This Mesquite Grilled Chicken is tender, juicy and incredibly flavorful. It’s perfect on its own or delicious in salads, tacos or quesadillas. Summertime BBQS just got even better.
(Originally published April 26, 2021)
I love that summer is just around the corner which means we will be doing a lot of grilling around here. Do you guys love to grill as much as we do? I think we would probably all agree that marinated, grilled chicken is so much better than boring, plain, oven-cooked chicken, right? I mean, I love chicken, but it’s just kind of lackluster on its own.
Enter this mesquite marinate and your chicken dinners just got tastier and even more delicious. Mesquite Grilled Chicken has become a recent favorite around this house and I can guarantee I will be making it a lot this summer.
It’s smoky, sweet, tender, juicy and packed with flavor. A couple of my boys said this might be their new favorite grilled chicken ever. We love it with a baked potatoes or our family favorite rice.
One of the things I love most about this chicken is that it’s not only delicious on it’s own, but it’s fabulous in salads, tacos, quesadillas, or whatever you can think of.
Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it?
Yes! You can freeze all the ingredients together in a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When your ready to use pull the chicken out of the freezer and defrost before cooking it! I like to pull it out of the freezer the night before and put it in the fridge to begin defrosting overnight.
What should I serve with this?
The great thing about chicken is there are so many sides dishes that you can serve with it. Pretty much anything pairs well with chicken. Below is a list of some ideas.
- Baked potatoes
- Seasoned potatoes
- Rice
- Green salad
- Fresh fruit
- Rolls
- Fresh green beans
- Roasted asparagus
Mesquite Grilled Chicken
- Total Time: 29 minute
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons mesquite-flavored liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 to 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- In a small bowl or pyrex measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, brown sugar, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken in a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade in. Seal the bag and squish the chicken and marinade around. Let it marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or up to 24 hours (the longer the better)
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for 6 to 7 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove from the grill and put on a plate and cover it with foil for about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Slice it up and enjoy it.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 2 to 24 hours marinating time
Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from The Pioneer Woman Cooks The New Frontier
hi jodi how are you? my name is rich i own a small deli here in ohio – i came accross your site how to make these mesquite grilled chicken breast – does the taste come out similar to how sam’s club makes their mesquite grilled chicken breast ? i like the taste of them – anyhow let me know some ideas – thanks rich
Hey Rich, so happy you came across my site. I haven’t tried the mesquite grilled chicken breasts from Sam’s Club, so I couldn’t tell you if the taste is similar, but this recipe is delicious! I’d love to hear if you give it a try.