Lemon Basil Grilled Chicken topped with lemon basil butter, is a perfect make-ahead summer grilling recipe whether you’re entertaining or for an easy weeknight meal. Garlic, lots of fresh basil, lemon zest and seasoning makes a simple yet completely delicious marinade. Once the chicken is grilled to perfection then top it with a pat of lemon basil butter. The butter will melt all over the chicken creating a herbaceous, buttery sauce. So easy and deliciously fuss-free.
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Skinless, boneless chicken thighs are wonderful for grilling. They’re very forgiving, tender and cook quickly. Of course you can use chicken thighs for all chicken recipes: In a curry – Easy Sweet Chicken Masala; a stir-fry – Chicken, Snow Pea & Cashew Stir-Fry and on the grill – Turmeric Cashew Chicken Skewers.
Relying on bold flavors from basil, lemon and garlic, this easy-to-make recipe keeps things simple with only a handful of ingredients. Light, bright and summery, serve the chicken with grilled or tarragon garlic butter sweet corn, roasted potato salad and marinated tomatoes for a late summer feast. Toodles, Lovoni
LEMON BASIL GRILLED CHICKEN
Ingredients
- 1 cup basil leaves, chopped, plus fresh leaves for garnish
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, cut up the lemon into wedges when it’s been zested
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 or 2 lemons, thickly sliced, optional
LEMON BASIL BUTTER (optional)
- 1 stick butter, softened 1/2 cup/113g
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped basil
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 garlic cloves finely grated
Instructions
To make the lemon basil butter:
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Scrape the mixture out onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Roll up the butter mixture into a log shape about 6 inches (15cms). Chill for 2 hours or overnight.
- Combine basil, oil, zest, seasoning, sugar and garlic in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and the lemon wedges and stir to make sure the chicken is well coated. Cover and place in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. Or put it in a re-sealable bag.
- Preheat a grill to high. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Cook the chicken on a greased grill for about 8 minutes per side until the chicken is tender and cooked thoroughly. Cook the lemon sliced on the grill for a few minutes each side until grill marks appear. Place the chicken on a platter.
- Cut the butter log into 8 slices and top each piece of chicken with the butter (optional). Garnish with the lemon slices and extra basil leaves if desired.
Made this lemon basil grilled chicken a few days ago, it was awesome! It was quick and easy and used up some of my basil as well as some lemons that needed to be used up asap. I love me an easy yet super tasty recipe! As always, thanks for posting it Lovoni!