Chicken
$1.46per plate
Prep
10 min
Chicken · Grilled Chicken
Grilled Chicken
Grilled chicken breast is only as good as the marinade and the moment you pull it off the heat, and this one nails both for about $1.53 a plate. A simple mix of olive oil, lemon, soy, and garlic keeps the meat juicy and seasoned all the way through, and cooking to temperature instead of by the clock is what keeps it from turning to rubber. It is the plainest, most useful chicken to keep in your rotation: good hot off the grill, sliced over a rice bowl, or chopped into a salad the next day.
$1.53per plate
Estimated recipe total
$6.14 · serves 4
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min
Serves
4
1 How to make it
1
Mix the marinade and pound the chicken
Whisk the olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and Italian herbs, salt, and pepper together in a bowl or zip-top bag. If the breasts are thick, pound them to an even half inch so they cook through before the outside dries out.
2
Marinate
Add the chicken to the marinade and turn to coat. Let it sit at least 15 to 30 minutes on the counter, or up to overnight in the fridge. Even a short soak seasons the meat and helps it stay juicy on the grill.
3
Grill hot and do not crowd
Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high and oil the grates. Grill the chicken 5 to 7 minutes per side without moving it, so it picks up real char marks, until it reaches 165 F in the thickest part on an instant-read thermometer.
4
Rest before slicing
Move the chicken to a board and let it rest 5 minutes before slicing. Cutting it straight off the heat lets all the juice run out onto the board; a short rest keeps it in the meat where you want it.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Broiler or grill pan instead of a grill. No grill? A grill pan on the stove or the oven broiler both give you color and cook the chicken the same way. Watch it closely under a broiler, since it browns fast.
- Chicken thighs for breasts. Boneless thighs take the marinade beautifully, stay even juicier, and are often cheaper. Grill them a couple minutes longer and still pull at 165 F.
- Add a spoon of honey or brown sugar. A little sweetener in the marinade helps the chicken caramelize and take on darker grill marks. Use whatever is already in the pantry.
- Lime for lemon. Lime swaps in one for one and leans the flavor a little more toward taco night. Any acid in the marinade does the same tenderizing job.
3 Budget tips
- Grill a double batch while the grill is already hot. Cooked grilled chicken keeps all week and turns into rice bowls, wraps, salads, and pasta with zero extra cooking.
- Chicken breast is cheapest in the family pack. Marinate what you need tonight and freeze the rest raw in the marinade, so it seasons as it thaws for the next cookout.
- Serve it sliced over a pot of cheap rice or a big salad to stretch a pound and a half of chicken across four full plates without adding much cost.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate cooked grilled chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It slices cleanest once fully chilled, which makes it ideal for meal-prep lunches.
Freezer
Freeze cooked and sliced grilled chicken flat in a bag for up to 3 months. It also freezes well raw in the marinade, ready to thaw and grill straight away.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered skillet over medium-low with a splash of water for a couple minutes, just until warmed through, so it does not dry out. Cold grilled chicken is also great straight onto a salad.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
240
Protein
38g
Fat
9g
Carbs
2g
Estimates per serving of grilled chicken alone, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
How long should you marinate grilled chicken?
Even 15 to 30 minutes makes a difference, and up to overnight in the fridge is better. Do not go much past 24 hours with an acidic marinade like this one, since the lemon can start to make the surface of the chicken mushy.
How do you know when grilled chicken is done?
By temperature, not color or time. Chicken breast is done at 165 F in the thickest part, checked with an instant-read thermometer. Pulling it right at 165 and letting it rest is the difference between juicy and dry.
Can I make grilled chicken without a grill?
Yes. A grill pan on the stovetop or the oven broiler both give you color and cook it through the same way. A regular skillet works too, you just miss the char marks.
How is the price per plate figured?
About $6.14 for a pound and a half of chicken plus the marinade, split across four servings, which is roughly $1.53 each. The chicken is nearly the whole cost, so buying it in a family pack or on sale moves the number the most.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, Budget Plates may earn from qualifying purchases.
- Rimmed baking sheet. A rimmed half sheet pan is the workhorse for sheet-pan dinners and roasting vegetables, with a lip that keeps juices from spilling. Best for sheet-pan sausage and potatoes, baked chicken pieces, and roasted vegetables.
- Instant-read meat thermometer. An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of doneness, so lean or cheap cuts stay juicy instead of overcooking. Best for chicken, pork, and meatloaf, where a few degrees decides juicy or dry.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
Cook next
All recipes Related recipes
From other tables
All recipes 
