Quick & Easy Lemon Chicken Marinade with Basil

This post may contain affiliate links, which are always marked with *. Please read my disclosure for more information.

Make the best Lemon Chicken Marinade in just a few minutes with simple, healthy, ingredients. It's great for grilling, pan frying and oven baking. With olive oil, lemon & basil the chicken comes out juicy, tender and flavor packed.

When barbecuing chicken there's no choice in my book. This simple marinade is the only one I will be making. It's the best way to end up with really juicy & tender chicken - and as a bonus it's 100% healthy and both gluten and dairy free.

Why you will love this recipe

• It's quick - make this marinade in 5 minutes or less
• It's easy with just a few simple steps
• The chicken is softened and tenderized by the salt
• So flavorful chicken you won't even need a sauce
• The chicken is delicious served hot or cold
• Works for all cuts of chicken
• Great for grilling, oven baking and pan frying
• Diet friendly - low in carbs, gluten free and dairy free

What you need to make it

Ingredient notes & substitutions

• Fresh basil can be swapped for dried basil. Use 1 Tbsp instead of 20 leaves.
• Fresh lemon juice is the way to go - bottled won't do
• Black pepper: fresh ground is best
• Olive oil can be swapped for a neutral type of vegetable oil
• Chicken: this marinade works for all cuts of chicken. Some of my favorites are boneless chicken thighs, chicken breasts, kebabs and minced chicken.

How to make it

1. Zest the lemon in a bowl
2. Squeeze in the lemon juice
3. Add basil leaves that you shred gently with your hands
4. Add salt and pepper

5. Add olive oil
6. Mix
7. Bring out two plastic bags and place one inside the other. Place chicken in the inner bag.
8. Pour over the lemon chicken marinade

9. Close the bags with a knot, then massage the chicken through the bags to spread the marinade evenly
10. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour, turning once halfway
11. Bring out the chicken and remove from the marinade
12. Cook the chicken, allow to rest for a few minutes, and serve!

Tips & tricks

• Marinate in a plastic bag - it's the best way to spread the marinade evenly, and also makes it easy to turn your meat while marinating
• Turn your meat at least once while marinating, to spread the flavors around
• Marinate for longer for more flavor - but don't marinate for more than a couple of hours, or the chicken can go mushy
• Reduce the amount of salt if marinating longer than 1 hour
• Bring chicken to room temperature before cooking to shorten cook time and help the chicken cook more evenly
• Use a meat thermometer when cooking, to get the temperature just right. Cook the chicken to 165°F (74°C).
• Let the cooked chicken rest for a few minutes before serving - wrap in aluminium foil or tent with it to retain the heat
• Serve the chicken hot or cold - it's delicious both ways, and cold it's great in salads and wraps
• Freeze marinated chicken to cook it later. Massage chicken with the marinade, then freeze immediately. Thaw by placing the bag in cold water for a few hours before cooking.
• Discard used lemon chicken marinade as it will be mingled with raw chicken juices
• Leftover, unused, lemon chicken marinade can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days

Recipe FAQ

What to serve with it

Wondering what to serve with your Lemon Chicken? Look no further! These are my favorite sides to serve with it:

• Shopska Salad with Feta Cheese [Vegetarian]
• Arugula Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes & Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
• Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon
• Air Fryer Potato Wedges
• Super Simple Extra Cheesy Mac and Cheese
• Garlicky Smashed Potatoes with Parmesan cheese
• Garlic Roasted Broccoli [Vegan]
• Sour Cream Sauce with Avocado & Lime
• Chipotle Ranch

Other great options include serving it hot or cold in a greek salad, pasta salad or in a wrap.

Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.