little lime and garlic. In the heat of the summer never beats the fresh flavors of lemon and basil. One of my favorite grilled chicken recipes is this Garlic Lemon Basil Chicken.

I have a lot of favorite grilled chicken recipes - Brined grilled chicken is probably my favorite way to make BBQ chicken while when I am in a hurry on a weeknight I make my super easy honey garlic grilled chicken.

Lemon Garlic Basil Chicken Ingredients

The ingredients for is flavorful grilled chicken are lots of citrus, fresh herbs, and garlic.

Here are the ingredients you will need for this garlic lemon basil chicken recipe:

• Chicken breasts or thighs - Dark meat chicken is my preference for all things grilled chicken, so I always grill chicken legs or thighs. If you are a white meat eater, then chicken breasts are going to be what you want to go with for this grilled chicken recipe.
• Lemon Juice - Freshly squeezed lemon juice is my preference but the bottled lemon juice could work as well.
• Lime Juice - Just like the lemons, fresh lime juice is the best option for this recipe. Bottled lime juice can be used in a pinch.
• Basil - Fresh basil is so easy to grow all summer long. No need to use dried basil when you have fresh.
• Garlic - Minced garlic cloves will give you the best flavors. The jarred minced garlic will also work.
• White Wine - A white wine like sauvigon blanc or pinor grigo works well in this recipe. If you don't have wine, use a wite wine vinegar as a substitute.
• Olive Oil - Olive oil is my go-to marinating oil. Avocado oil could also work well in this garlic lemon basil marinade as well.
• Honey - Just a hint of sweetness with the use of honey. If you are on a keto or low carb diet, this can be omitted.
• Dijon Mustard - The mustard brings all the flavors together. Dijon mustard has the most gentle mustard flavors. Powdered mustard could be used too.
• salt and pepper - Seasoning when it comes to grilling the chicken is a must. Lemon pepper seasoning can work but good old salt and pepper can do the trick too.

How to Make Garlic Lemon Basil Grilled Chicken

Start by making the marinade. Begin by squeezing the juice from two lemons and one lime into my food processor with about 6 cloves of garlic. Sprinkled salt and pepper on top and then gave it a pulse.

I drizzled about ¼ cup of olive oil into the mix while it was pulsating along with a tablespoon of Dijon mustard and a tablespoon of honey. But after a finger dip, I felt like something was missing. So, I grabbed a bottle of white wine and added about a ¼ of a cup of wine and drizzled in a smidge more EVOO.

Perfection. Bliss. Summer in a food processor.

So, then it was on to prepping the chicken. If I am going to be adding chicken breast to a BLT then I was going to have to pound the chicken thin or none of us were going to get in our mouths. I called in the reinforcements to help.

So, the dear hubby pounded about 7 pounds of breasts flat. Cut them in half and put them in a Ziploc gallon bag.

I then dumped the marinade over the chicken and smooshed it around to make sure it was all covered.

Then I let it rest and work its magic in the fridge.

We sprinkled the chicken with lemon pepper seasoning and grilled them till the chicken juice ran clear. Since they were so thin, it didn't take much time at all.

The grilled chicken is a great summer dinner idea. It was great with my Caprese salad and cauliflower rice or mashed potatoes.

The leftover chicken is perfect with the bacon, lettuce, tomatoes and a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese with the avocado garlic aioli spread on the toast. With a side of sweet corn of course! I also love the leftover chicken on a salad.

Easy Summer Dinner Ideas

📖 Recipe

Garlic Lemon Basil Chicken

Garlic Lemon Basil Grilled Chicken is the perfect summer dinner idea. The marinade is made with white wine, lemon, limes, mustard, garlic, and basil.

5 from 3 votes

Print Rate

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Garlic Lemon Basil Grilled Chicken, Grilled Chicken, summer recipe ideas

Prep Time: 2 hours hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 533kcal

Author: Leah @ Beyer Beware

Ingredients

• 4-5 pounds chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 Lemons Juiced
• 1 Lime Juiced
• 6 Cloves Garlic
• ⅓ Cup Olive Oil
• ½ White Wine
• 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 10-12 Basil Leaves
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Put the lemon and lime juices, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender and start pulsating.
  
• Add oil, wine, mustard, and honey as it purees.
• Once it is all liquified, add the basil leaves and pulsate just enough to cut up the basil.
  
• If you want thinner pieces of chicken, pound the boneless chicken breasts or use chicken breasts or thighs as is. Place in a gallon Ziploc bag.
  
• Pour the marinade over the chicken and seal the bag.
  
• Let marinate for 2-24 hours in the fridge.
  
• When ready to prepare grill on a 350 degrees grill and season with salt and pepper. You may also bake the chicken for 25 minutes on 350 degrees.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 65g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 384mg | Potassium: 1236mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 126IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg

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Leah

A working mom of two very active teenagers. My husband and I gave up running the 80-cow dairy farm that also included a couple of hundred acres of corn and soybeans to both work to support the agricultural industry. We still have about 20 head of dairy heifers and cows to help my kids appreciate the effort it takes to raise livestock. I consider myself a foodie as I love cooking and experimenting with recipes. My family just wishes I would make the same thing twice. Find my other blog, FarmWifeDrinks.com for all things cocktails.

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