If you’re craving something healthy, flavorful, and easy to throw on the grill, this Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken recipe is a must try! It’s zesty, juicy, and comes together in under 30 minutes. This makes this recipe ideal for quick weeknight dinners, backyard cookouts, or meal prep Mondays. Continue reading for the full recipe below.


grilled lemon garlic chicken

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Before Grilling

  • Use Fresh Lemon Zest + Juice. Beyond all of the seasonings listed in this easy recipe, fresh lemon zest add amazing bright flavor to the lemon pepper seasoning in this recipe. Optionally, you can also add lemon slices to the marinade bag.
  • Marinate for at Least 2 Hours. Take a large bowl or plastic bag and let the raw chicken rest in the lemon chicken marinade. Marinate for 2 hours to create a juicy tender chicken outcome. This will also infuse amazing lemon flavor into your recipe. If you’re short on time, try to allow the chicken to marinate for at least a half hour (30 minutes). 
  • Preheat the Grill. When it comes to grilling chicken, it’s important to heat your grill to medium-high heat (400°F / 204°C). Whether you’re using a gas grill or charcoal grill, a hot grill will leave great grill marks and it will keep chicken thighs juicy without drying out. 
a close up photo of Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken on the grill

Detailed Grilling Tips:

  • Oil the Grates. To prevent your chicken thighs from sticking to grill grates, be sure to brush your grill grates with oil.
  • Don’t Overcook. Depending on the thickness of each piece of chicken, you can grill each side for about 5–6 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). To measure the internal temperature of your chicken, you can use an instant-read thermometer for accuracy. To achieve a smoky flavor, you can also place each chicken thigh on indirect heat inside of the grill for a short period of time before removing. 
close up photo of Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken on the grill that's cooked with grill marks
  • Allow Cooked Chicken to Rest. After grilling, allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes to achieve the juiciest chicken by allowing the juices to redistribute.
  • Garnish for Extra Flavor. Before serving, optionally you can finish with fresh squeezed lemon juice chopped parsley for brightness and color.

Although this recipe calls for dark meat such as chicken thighs, you can use any part of the chicken for this recipe. 

  • 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tbsp Goya All Purpose Adobo seasoning
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
  • 1/2 tbsp Onion powder
  • 1/2 tbsp Garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp Dry Sage
  • 1/2 tsp Red pepper
  • 1 Lemon zested
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley chopped
close up photo of cooked grilled lemon pepper chicken with parsley on top in a silver pan.

Below are some delicious sides you can pair this juicy lemon pepper chicken with:


This is the perfect summer recipe or meal-prep friendly recipe! Be sure to store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. This flavorful protein can transform perfectly for salads, wraps, or quick a sandwich. throughout the week. To reheat this lemon chicken recipe, I recommend taking a baking dish and placing it in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 350°F (177°C).

5 from 12 votes

Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe

This Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken recipe is a quick, flavorful dish made with lemon pepper, red pepper, and simple spices, making it the perfect dish for weeknight dinners or summer cookouts.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Marinate Time: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 30 minutes
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Ingredients 

  • 8 Skinless Chicken Thighs (fat removed)
  • 1 tbsp Goya All Purpose Adobo seasoning
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
  • 1/2 tbsp Onion powder
  • 1/2 tbsp Garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp Dry Sage
  • 1/2 tsp Red pepper
  • 1 Lemon, zested
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions 

  • (OPTIONAL): Despite what many critics may say, I personally ALWAYS clean my chicken. I clean my chicken in a salt & vinegar bath to remove the slimy membrane that's typically on chicken. If you are okay with not washing your chicken, feel free to skip this step.
  • Take chicken thighs and place on a flat surface or in a bowl. Season both sides of the chicken with the Goya Adobo seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, dry sage, and red pepper. Next zest a clean lemon over chicken thighs. Place inside of a reusable plastic bag to allow chicken to marinate. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for the best flavor results. 
  • Preheat grill. Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and discard. Place chicken on grill and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Remove from heat, and top off with a fresh chopped parsley for extra flavor. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 44gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 215mgSodium: 205mgPotassium: 631mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 251IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.


grilled lemon pepper chicken recipe_edited

up-close photo of grilled chicken thighs with lemon slices

About Ebony Robinson

Hi! I’m Ebony, the creator of Elicit Folio. I share recipes and creative hosting ideas for moments around the table, shaped by my Southern roots, family kitchens, global travels, and hands-on learning from chefs along the way. Every recipe is tested in my home kitchen and created to feel elevated, welcoming, and meant to be savored.

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5 from 12 votes

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Comments

  1. resumeplanet says:

    I like this recipe for chicken. This is a nutritious meal that I can include in my diet. I am aiming for a well-balanced diet because I want to live long for my family. Sometimes I feel guilty for the food that I ate out out cravings. I know that I should eat healthy food to prevent unwanted sickness or illness. Most of the diseases now are because of our eating habits. If we correct or eating habits, we can avoid getting sick in the future.

  2. Nicole Anderson | Camping for Women says:

    5 stars
    This sounds so delicious and looks quite easy to prepare, that I am very keen to try it out when we next fire up our BBQ. The operation of the BBQ is the domain of my partner (he regards the BBQ as a ‘man’s territory’!) so I will bookmark this so he can read up on how best to do this, while I make sure we have the ingredients on hand. Looking forward to tasting the outcome.

  3. Manahil says:

    5 stars
    My husband loves having Chicken. I’m pretty sure he’ll love it your recipe too. I’ll try it for sure.

  4. Surekha says:

    5 stars
    That is one delicious meal! I love cooking with lemon and garlic. We have grill in the back yard, and we’ll be making this soon!

  5. littlemisadvencha says:

    5 stars
    I always love chicken. and this grilled chicken with garlic lemon sounds so delicious. when I go back to my province, I love to try this with my family. right now, I am living alone in the big city with my cats. can’t go home because of the lockdown. how i wish i can go back and cook and eat delicious foods again. 🙂

  6. Ntensibe Edgar Michael says:

    5 stars
    Sounds exactly like my kind of chicken. I should start having this for the New Year celebrations.

  7. Kuntala Bhattacharya says:

    5 stars
    The dish looks so yummy and delicious. I am fond of chicken though now eating less as I am not going out. I like the lemon garlic touch to it.

  8. the joyous living says:

    your chicken looks fabulous! as does the asparagus. i love grilling asparagus (only way to eat it really).