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    Home Β» Entrees Β» Poultry Recipes

    Grilled Lemon Chicken with Rosemary

    Published: May 19, 2011 Β· Modified: Mar 30, 2021 by Dara Β· This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Β· 64 Comments

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    This super easy grilled lemon chicken with rosemary is perfect for your next backyard bbq. The chicken is tossed in a lemon vinaigrette.
    Grilled Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Recipe

    In the past, lemon chicken has never really turned my crank. Perhaps it is because each time I tried it, the chicken was dry and the tart lemon juice just seemed to add insult to injury, causing me to pucker my lips like an old man who lost his dentures. However, with six cups of fresh Meyer lemon juice to play with, it seemed prudent to set to work on shattering my preconceptions of lemon chicken. After all, there are only so many Lemon Sugar Puff Pastry Twists and margaritas that one gal can consume - without gaining fifty pounds and engaging in inappropriate table dances, that is.

    When considering ways to get around the dryness issue, chicken thighs came to mind as a likely solution. Of course, you can still use boneless, skinless breasts in this recipe if you are someone that is adept at judging when chicken breasts are cooked through, but not leeched of moisture. If this is not your forte, then I suggest boneless, skinless chicken thighs which are a considerably more forgiving part of the bird.

    The lemon vinaigrette in this recipe is infused with fresh rosemary and garlic, and mixed with a touch of honey. While this chicken is best served hot, it can also be enjoyed at room temperature, which makes it the ideal meal for a busy weeknight. When the chicken comes off the grill, toss it in the vinaigrette and allow the meat to absorb some of the fresh flavors. If you plan to eat it later, cover and refrigerate the chicken. Bring the chicken and vinaigrette to room temperature and stir before serving over rice, quinoa or orzo.

    The recipe:

    In a large bowl, whisk together fresh lemon juice, rosemary, honey, garlic, salt and pepper.

    LemonChicken1

    While whisking, slowly pour in olive oil until combined.

    LemonChicken2

    Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

    Toss chicken thighs in canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

    Transfer chicken to bowl with lemon vinaigrette and toss until chicken is coated.

    LemonChicken3

    Serve, drizzling extra vinaigrette over chicken, to taste.

    LemonChickenLS

    Other grilled chicken recipes:

    Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken
    Chicken Kebabs with Pomegranate-Spice Marinade
    Grilled Chicken Thighs with Tamarind & Orange Glaze

    Grilled Lemon Chicken with Rosemary

    This super easy grilled lemon chicken with rosemary is perfect for your next backyard bbq. The chicken is tossed in a lemon vinaigrette.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Entrees
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Poultry Recipes
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 to 6 Servings
    Calories: 618kcal
    Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

    Ingredients

    The Vinaigrette:

    • ΒΌ cup fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
    • 2 teaspoons honey
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • ΒΌ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ΒΌ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • Β½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

    The Chicken:

    • 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
    • 3 tablespoons canola oil
    • pinch kosher salt
    • pinch freshly ground black pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    The Vinaigrette:

    • In a large bowl, whisk together fresh lemon juice, rosemary, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. While whisking, slowly pour in olive oil until combined.

    The Chicken:

    • Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
    • Toss chicken thighs in canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
    • Transfer chicken to bowl with lemon vinaigrette and toss until chicken is coated. Serve, drizzling extra vinaigrette over chicken, to taste.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 618kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 569mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 6.6mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

    5Shares
    « Lemon Sugar Puff Pastry Twists Recipe
    How to: Store (Freeze) Lemon and Lime Juice »

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. mobile games

        April 14, 2014 at 5:50 pm

        Everyone loves it when people come together and share thoughts.
        Great blog, keep it up!

        Reply
      2. http://malteriesch.com/

        May 09, 2013 at 2:40 pm

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        Reply
      3. ATasteOfMadness

        March 10, 2012 at 9:42 am

        I've found a new love for chicken. It tastes great with everything. And this just looks great!

        Reply
      4. Diane {Created by Diane}

        June 17, 2011 at 11:51 pm

        oh I LOVE these flavors, looks so delicious. Wonderful photos, I'm starving now!!!

        Reply
      5. Megan

        June 16, 2011 at 5:37 pm

        This sounds like a nice change from my usual recipe. I'll be firing up the grill soon for this recipe!

        Reply
      6. Rachel - A Southern Fairytale

        June 06, 2011 at 6:26 pm

        This is one of my favorite recipes πŸ˜‰
        The first dish I ever made for my (now) husband was a lemon chicken with pepper and rosemary.

        Reply
      7. Selina

        June 04, 2011 at 12:03 am

        By the squeeze of lemon, the whole recipe taste even better. I want to try this too. I'm looking forward to read more chicken recipes as tasteful as this.

        Reply
      8. Donna

        June 02, 2011 at 2:42 pm

        Another fabulous creation, Dara. I like making roasted chicken with lemon slices slid under the skin. I'm going to they adding rosemary under the skin now too!

        Reply
      9. Kevin (Closet Cooking)

        May 30, 2011 at 6:17 pm

        The lemon and honey combo works really well on chicken!

        Reply
      10. Darla @ Bakingdom

        May 28, 2011 at 12:45 pm

        We made this last week for dinner and it was excellent. Light, fresh and bright...perfect with sauteed gnocchi (we only had boneless, skinless breasts one hand, but after a nice brine, they were perfect). Thank you for the easy, tasty recipe! πŸ™‚

        Reply
      11. cucumber sprouts

        May 26, 2011 at 5:58 pm

        Such pretty photos. How do you get them so crisp? Do you shoot them in daylight? I found your blog when I was searching for a grilled chicken recipe to serve with my new Nicoise salad ( http://cuceesprouts.com/2011/05/nicoise-salad/) I think the two would go really well together, don't you think?

        Reply
        • Dara (Cookin' Canuck)

          May 26, 2011 at 9:16 pm

          Yes, I do shoot in natural light. As for the crispness - well, I suppose manual focus helps me in that department. Nicoise salad does indeed sound like a good pairing with the chicken.

          Reply
      12. Dan

        May 25, 2011 at 11:23 am

        Ah, so the trick for this one is to add the marinade after! I always assume the sauce goes on before cooking.

        Reply
        • Dara (Cookin' Canuck)

          May 25, 2011 at 11:33 am

          Dan, this is more of a vinaigrette rather than a marinade. The chicken absorbs the vinaigrette nicely when it is hot off the grill.

          Reply
      13. Tracy

        May 24, 2011 at 4:57 pm

        I love the flavors in here! Time to fire up the grill. πŸ™‚

        Reply
      14. Michele

        May 24, 2011 at 9:14 am

        It was absolutely delicious! A wonderfully refreshing taste. πŸ™‚

        Reply
        • Dara (Cookin' Canuck)

          May 24, 2011 at 10:10 am

          I'm so glad, Michelle. Thanks for letting me know.

          Reply
      15. Jeanette

        May 23, 2011 at 9:21 pm

        What a wonderful recipe for the summer - light, flavorful and easy!

        Reply
      16. Jean (Lemons and Anchovies)

        May 23, 2011 at 6:18 pm

        Love this! I've got lemons and rosemary up to my ears so there's no reason not to make this. πŸ™‚

        Reply
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      Hi there! Welcome to Cookin' Canuck.

      I'm Dara, a Canadian living in the U.S. and sharing my favorite healthy recipes. My cooking motto is that healthy eating never needs to be boring!

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