This juicy Garlic Parmesan Grilled Chicken is quick and easy, full of flavor, and only requires a few minutes of prep.  It makes a perfect summer entree, especially when paired with grilled veggies, baked potatoes, or a simple salad. 

Grill chicken breasts on a preheated grill, then slather them with our easy garlic parmesan butter sauce just before serving. Don’t want to grill?  No problem! We have also given you step-by-step instructions on how to make a baked version of this recipe.

Garlic parmesan grilled chicken breasts on a countertop.

Garlic Parmesan Grilled Chicken

Whoever said grilled chicken breast had to be bland and dry?  Not us!  We flavor these chicken breasts simply, with just a bit of oil and seasoning, and then bathe them in a buttery garlic Parmesan sauce while they are still piping hot. 

The trick is to use a hot preheated grill, cooking only as much as necessary on either side, then letting them rest for 2-3 minutes once sauced.  This allows the juices to redistribute, and keep your chicken as moist as possible.

The result is tender, juicy and flavorful chicken that tastes great on it’s own, or saved for later to be stuffed into sandwiches, diced for a salad or cut into pieces and served on kabobs!  You can find so many ways to fall in love with this recipe, all year long.

A glass mixing bowl with raw chicken breasts covered in oil and garlic.

Main Ingredients You Will Need

  • Chicken Breasts – we like to use boneless, skinless chicken breast.  You can also substitute chicken thighs, chicken drumsticks or chicken wings, keeping in mind that they will all have varying cook times.
  • Oil – we like to use avocado oil, but you could substitute with canola, vegetable or olive oil.
  • Salt and Black Pepper – add to taste.
  • Garlic – here you can use either garlic powder or finely minced fresh garlic.  

Garlic Parmesan Sauce

  • Butter – this should be melted.
  • Garlic Powder – we like to use powdered garlic rather than minced since it has a nice sweetness to it, whereas the raw garlic can be a little more abrasive.
  • Parmesan Cheese – you want to use finely grated Parmesan cheese.  In fact, the cheese from the can will actually work just fine in this case!
  • Red Pepper Flakes – you can add a little more or less, depending on your heat preference.
  • Parsley – fresh chopped parsley adds such a nice freshness to round out all of the flavors in these drumsticks.
Chicken breasts on a grill with grill marks on one side.

How To Make Grilled Chicken with Parmesan Cheese Sauce

The first step is to preheat your grill to about medium high heat. It’s also a good idea to clean the grates and lightly oil them.

  1. Season the chicken. In a large bowl, add the chicken breasts, avocado oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Toss until the chicken is completely coated. 
  2. Grill. Grill over direct medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until golden on the underside.  Flip, then cook again for 5-7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
  3. Rest the chicken. Remove the chicken from the grill let rest.
  4. Make the garlic parmesan butter sauce. In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and parsley. 
  5. Serve. Pour the garlic Parmesan sauce over the hot chicken breasts and toss until they are completely coated, then serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

What temperature should I cook chicken breasts to?

Chicken should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.  You need to insert your thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken in order to get an accurate reading.  Any lower and the chicken will not be safe to consume (but too much higher and you risk drying it out!).

How long does it take to grill chicken breasts?

That depends!  Like we said, you always need to cook your chicken until the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F.  How long this takes will depend on how large your chicken breasts are and how hot your grill actually is!

If you have a grill that you can set to a specific temperature, then you want to aim for around 425-450 degrees.  If not, do with medium direct heat.  For an average sized chicken breast, you’ll need to grill a total of 10-14 minutes, flipping sides halfway through.

Can you bake these in the oven instead of grilling?

Yes! Whether it’s cold outside, or you just don’t feel like firing up the grill, you can still make this recipe by baking your chicken breasts. Just preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, season with garlic, salt, and pepper, on both sides, and then spoon the garlic Parmesan sauce over the chicken.

Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.  Once fully baked, remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Grilled garlic parmesan chicken sliced in half.

Storing And Reheating

  • Refrigerator: store leftover grilled chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • To reheat: either microwave or reheat in a preheated 350 degree oven until warmed through.
5 from 5 votes

Garlic Parmesan Grilled Chicken Recipe

Author The Carefree Kitchen
These juicy Grilled Garlic Parmesan Chicken Breasts are cooked simply, with just a bit of oil and seasoning, and then bathed in a buttery garlic Parmesan sauce while still piping hot.  They make a perfect summer entree, especially when paired with grilled veggies, baked potatoes or a simple salad.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Yields6 people

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
  • 1/8 cup avocado oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Garlic Parmesan Sauce

  • 2/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your grill.
  • In a large bowl, add the chicken breasts, avocado oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss until the chicken is completely coated.
  • Using tongs, place chicken breasts on the preheated grill, making sure that they are not touching.
  • Grill over direct medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until golden on the underside.  Flip, then cook again for 5-7 minutes. 
  • Use a digital thermometer to check that the internal temperature at the thickest part of the chicken breast has reached 165 degrees F., then remove chicken from the grill and place in a bowl.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and parsley. Pour the garlic Parmesan sauce over the hot chicken breasts and toss until they are completely coated. Let rest for 2-3 minutes, then serve. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If the chicken sticks to the grill, don’t force it!  Let it cook another minute and then try again.
  • Storing instructions: store leftover grilled chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • To reheat: either microwave or reheat in a preheated 350 degree oven until warmed through.

Nutrition

Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 157mg | Sodium: 490mg | Potassium: 579mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 797IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
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These juicy Grilled Garlic Parmesan Chicken Breasts are cooked simply, with just a bit of oil and seasoning, and then bathed in a buttery garlic Parmesan sauce while still piping hot.  They make a perfect summer entree, especially when paired with grilled veggies, baked potatoes or a simple salad. 

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5 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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4 Comments

  1. Thanks Jill…
    I was looking for something like this and you saved it…
    cv

  2. if you brine the chicken before putting it on the grill, you won’t have to worry about it drying out.

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