Delish? Yes! This Citrus Marinated Grilled Chicken is bright, moist and full of flavor.
It’s grilled to perfection with a slight hint of heat.

Before we get to the
Citrus Marinated Grilled Chicken
After the Polar Vortex froze us solid for a couple of weeks, the temps have risen.
Actually the weather has been sunny and warm enough to enjoy the outdoors in the last few days. Shhh! I don’t want to put a jinx on anything. (My husband and I had just talked about how our boys had really not gotten hurt and our youngest broke his arm two days later! See jinx, be careful!)
We took advantage of the warmer temperatures this weekend and grilled chicken.
For my Citrus Marinated Grilled Chicken, the chicken breasts marinate in freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice to give it a kick. The chicken marinade also has Worcestershire, red pepper flakes and a few more spices. I let it marinate in the refrigerator for just a couple of hours.
Usually, Wesley or Lincoln grills and I make everything else. Wesley was busy so I asked Lincoln to help. He did at first but got distracted. I have an internal timer when it comes to baking, but not grilling. I almost let these breasts cook too long on the first side. Time sure does fly when you’re grilling….
Serving Suggestions
The citrus gives this Citrus Marinated Grilled Chicken a really bright taste and the red pepper the heat I prefer because I used a light touch with it! We had these with my Vegetable Pasta Salad and easy 10 Minute Rolls, but I’m cooking extra to use in a Cobb Salad Sandwich for later!
There are so many dishes you can use this chicken in. Don’t forget to review my Encore dishes for ideas and recipes for leftover turkey or chicken. You could put the extra chicken on salads and sandwiches, in dips and wraps, on nachos, in soup, in tacos, and on pizza. Clearly there are many, many ways to use chicken so always, always cook or grill extra when you’re cooking!
Click over and follow me on Pinterest to see my lastest cravings!

Citrus Marinated Grilled Chicken
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Save To Your Recipe BoxIngredients
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 Tablespoons dried cilantro or 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 6 chicken breasts
Instructions
- In a zip-top bag place all ingredients, and mush to combine. Refrigerate 30 minutes up to 2 hours.
- Preheat grill to 400 degrees.
- Place chicken breast on the grill. Cook 4 to 5 minutes on the first side before turning.
- Turn and cook another 3 to 4 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
- Remove from grill and serve hot.
Notes
- I used boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- You could use bone-in, skin-on if you prefer.
- This recipe would also be good with chicken thighs, legs, or tenders.
- Adjust cooking time accordingly.
- Chicken on the bone takes longer to cook.
Nutrition
Have you seen my pantry essentials?
Other Easy Chicken Recipes
Slow Cooker Chicken Potato Skins
Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts




Let me know if in the comments below if you try my Citrus Marinated Grilled Chicken!

Elizabeth @ Confessions of a Baking Queen says
Love all the citrus flavor I bet this chicken is delicious!
Paula says
It’s my new favorite, Elizabeth
Jill says
Looks and sounds great! We live at our grill in the summer, so I like having lots of marinades and recipes ready for the grill. Pinned!
Christie says
This recipe looks yummy! We eat A LOT of chicken in our home, so I am always looking for new recipes. Pinning so I can remember to make soon:-)
Paula says
Thanks so much, hope you enjoy it!
Wendy says
It is supposed to finally be warm enough to grill this weekend and I have been dreaming of some marinated chicken! 🙂 This is it! Pinned. Thanks!
Paula says
Thanks so much!
Elizabeth says
Thank you for making my mouth water! These recipes are all so beautiful and look scrumptious!! Can’t wait to try some! Pinning, pinning!!
Paula says
Thank you!
Teresa says
My husband and I have been talking about grilling for a couple weeks. I would love to try this the first time we fire up the grill this season. It looks delicious!
Paula says
Thanks so much!
Matt Robinson says
This is exactly how I love my chicken too. The pictures made me so hungry for this instantly!
Paula says
Thank you! We eat a lot of chicke so I have to keep changing it up! 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Kelly says
Love the pretty grill marks on this chicken Paula. Yay for BBQ season, we love grilling chicken and are always looking for new ideas – love the citrus marinade on this – it sounds amazing! Pinning 🙂
Paula says
Thanks so much Kelly, we grill so much during the summer sometimes I forget I can bake! 🙂
Gloria // Simply Gloria says
Paula, I so truly in the whole jinx dilly! It happens every single time! So I just have to keep my mouth shut, or pretend that person can just read my mind so I won’d be jinxed! Love how you put some citrus action in with this grilled chicken! Your pictures rock, by the way! Such pretty colors. 🙂
Paula says
Thank you so much Gloria. You know I’m think Easton and Ryder would get along fabulously…we need to get together!!
Becca from It's Yummi! says
I can’t wait to get my grill fired up to cook these up, Paula! They look delicious!
Beth @ The First Year says
I LOVE citrus flavors! This looks awesome Paula!
Paula says
Thanks so much, Beth!
Julie @ This Gal Cooks says
Your house works a lot like my house – Ken does the grilling, I do everything else. I always say we’re having a good dinner, thanks to me. 😉
Great recipe, Paula. That chicken looks perfect.
Paula says
My goal is to grill more and better this Summer, but I had really rather the boys do it. Most of the time all I want are the sides so it has worked well in the past with them grilling.
Cindy Eikenberg says
Paula, we are totally chomping at the bit to fire up the grill as soon as the weather cooperates and we grill a ton of chicken – this sounds so awesome! Always looking for new ideas to flavor grilled chicken and totally want to try this. Thanks for sharing and pinning! Have a happy Wednesday!
Paula says
I really like a citrus note to chicken. Hope you enjoy it, thanks for pinning. Have a great week!
Tammy says
regarding the citrus marinated grilled chicken, if I made this in the oven, what temperature would you suggest and for how long. Breasts with bone in and skin on. Thank you.
Becca from It's Yummi! says
I know that I’m not Paula, but I’m a formally trained chef and food blogger at ItsYummi.com, so I thought I’d jump in and help out 🙂
Chicken on the bone should be cooked at 350 until the juices run clear and the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breasts reaches 163 degrees Farenheit. Then you should allow the pieces to sit for at least 5-10 minutes so that it can continue cooking before serving. This will also keep the juices inside the meat and not on your plate 🙂
Paula says
Thanks Becca. I try to include that info in chicken recipes but missed it this time!