Go Back
Equal parts of three basic ingredients create the most flavorful, versatile marinade. Make the recipe once and you’ll never forget it!  

A Third – A Third – A Third Chicken

Equal parts of three basic ingredients create the most flavorful, versatile marinade, which has stood the test of time. Make the recipe once and you’ll never forget it!
Servings: 4-6 servings (easy to scale up or down as needed*)
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Marinating Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 18 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, as needed)
  • ⅓ cup (75ml) olive oil
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon sesame oil (I use this when grilling salmon or tuna steaks)

Instructions

  1. Before you start: 1 cup of marinade is a sufficient quantity for 2 pounds of chicken, seafood, pork, or flank steak. The marinade also works beautifully for vegetables like zucchini, summer squash, onions, asparagus, portobello mushrooms, bell peppers, and eggplant. A zip-top bag allows the liquid to flow freely around the food; if using a bowl, flip the pieces around once or twice while marinating to ensure they are all evenly coated.
  2. Make the marinade: Combine the lemon juice, soy sauce, and olive oil in a large bowl or zip-top bag.
  3. Add the chicken and marinate for several hours or up to all day.
  4. Preheat the grill and remove the chicken from the marinade. Tip 1: For more even cooking, let the chicken sit at room temperature for 20 or so minutes before grilling. Tip 2: For little extra flavor, you may baste the chicken a few times while grilling, but it will still taste great if you skip this step. Discard what remains of the marinade when done.
  5. Cook the chicken over medium heat, covered, for 7-8 minutes per side, depending on thickness, or until the chicken is just cooked through (internal temperature should read 160℉ when taken with a quick read thermometer; carryover cooking will take it to the recommended 165℉).
  6. Stovetop option: Very lightly coat a large skillet with oil, and place over medium to medium-high heat. Cook the chicken breast halves for 5 minutes per side, or until the meat is no longer pink in the center (see internal temps noted above). Remove from the heat and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before cutting. Optionally, the chicken may be cut into bite-size pieces and stir-fried.

Notes

*Other chicken parts as well as bone-in, skin-on pieces may be used. Also, feel free to make as little or much chicken as you wish, adjusting the amount of marinade up or down (about ½ cup marinade per pound of meat is sufficient) as needed.
Storage: Leftovers are delicious (plan for them!) and will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Once cooled, the chicken may also be frozen for about 3 months.
Tried this recipe?Click here to rate and comment.