Italian Grilled Chicken is the perfect grilled chicken recipe for your summer cookouts! This is an Italian inspired recipe where chicken is marinated in herbs and spices, then grilled to perfection.
This Italian Chicken marinade is made of red wine vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper. Chicken comes out juicy, tender, flavorful – no more bland and dry grilled chicken!
Check out other grilling favorites on the blog, such as Lemon Balsamic Grilled Chicken, Hawaiian Chicken, and Cheese Stuffed Burger.
Italian Marinade For Chicken Breast
This Italian grilled chicken recipe is my go-to chicken for grilling.
Grilling is a simple and delicious way to prepare chicken, but so often grilled chicken breast turns out dry and bland, and I was determined to make a truly flavorful, juicy, and delicious chicken on the grill.
Here’s why this Italian grilled chicken recipe is the best grilled chicken:
- Italian Chicken Marinade is made with a concoction of herbs, spices, and seasonings. I put together an incredible homemade Italian dressing marinade using some of my favorite Italian herbs and spices, and was generous in the amount of seasonings used, so you get real big flavors!
- A powerhouse of flavor. Marinaded for 6-24 hours, the flavors actually penetrate the chicken. You want the entire piece of chicken to be flavorful, not just the surface!
- Comes out juicy and moist by preventing overcooking…because nobody likes a dry piece of meat! Use an instant read meat thermometer (the key to cooking meat perfectly!). Remove chicken from heat promptly once internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165℉.
- Smoky flavors from grilling. Cooking in an outdoor grill, especially charcoal grill, really gives an additional dimension of flavor to the Italian grilled chicken.
With summer around the corner, if you are looking for a simple yet truly delicious chicken breast recipe for the grill, look no further…this Italian chicken is seriously the best out there!
If you want to go the extra mile, serving this Italian marinade chicken with some Creamy Parmesan Orzo makes the loveliest dinner. *chef’s kiss* You can also pair it with a salad or roasted vegetables.
Kitchen Tools
You will need the following equipment:
- A grill – charcoal grills are my favorite, but any kind will work: electric, gas, pellet etc. You can even use a grill pan on your stove top!
- A basting brush for brushing the marinade on the chicken.
- A meat thermometer to check the chicken for doneness.
Italian Marinade for Chicken Ingredients
The secret to the amazing flavors in Italian Grilled Chicken? Our simple yet flavorful homemade Italian dressing marinade.
Here is what you need:
- Chicken breast: Or you can use chicken thighs, drumsticks, wings, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or breasts…truly as part of the chicken! If using chicken breast or thigh with skin on, make sure to rub marinade under the skin for maximum flavors.
- Cooking oil: make sure to oil the grates with a neutral cooking oil such as olive oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil etc.
Marinade ingredients:
- Olive oil: helps moisten chicken breast since it’s a fairly lean cut of meat, and adds flavor.
- Red wine vinegar: acid such as red wine vinegar helps soften the meat and enables flavors from the spices and seasonings to enter more easily. White wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or even lemon juice can be used as a substitute.
- Smoked paprika: even though this is not in a traditional Italian seasoning, I like to use this in my Italian grilled chicken marinade to give the chicken a little bit of color and some additional smoky flavors.
- Basil: fresh herbs brings the best flavor, however dried works as well in a pinch.
- Oregano: similar to basil, use fresh if possible!
- Thyme: you guessed it…use fresh if possible!
- Garlic: mince fresh garlic cloves for best flavor. Avoid using garlic powder.
- Salt: this will help open up the flavors.
- Black pepper: always a great staple to complete the flavor profile.
How to grill chicken
Step 1: Prepare Chicken
Pat dry chicken with paper towel to remove extra moisture.
If chicken is frozen, make sure to let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Do not cook with frozen chicken!
Step 2: Make Italian Dressing Marinade for Chicken
Next, we will make the Italian marinade for chicken breast.
Bring all the Italian dressing ingredients together – olive oil, red wine vinegar, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic, salt and black pepper. Mix well to combine.
If using fresh herbs, break big twigs into smaller pieces for thyme, and separate the leaves from the stems and only use the leaves for basil and oregano.
Bring marinade into a large mixing bowl or zip lock bag, and add chicken breasts into the bag. Zip up bag and massage marinade to coat chicken.
Marinade for 6-12 hours, or up to 24 hours.
You want to make sure chicken sits in Italian dressing for at least 6 hours to really get the chicken flavorful.
However, avoid marinating for longer than 24 hours to prevent chicken from turning mushy.
Step 3: Grill
Fire up the grill and make sure to grease grates to prevent chicken breast from sticking to it.
You can also use a grill pan (cast iron grill) and cook it on the stove top!
Place chicken breast on grill, and brush additional marinade onto chicken. Cover grill and let it cook for a few minutes.
Flip chicken to the other side and brush marinade on the other side.
I like to brush marinade onto the chicken to really get all the delicious flavors from the spices and seasonings onto my Italian Grilled Chicken.
To check for doneness, poke meat thermometer into the thickest part of chicken breast.
Once meat thermometer reaches 165℉, Italian grilled chicken is done!
Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.
And that’s all that is to it – an incredibly flavorful, moist and juicy Italian grilled chicken, soaked in the most incredible Italian marinade inspired by your favorite Italian seasonings and spices.
Truly, it’s the best chicken ever. TRUST me.
