It’s been a hot summer and the last thing anyone wants to do is turn on the oven. Take your food outside, gather around the grill, and enjoy this succulent grilled chicken bursting with lemon and rosemary.

A simple marinade featuring garlic, lemon, fresh rosemary, honey, and grainy mustard enhances bone-in skin-on chicken breasts. To boost the chicken with even more lemon flavour, lemon halves are grilled until charred and caramelized and the juice is squeezed over the cooked chicken. The result is chicken with a unique smoky and citrusy flavour. Every bite will be better than the last one!

I’ve been using this faithful marinade recipe for years, and recently tweaked it to include the grilled lemons. The addition of grilled lemon juice really takes the golden-brown grilled chicken over the top. I love lemons and I use them in as many sweet and savoury recipes as I can!

What type of chicken is best for this recipe

For this recipe, I’ve used two free-range, bone-in skin-on double chicken breasts. I get double breasts from my local butcher and each double breast is equivalent to 2 split chicken breast halves. You can use 4 split chicken breast halves if you can’t source the double ones and it will work great too!

The lemony marinade can also be used for other types of chicken. Try boneless chicken breasts, chicken legs or thighs, whole spatchcocked chicken or chicken wings too! They’ll all be so tasty with this marinade. In case you didn’t know, spatchcocked chicken is a whole butterflied chicken with the backbone removed. Just be sure to adjust the grilling method and times based on the type and size of the chicken pieces you use.

How to grill bone-in skin-on chicken breasts

Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts require a low and slow cook time on the grill. Ideally, a gas grill is best so you can control the heat. The goal is to get the inside fully cooked without charring the skin.

For best results, use the indirect heat cooking method provided in the recipe. Use a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast to ensure the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F. Also grill the lemon halves along with the chicken.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from grill, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes so the juices can re-distribute. After the rest time, squeeze the juice out of the grilled lemons overtop the chicken.

Tips for making grilled chicken

Give the chicken time to marinate so it can absorb all the lemon and rosemary flavours. A few hours to overnight should do it.
Use fresh rosemary to get the maximum essence.
Use whole grain (grainy) mustard for the best texture in the marinade.
Don’t skip the grilled lemon halves as they add a unique smoky flavour.
Allow time for the cooked chicken to rest for 5 minutes to ensure the juiciest chicken.
Bone-in skin-on chicken needs to be cooked low and slow as directed, otherwise it will char before becoming fully cooked.
Use a thermometer to ensure fully cooked chicken to 165 degrees F.

What to serve with this grilled chicken

All that’s needed to accompany this grilled chicken is a simple salad or a warm side dish. Try one of these favourites:

Greek Salad

Zesty Orzo & Wild Rice Salad

Lemon Garlic Orzo with Peas

This will be the best flavourful juicy chicken you’ve ever tasted! I hope you love it as much as my family does!

Recipe

Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken Breasts

A simple marinade with garlic, lemon, fresh rosemary, honey and grainy mustard coats bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts making them ready for the grill. Lemon halves are also grilled and the smoky lemon juice is squeezed over the grilled chicken.

Servings 4

Ingredients

2 double bone-in skin on chicken breasts (or 4 chicken breasts halves)
¼ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lemon, zested
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus more sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons liquid honey
2 tablespoons whole grain (grainy) Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 additional lemons, halved and coated with 1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions

In a shallow baking dish combine the marinade ingredients: olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons Rosemary, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Add chicken breasts and toss to coat all sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least for 6 - 8 hours or overnight.
Slice the 2 additional lemons in half and brush the exposed parts with olive oil, set aside.
Preheat the BBQ grill to medium-high. Place the chicken pieces skin side down (reserving the excess marinade and the lemon halves) over the direct heat on the grill and grill until the skin is just crisped, about 5 minutes per side.
Turn off half of the burners and reduce the heat to medium on the remaining burners. Turn the chicken to skin side up and move it to the cooler zone of the grill where no burners are on. Close the lid and cook the chicken slowly over indirect heat, while brushing occasionally with the remaining marinade. (At the end of cooking discard the remaining marinade).
About half-way through the cooking time, place the lemon halves cut side down on the lit side of the grill. Grill the lemons (without squeezing) until they are completely charred and caramelized.
Continue cooking the chicken over the indirect heat until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast meat reads 165 degrees F. The chicken is fully cooked when no pink juices run and is springy when pressed. Actual grilling time will depend on the size of the breasts and the temperature which the grill retains.
Remove the chicken breasts and lemons to a platter and tent with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes. Just before serving squeeze the juice from the grilled lemons on the chicken pieces and garnish with additional Rosemary sprigs.