This lemon pepper chicken marinade recipe is easy to make with simple pantry ingredients and fresh lemon for a bright, zesty flavor. It’s perfect for grilling chicken breasts all summer long.
What makes this lemon pepper chicken extra special is the lemon butter brushed on it after grilling. The marinade adds flavor and moisture, and the lemon butter takes it to the next level. Serve it as a meal with your favorite summer sides or slice it for salads and wraps.
Tonia’s Notes
I am a huge fan of lemon foods, from main dishes to desserts. So I came up with a lemon chicken marinade recipe to make outstanding lemon pepper chicken.
During the recipe testing phase, I had a hard time getting the lemon flavor to come through after grilling the chicken. The marinade added some flavor and made the chicken tender and moist, but I wanted to bring it to the next level. That is where the lemon butter comes in! You brush it on after cooking the chicken, and the lemon pepper flavor really shines.
This chicken is so good on this spinach pasta salad or in a wrap with romaine lettuce, parmesan, and Caesar dressing. For a main dish, we love it with creamy lemon orzo and roasted asparagus, or angel hair pasta and cooked broccoli.
How To Make Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade
Marinade Ingredients
To make the marinade, whisk together vegetable oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, coarse-ground black pepper, kosher salt, garlic powder, granulated sugar, onion powder, and lemon zest.
Marinate Chicken
Flatten the chicken breasts to an even thickness and then place them in a gallon-sized ziptop bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, and turn to coat. Place in the fridge to marinate for 30-60 minutes.
Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken
Preheat the grill to medium heat. Grease the grill grates before adding the chicken. Discard the remaining marinade. Cook the chicken for 12-16 minutes, turning it over halfway through cooking, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F.
Lemon Butter
Combine the melted butter, one tablespoon of lemon juice, one teaspoon of coarse-ground black pepper, and one teaspoon of lemon zest. Brush over the chicken. Serve with lemon wedges.
Recipe Tips
- Make Ahead: You can prep the marinade in advance and store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it later in the day. Then add the chicken breasts 30 minutes before cooking them, and let them marinate.
- Leftovers: Store the leftover lemon pepper chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
- Reheat: You can reheat the chicken in the microwave, oven, or on the stovetop in a skillet.
- Ways To Cook: If you don’t want to grill the chicken, you can bake it in the oven, cook it on the stovetop, or make it in an air fryer.
More Chicken Marinade Recipes
- Garlic and Herb Chicken Marinade
- Cajun Chicken Marinade
- Southwest Chicken Marinade
- Jerk Chicken Marinade
Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade
Video
Ingredients
Lemon Pepper Marinade
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons coarse-ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 8 lemon wedges
Instructions
- To prepare the marinade, whisk together the vegetable oil, lemon juice, black pepper, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon zest in a bowl.
- Flatten the chicken breasts to an even thickness and then place them in a gallon-sized ziptop bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, and turn to coat. Place in the fridge to marinate for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to medium heat. Grease the grill grates before adding the chicken. Discard the remaining marinade. Cook the chicken for 12-16 minutes, turning it over halfway through cooking, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F.
- Combine the melted butter, one tablespoon of lemon juice, one teaspoon of coarse-ground black pepper, and one teaspoon of lemon zest. Brush over the chicken. Serve with lemon wedges.
