Lemon Herb Chicken

My experience with Lemon-Herb Chicken has been an interesting one.

The first time I recall having this combination was at my college dining center…*shudder*

Needless to say, lemon-herb chicken did not rate very high on my favorite flavor combinations.  Super dry chicken, overly strong fake lemon, and where were the herbs?  Ish.

Fast forward 5 years later when I thought I was buying a bag of frozen  (plain) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but got home and found that they were lemon-herb flavored! 

I ignored them for a looong time.

Then I ran out of chicken and had no choice but to make the marinated ones.  And you know what?  They were pretty good! Excessively salty?  Yes.  But not bad.

So with an abundance of bright fresh herbs growing in my garden this summer, I knew it was finally time to make my own lemon-herb chicken. 

I’m so glad I did.

This is one of our favorite chicken marinades (and it’s fabulous on pork, too!)

Lemon Herb Chicken {or Pork}

Adapted from Betty Crocker

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup lemon juice

1 tbsp fresh (or 1 tsp dried) basil, chopped

2 tbsp fresh (or 1 tsp dried) thyme, chopped

2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (or pork loin or chops)

Whisk all ingredients (except the chicken) together in a large measuring cup.

Place the chicken in a gallon sized resealable bag.  Add the marinade and turn to coat.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight, flipping the bag several times.  Or place in the freezer and use within 1 month, the chicken will marinate as it thaws.

Grill the thawed chicken over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, flipping once.