Grilled Chicken Breast with Lemon and Herbs
Chicken breast dries out because it's overcooked. The fix: dry-brine for half an hour before cooking, pound the breast to an even thickness, and grill over high heat only until it reaches 74°C inside. One breast carries 165 calories and 31g of protein.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 52 min
- Calories
- 195
Chicken breast is the highest protein-per-calorie option in any diet, and yet most people can't stand it because it comes out like cardboard. The problem is purely technical, not about ingredients: uneven thickness and too high an internal temperature.
Method
-
1
Even it out
Cover the breast with cling film and pound it with a mallet or the base of a glass until it's an even thickness, about 2cm. This stops the thin end drying out before the thick end is done.
⏱ 8 min -
2
Dry-brine
Sprinkle salt over both sides and leave the breasts uncovered in the fridge for 30 minutes. The salt penetrates and helps the protein hold water — the difference is very noticeable.
⏱ 30 min -
3
Marinate
Mix the oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, herbs, paprika and pepper, and rub it into the breasts.
⏱ 4 min -
4
Grill
On a very hot griddle or non-stick pan: five to six minutes on the first side without moving them, then four to five on the second. Or an air fryer at 200°C for 12 minutes.
⏱ 11 min -
5
Rest
Take them off, cover with foil and rest for five minutes before slicing. Cut straight away and all the juice runs onto the plate.
⏱ 5 min
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Tips that actually matter
- A thermometer is the surest thing: 74°C in the thickest part, then off the heat immediately.
- Don't move the breast in the first five minutes — that brown crust is where the flavour is.
- Grill a week's worth at once and portion it into boxes — it keeps four days in the fridge.
- Slicing against the grain makes it noticeably more tender to eat.
People also ask
Why does chicken breast dry out?
Because it goes past 74°C internally. Every degree beyond that squeezes water out of the protein.
How many calories in one breast?
A 175g breast with the marinade is about 195 calories and 31g of protein — the highest protein-to-calorie ratio in white meat.
Does it work in an air fryer?
Yes, and it comes out excellent: 200°C for 12 minutes, turning halfway.
Cook mode
Grilled Chicken Breast with Lemon and Herbs
-
1
Even it out
Cover the breast with cling film and pound it with a mallet or the base of a glass until it's an even thickness, about 2cm. This stops the thin end drying out before the thick end is done.
-
2
Dry-brine
Sprinkle salt over both sides and leave the breasts uncovered in the fridge for 30 minutes. The salt penetrates and helps the protein hold water — the difference is very noticeable.
-
3
Marinate
Mix the oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, herbs, paprika and pepper, and rub it into the breasts.
-
4
Grill
On a very hot griddle or non-stick pan: five to six minutes on the first side without moving them, then four to five on the second. Or an air fryer at 200°C for 12 minutes.
-
5
Rest
Take them off, cover with foil and rest for five minutes before slicing. Cut straight away and all the juice runs onto the plate.
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