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.
Place all ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and mix.
1 lemon, 20 basil leaves, 2 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt
Bring out two plastic bags and place one in the other. Place the chicken in the inner bag and pour over the marinade. Close the bags with a knot and massage the chicken gently through the bags to distribute the marinade evenly. Place in a bowl in the fridge and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, turning once halfway.
1 lb chicken
Grill, oven bake or pan sear the chicken until cooked all the way through. Cook time will vary with size and cooking method. See notes for approximate cook times.
Marinate longer for more flavor - but don't marinate for more than a couple of hours, or the chicken can go mushy
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, cold is great in salads and wraps
Store leftover chicken: Cooked chicken can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.Store leftover marinade: Store in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 4 days.Freeze marinade: Freeze leftover marinade for up to 6 months.Freeze marinated chicken: Massage chicken with marinade, then freeze immediately. to cook it later. Thaw by placing the bag in cold water for a few hours before cooking.Prep ahead: You can make the marinade up to 4 days in advance. You can also make the chicken 1-2 days ahead of time and servce cold.Nutritional information assumes half the marinade is actually consumed.