Ways to Serve
This Italian marinated chicken is truly such a versatile chicken recipe. I also love batch cooking it and freezing it for meal prep or whenever I need to add chicken breast to my dishes.
Here are a few great ways to serve this Italian grilled chicken:
- serve them on salads – I always add them to my favorite salads such as Vietnamese Noodle Salad and Fall Harvest Salad.
- top them on baked potatoes
- add to pasta or noodle dishes such as Thai Noodle Bowl, or add to ramen noodles
- as a main course with veggie sides such as Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes or potato sides such as Baked Potato Casserole
- as a light meal with a light summer salad such as Corn and Tomato Salad, Italian Bow Tie Pasta Salad or Watermelon Strawberry Salad.
Tips and Tricks
- Marinade time: Leave chicken in Italian marinade for chicken for at least 6-8 hours so that it is truly flavorful when cooked, but also avoid over marinating (no more than 24 hours) it as the acid in the marinade will break down the chicken too much and turn it mushy.
- Grease the grill: Oil the grates to prevent sticking.
- Grilling techniques: Make sure grill is hot before placing chicken on the grill. Grill chicken on on side until golden brown, then flip and grill the other side. Cover grill to cook chicken, and avoid moving chicken around when it is cooking.
- Brush more marinade: Brush Italian dressing onto the chicken after placing it on the grill and when flipping the chicken breast for maximum flavors.
- Avoid overcooking: Once the thickest part of Italian marinated chicken reaches 165℉ (check using a meat thermometer), remove from heat promptly. Chicken will come out dry if overcooked.
- Make it yours: Feel free to experiment with the marinade ingredients! Like a kick in your meal? Add red pepper flakes. Love herby flavors? Pile on more herbs. Also try different spices like rosemary and onion powder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can definitely use dark meat or meat with bone such as drumsticks and wings – you may have to adjust cook time, however. Note that this recipe works best for any type of skinless chicken. If using skin-on chicken, make sure to apply marinade under the skin as well for best flavor.
Because grilling temperature varies largely, it is hard to give a specific amount of time. However, you want to grill chicken breast on one side until it browns, then flip to grill the other side. Chicken is done when meat thermometer measures an internal temperature of 165ºF at the thickest part of the chicken.
You can definitely use an indoor grill pan or a regular pan to pan fry the chicken on the stovetop. Make sure to shake off some of the moisture before adding chicken to a hot pan or a grill pan, otherwise you may get some oil splatter. Cook on high medium heat for a few minutes to get some nice grill marks and then flip the other side and do the same. Lower heat and/or cover so chicken cooks fully before removing from heat.
Baking isn’t my favorite way to cook this chicken because it wouldn’t have a nicely charred texture on the outside, but it is possible. Again, make sure to shake off access moisture, then bake in the oven at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes. Do not let chicken to sit in a pool of marinade when cooking. I personally still think grilling brings about the best flavor for this recipe.
Great question, especially since Italian grilled chicken make excellent leftovers. If eating within the next 2-3 days, store chicken in an airtight container and put in the fridge.
This chicken recipe also freezes really well and is a great recipe to make ahead. Once cooked, bring it to a cool and then store chicken breast in an airtight container or Ziplock bag. Freeze in freezer up to 3 months. You can also slice it up before freezing.
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍
More Grilling Recipes
- Grilled Chicken and Potato Bowls
- Homemade Burger
- Grilled Cajun Chicken
- Grilled Steak Tacos
- Grilled Fingerling Potatoes with Bacon Vinaigrette
Italian Grilled Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Basting Brush
Ingredients
- 4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breast
- cooking oil for greasing grates
Italian Dressing Marinade
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 6-8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 10-15 fresh basil leaves
- 2-3 twig fresh oregano
- 2-3 twig fresh thyme
Instructions
- Pat dry chicken breast with paper towels.
- Separately herbs into individual leaves or small twigs. Bring together olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, fresh basil, oregano, and thyme in a large ziplock bag. Mix to combine.
- Add chicken breasts to ziplock bag, and massage to coat marinade all over chicken breasts. Seal bag.
- Refrigerate bag for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours to marinade.
- Fire up grill to medium heat. Grease grill grates with a neutral oil.
- Once grill is hot, place chicken breasts on grill grates over fire. Brush marinade on top of the chicken. Cover grill and let it cook for a few minutes until golden brown on the bottom.
- Flip chicken breast, brush marinade on the other side, and cover to cook for another few minutes.
- Open grill cover to check internal temperature. Once internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken breast reaches 165℉, remove chicken promptly.
- Let chicken rest at room temperature for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Marinade chicken in Italian marinade for at least 6-8 hours so that chicken is truly flavorful, but also avoid over marinating (no more than 24 hours) it as the acid in the marinade will break down the chicken too much and turn it mushy.
- Avoid overcooking Italian grilled chicken so that grilled come out juicy and moist. Once the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165℉ (check using a meat thermometer), remove from heat promptly.
We LOVED this tasty marinade! Made a little extra to drizzle on our salad! YUM!
Thanks Kathleen!! So glad to hear that!
My husband absolutely loved this grilled chicken! The marinade was easy and had so much flavor.
So glad to hear that, Brianna!
We made this last night for my in-laws and served it with some roasted potatoes and salad. It was perfect. The chicken breasts have great flavor and are super moist. We’ll be making this again!
I’m so glad it came out well!