Looking for the best herb de provence chicken recipe? This is it. Chicken breasts are marinated in lemon juice, herb de provence, olive oil, dijon mustard, and garlic. Once marinated they're grilled to perfection. This chicken dish uses simple ingredients and takes minimal prep time. It's a great recipe that you'll want to double!
What Is Herb De Provence?
Herb De Provence describes a herb blend that originally comes from the south of France. This Provence region of France can be found bordering Italy and the Mediterranean sea. This herb blend is commonly found in French cuisine. More specifically, it is the mixture of dried herbs that typically includes:
- thyme
- rosemary
- marjoram
- oregano
You may find other herbs in this herb mix such as fennel, bay leaf, savory, and basil. These are all strong herbs and when you use them to marinate you end up with a very flavorful chicken.You don’t need to use a lot for the fresh flavor to come through.
Difference Between Italian Seasoning and Herb De Provence
Italian seasoning differs from herb de Provence because they come from different regions in the world. Italian seasoning is actually American made. Aside from that there is not much of a difference between the two mixture of herbs. You'll find many of the same herbs in Italian seasoning that you would typically find in Herb De Provence. The biggest difference is that Italian seasoning contains basil. If you cannot locate Herb De Provence, Italian seasoning will be an acceptable substitute for this recipe. Alternatively, you may already have most of the ingredients in your pantry. Feel free to use your own herbs to make your own herbs de provence.
How Long To Marinate?
There’s a fine line with marinating this chicken too long and too short. I recommend between 20 minutes and 3 hours. Marinating it much longer will cause your chicken to be way too tart and tough.
The acidity of lemon actually “cooks” the chicken by gently breaking down the protein fibers in the meat. If you don’t use too much, it can act as a meat tenderizer but in this recipe too much is not a great thing.
I recommend marinating in the morning and cooking for lunch or marinating around lunch time and prepping for dinner. It’s the perfect recipe for a warm weekend.
Making The Chicken
The first thing you want to do is mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, herb mixture, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic cloves in a small bowl. Use a whisk and stir to combine. If you want to add more heat you can use red pepper flakes. Prep your chicken breast meat or chopped chicken tenders by patting the excess moisture with paper towels. Then place them in a container with the marinade and marinate for 20 minutes to up to 3 hours.
Once the chicken is done marinating, turn on your grill to high heat and close the lid to heat your grill and clean off any residue left behind from the previous meal. You may also want to place olive or vegetable oil on the grill grates to avoid sticking. While your grill is heating place the chicken pieces onto your skewers. Feel free to sprinkle chicken with extra kosher salt and black pepper before grilling for added flavor.
Add your chicken to the grill over medium heat and then close the grill. Let them cook for around 4-5 minutes on each side. If you're using a meat thermometer you will want to ensure the internal temperature is 165 degrees. Once done serve warm and top with fresh herbs such as basil and oregano.
Tips For Grilling
When grilling chicken skewers I recommend two things. The first one is using metal skewers. If you don’t use these or have them on hand, I recommend that you get some. They’re easy to wash and you can reuse them. This may be stating the obvious but when using them keep in mind they get very hot so you may need tongs or an oven mitt to flip.
If you don’t have metal skewers and only have wooden on hand, it is essential that you soak these in water. Without this step you’ll be left with each end of the sticks burning off risking your chicken from falling off. You’ll want to soak the sticks for at least an hour to prevent burning.
The second recommendation I have when grilling is using spray oil on the grill grates before adding the chicken skewers. This helps to keep the chicken pieces from sticking and burning on the grates. I recommend doing this before turning on the flame, otherwise you’ll have flares of fire come up and this could be dangerous.
Storing The Chicken
If you have leftovers, you can store the grilled chicken in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat again you can pop them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time until they’re warmed through.
Keep in mind that microwaving the chicken can overcook them and toughen the meat even more, so the less time in the microwave the better. If reheated once before, don’t put back in the refrigerator and reheat again as this could cause the meat to go bad.
This chicken is perfect for meal prepping. Serve with green beans and a starch such as this super delicious Italian risotto and split into equal containers. You will thank yourself later.
Herb de Provence Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 1-2 lb chicken
- 1 lemon squeezed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons herbs de provence
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients except for the chicken. With a whisk, stir the marinade until well combined. In a bag or large container add the chicken and the marinade. Mix well and marinate for 20 minutes to 3 hours. I suggest not exceeding 3 hours.
- Once your chicken is done marinating, heat your grill over medium high heat. To prevent your skewers from sticking you can rub or spray the grill grates with olive or vegetable oil. While heating, place your chicken pieces on skewers.
- Once your grill is hot, add the skewers and cook with the grill lid down for about 4-5 minutes on each side before flipping. When your chicken is done serve immediately and remove from the skewers
More Grilled Chicken Recipes:
This herbes de provence chicken has a ton of flavor and I hope you love it as much as we do. Are you in the mood for more new recipes by the grill? Try these two super delicious grilled chicken recipes that have bold flavor and are easy to make!
The Best Marinated Grilled Chicken
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