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Home » Recipes » Chicken Recipes

June 7, 2012 · 13 Comments

Honey Lemon Grilled Chicken Breasts

Chicken Recipes· Gluten Free Recipes· Grilling Recipes

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honey lemon grilled chicken on a white platter
collage photo of grilled chicken breast

Boneless chicken breasts marinated in a combination of honey, lemon juice and rosemary; then grilled is a healthy, low fat delicious weeknight meal.

honey lemon grilled chicken on a plate

You can really learn a lot in a year without even realizing it. Last year, I can honestly say I used to burn or just about overcook everything I tried to grill (to the point of shoe leather!). 

I have to say, though I'm not perfect yet, I am doing a much better job and these Honey Lemon Grilled Chicken Breasts were cooked perfectly!

You can't get any simpler than these Honey Lemon Grilled Chicken Breasts and the flavor was INCREDIBLE! Sweet, tangy and woodsy all in one made this one of my favorite ways to marinate chicken.

grilling tips for chicken

  1. After you fire up the grill, don’t poke the chicken. Instead, use tongs to turn it over. Using a fork to turn the chicken pokes holes in the meat, thus letting some of those juices go to waste.
  2. The only time you need to cut into the meat is when you are cooking a whole chicken and it is almost done.
  3. One trick I learned for grilling chicken on the bone is to simmer it in water first. Add chicken pieces to a large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Then allow to simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes. You can do this with or without the skin on. This accomplishes several things.
      • One: The chicken doesn't dry out on the grill (especially when using chicken breasts) before it has time to cook through. It also won't have that completely charred bbq sauce on the meat; which if you're like my family, the kids refuse to eat!
      • Two: It reduces your grilling time which is helpful if you're entertaining for a large crowd.
      • Three: If you are cooking for a crowd, you can prepare the chicken ahead of time, even the day before the event, so you can spend more time with friends and family and less time sweltering over the heat of the grill...BONUS in my opinion!
  4. Grills vary, thickness of meat, bone-in or bone out, skin or no skin, and even the weather all effect the cooking times of chicken. Use a meat thermometer, look for golden brown skin, clear running juices, and monitor closely to cook to the best doneness.
  5. Get a grilling thermometer. The recommended internal temperature for chicken when it is finished is between 165 - 175 degrees and the juices run clear.
  6. Don’t serve the chicken right away. Let the chicken “rest”. For grilling a whole chicken let it sit for about 15 minutes after taking it off the grill and before carving. For chicken pieces let them sit for about 5 minutes to let the juices run back into the meat. The chicken will be much juicier this way!

a close up of grilled chicken on a plate with lemon slices

Ingredients Needed

For this recipe you'll need the following ingredients:

  • boneless chicken breasts
  • honey
  • lemon- zest and juice
  • fresh rosemary

How do you make Honey Lemon Grilled Chicken?

Add the honey, lemon zest and juice, and rosemary to a bowl and whisk until well blended. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag; then add the honey mixture and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 15 minutes prior to grilling to bring the meat to room temperature. When you're ready to cook, discard the marinade; then grill until minimum temperature of 165 degrees F. (approximately 10-15 minutes depending on thickness and temperature of your grill)

Serving Suggestions

This Honey Lemon Grilled Chicken was deliciously moist and super flavorful. Grilled chicken goes well with so many side dishes. here are a few suggestions

  • Side Dish Lemony Wild Rice Risotto, Lemon Caper Vinaigrette Potato Salad or Gremolata Roasted Potatoes
  • Vegetables Rosemary Roasted Carrots, Lemon Basil Green Beans or Creamy Farro with Spinach, Garlic and Asiago

Visit the recipe index to search for more recipes by category.

honey lemon grilled chicken on a white platter

More Grilled Chicken Recipes

  • Honey Mustard Balsamic Grilled Chicken
  • Marinated Chicken in a Lime Sea Salt Brine
  • Grilled Chicken with Summer Fruit Salsa
  • Chicken Parmesan Sliders

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a close up of grilled chicken on a plate with lemon slices

Honey Lemon Grilled Chicken

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen
Boneless chicken breasts marinated in honey, lemon juice and fresh rosemary; then grilled until tender and juicy.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Resting Time 2 hours hrs
Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Course Main Entree
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4- (6-ounce) boneless chicken breasts
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions
 

  • Add the honey, lemon zest and juice, and rosemary to a bowl and whisk until well blended. 
  • Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag; then add the honey mixture and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. 
  • Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 15 minutes prior to grilling to bring the meat to room temperature, discard the marinade; then grill until minimum temperature of 165 degrees F. (approximately 10-15 minutes depending on thickness and temperature of your grill)

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 36gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 199mgPotassium: 655mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 66IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
Keyword chicken, grilling
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maria says

    July 10, 2017 at 8:42 am

    Oh heavens, these look like the best! Thank you for site. Awesome idea. Have a nice day!

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      July 10, 2017 at 10:33 am

      Thank you and same to you!

      Reply
  2. My Daily Jenn-ism says

    June 07, 2012 at 10:17 pm

    Congratulations, Karin! I'm glad an actual "foodie" won 🙂

    Reply
  3. laurenkellynutrition.com says

    June 07, 2012 at 8:52 pm

    This looks amazing!! Definitely have to try !!

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      June 08, 2012 at 11:24 am

      Thanks Lauren!

      Reply
  4. Joan@chocolateandmore says

    June 07, 2012 at 3:45 pm

    Carrie, what great tips! I boil ribs before grilling but never thought about doing so to chicken, will have to give it a try. We'll also be trying your glaze, sounds perfect! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      June 07, 2012 at 4:15 pm

      Thanks Joan!

      Reply
  5. Foodie Stuntman says

    June 07, 2012 at 2:49 pm

    I must agree with Dave regarding the brine. If you simmer your chicken first, especially with skin-on pieces, how do you maintain a crispy skin?

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      June 07, 2012 at 4:15 pm

      I don't eat the skin 🙂

      Reply
  6. Inspired by eRecipeCards says

    June 07, 2012 at 12:17 pm

    Congrats to all those winners!!!

    And love all of the tips. Personally, I have not tried the simmering in water. I do like to brine my chicken first which accomplishes everything you say the simmering does without drawing out the flavors into the water...IMO only.

    About the single most useful tip I ever got about cooking chicken is to buy that thermometer. measuring internal temp, and pulling the pieces of the grill at the right time insures juicy and delicious!

    Love the post
    Dave

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      June 07, 2012 at 4:14 pm

      The thermometer is a must! I've used a brine on the boneless chicken but never the one with the bone-in. I'll have to give that a try, thanks Dave! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Natalie Atick says

    June 07, 2012 at 3:38 pm

    I would love this with a side of veggies and brown rice for my lunch today! Looks spectacular!

    Reply
    • Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says

      June 07, 2012 at 4:15 pm

      Thanks Natalie!

      Reply

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