Lemon Garlic Marinated Chicken Tenders – Healthy and delicious recipes

These Lemon Garlic Marinated Chicken tenders are tasty, and juicy, and pair well with so many sides. Kid-friendly and perfect to add over salads.

lemon garlic marinated chicken tenders on a wite plate topped with fresh chopped parsley

This Lemon Garlic Marinated Chicken is an easy marinated chicken recipe that’s full of herbs and spices and is the perfect main course or addition to soups, salads, sandwiches, and more!

I always opt for chicken breast instead of chicken thighs since they tend to be a leaner option. But what’s even better is using chicken tenders. They come out tender and juicy and I just love the lemon garlic chicken marinade I used for this recipe.

You will love how simple my recipe is for these Lemon Garlic Marinated Chicken which would also be great to use for your meal prepping. I think you will also like my honey mustard chicken recipe too.

Ingredients you will need

Chicken tenders: boneless and skinless
olive oil or you can use avocado oil.
Seasonings: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, dried basil, and dried oregano
Fresh Garlic, Minced
Lemon juice
Lemon Zest
honey: optional but adds a great touch
Fresh parsley, chopped: optional to garnish
salt and pepper to taste

side shot of Lemon chicken tenders on a white plate

How to make it

Marinate the chicken tenders with the lemon chicken marinade: Place the olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, and salt and pepper in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal and shake to combine. Place the chicken in the bag. Seal the bag and move the chicken around to coat in the marinade. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
Cook the chicken: Heat a grill or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until done. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

My Pro Tip

Recipe Tip

Don’t want to use chicken tenders? You can use boneless and skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
Fresh garlic adds a great taste and I recommend not skipping it. If you do not have fresh, then its fine, just use garlic powder.
Do not overcook the chicken. You do not want dry rubbery chicken. The best way that I’ve found to make the easiest way to check if the chicken is done is to use a food thermometer.
Seasonings: You can play around with this and use seasonings you have on hand or prefer. You can for sure customize the lemon chicken marinade for this recipe.

close up image of lemon garlic chicken on a plate

Storage Recommendations

Have leftovers? Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply use the microwave and reheat for 1-2 minutes or until it is heated through.

What to serve with these chicken tenders

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes chicken chewy?

If your chicken comes out chewy because it has most likely been overcooked. Try not to cook your chicken too fast and allow it to cook over low heat so it retains moisture, don’t overcook and turn out too dry.

Does lemon dry out chicken?

Lemon may have a drying effect on a chicken especially if the chicken is overcooked. You can use lemon powder or as long as you use some kind of oil within the chicken recipe you are preparing it should be ok.

What do you soak chicken in to tenderize?

There are two ways you can tenderize chicken. Chicken can be soaked in a container in the fridge with either yogurt or buttermilk. Also, you can tenderize chicken by marinating it invan acidic type marinade like vinegar or lemon overnight in the fridge.

side shot of sauteed chicken tenders on a white plate

More Chicken Recipes

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Place the olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey and salt and pepper in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal and shake to combine.
Place the chicken in the bag. Seal the bag and move the chicken around to coat in the marinade.
Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
Heat a grill or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until done. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

You can use chicken thighs or chicken breasts instead
The longer you marinate the tenders in the lemon chicken marinade the better. At least 3o minutes.
Add more seasonings of your choice if you prefer.

Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 24gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 135mgPotassium: 463mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 50IUVitamin C: 4.9mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1.1mg