Grilled Italian Chicken Breasts
Grilled Italian Chicken Breasts are a super delicious and easy summer dinner! The marinade is an easy combination of Italian dressing, soy sauce, garlic powder, and honey, and is so full of flavor!
Whenever I need a go-to all-purpose chicken marinade, this Italian marinade is the one I use! It is perfect for grilled chicken as an easy main dish, or grilled chicken on top a salad. This chicken recipe is great to meal prep - I love making a big batch of Grilled Italian Chicken Breasts to put on salads all throughout the week!
This marinade is a homemade dressing that is made of simple ingredients including of Italian dressing, soy sauce, garlic powder, and honey, and is so easy to make. It is one of my favorite ways to eat chicken!
Looking for a slow cooker chicken recipe? Check out my Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken!
Ingredients in Grilled Italian Chicken
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Italian Dressing - my favorite is Newman's Own Italian Dressing
- Soy Sauce
- Garlic Powder
- Honey - honey adds a hint of sweetness to the chicken.
Chicken Breasts vs. Chicken Thighs vs. Chicken Tenderloins
While I typically use boneless chicken breast for this easy recipe, bone-in chicken breast, chicken thighs and chicken tenderloins will also work! Chicken thighs will be darker meat, and I like them for grilling as they tend to be more tender and moist after cooked.
The chicken tenders will have a similar look to chicken breasts, but are typically more tender than breasts. They are found next to the breast in the chicken, and come in smaller pieces, meaning they will cook faster. If you want smaller pieces of chicken breast, simply cut the breasts into slices prior to marinating. Then adjust your cooking time accordingly.
Chicken drumsticks and chicken wings would also work, although you will also need to adjust your cooking time accordingly.
How to Make Grilled Italian Chicken
This Italian chicken recipe could not be easier to make. It is one of my favorite recipes to make during grilling season and, with the help of Italian salad dressing, it is so easy to make! The end result is super juicy chicken that can be used a variety of ways.
Pound out the chicken. To start, I recommend pounding out the boneless chicken breasts so they are about even thickness throughout. This helps the chicken cook evenly and it will also cook faster if there isn't one end that is super thick.
Make the marinade. In a small bowl, combine the Italian dressing, soy sauce, honey, and garlic powder. There is no need for additional salt in this easy marinade recipe, as there is plenty of it in the dressing.
Marinate the chicken. Combine the chicken and homemade marinade in a medium bowl, Tupperware container, or a Ziploc bag and marinate the chicken breasts for at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours.
Grill. Once you're ready to cook, preheat the grill to medium-high heat to medium heat. Add the marinated chicken (and discard the excess marinade) to the preheated grill and cook for 6-8 minutes on each side. I always use an instant-read meat thermometer to ensure the center of the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, as cooking time may vary depending on thickness of the chicken. Be sure to keep an eye on this, as no body likes overcooked chicken!
Serve, and enjoy!
How to Use Italian Chicken
This Grilled Italian Chicken is delicious as at the main course along with some grilled vegetables, fresh vegetables, French bread, or corn on the cob. It is also great in a grilled chicken sandwich, diced on salads, diced in an orzo salad, in a wrap, or on top of some pasta.
Grilled Italian Chicken Tips and Variations
Make ahead. This is a very easy recipe to prep in advance. In fact, the longer it marinates, the better!
Add some fresh herbs. Since we usually grill during the summer, I always have a bunch of fresh herbs on hand. Throw in some fresh basil, from oregano, or fresh rosemary!
Cook inside. Not grilling season? You can definitely cook this on the stove top! I like to use a grill pan so I can still get the grill marks.
Make your own Italian dressing. Want to make the Italian dressing marinade completely from scratch? Simply combine ⅓ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon honey, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 clove of minced garlic and whisk well to combine.
Like this recipe? Check these out, too!
Grilled Chipotle Orange Chicken Thighs
Grilled Italian Chicken Breasts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to about even thickness
- ½ cup Italian dressing
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing, soy sauce, garlic powder, and honey.
- In a Tupperware or Ziplock add the chicken and marinade, making sure it is all combined.
- Marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Grill the chicken for 6-8 minutes on each side, until cooked through to 165 degrees F. Using a meat thermometer will ensure the chicken is cooked to the appropriate temperature!
- Enjoy!
Delicious. I marinated the chicken for 3 1/2 hours then cooked them in a frying pan.