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This easy Lemonade Chicken recipe is crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and full of flavor from the sweet-and-savory marinade. A simple dinner is ready for the table with just 5 minutes of prep and 5 ingredients!
Is there anything more reminiscent of warm summer months than a cold glass of lemonade and some chicken on the grill? This easy dinner combines two of our favorites in one delicious Lemonade Chicken recipe! The meat is slightly sweet, refreshing, light and healthy. Pair it with a crisp salad and some skillet cornbread for a family-friendly meal with minimal effort.
What is a Lemonade Chicken Recipe?
This dish is exactly what it sounds like: boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are marinated in a sweet and sour sauce made with lemonade concentrate, soy sauce, garlic powder and seasoned salt. It’s not overly sweet, but the lemonade helps tenderize the meat and gives the chicken a bright touch of citrus flavor. We like to throw it on the grill for a beautiful char on the outside, but you can also prepare lemonade chicken in the oven.
How to make Easy Lemonade Chicken:
This truly is easy! You only need 5 ingredients and about 5 minutes of hands-on prep time. Just make sure that you allow about 20-30 minutes of time for the meat to marinate and soak up all of that great flavor.
Ingredients for Lemonade Marinade:
- Frozen lemonade concentrate
- Soy sauce
- Garlic powder
- Seasoned salt
Plus the chicken! I’m showing a grilled lemonade chicken breast recipe, but you can use this marinade with any type of chicken you prefer — bone-in parts, thighs, or lemonade chicken wings!
Step 1: Prepare the Lemonade Marinade for Chicken
Stir together the thawed lemonade concentrate, soy sauce, garlic powder and seasoned salt.
Step 2: Marinate the Chicken
Place the chicken in a large baking dish or Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over top and toss to coat. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
Step 3: Cook the Chicken
Remove the chicken from the marinade. Grill or bake the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. The total time will vary depending on the size of your chicken, but this will take about 8-10 minutes per side on the grill, or about 25-30 minutes in a 425 degree F oven.
What to serve with this Lemonade Chicken Recipe:
One reason this lemon chicken is so popular is because it’s so versatile! Pair the protein with your family’s favorite sides and you have a kid-friendly meal ready in no time. Here are a few easy side dishes that go well with lemonade chicken:
- Succotash (shown in these photos)
- A simple green salad dressed in creamy Buttermilk Dressing
- Rice
- Secret Ingredient Jiffy Cornbread
- Slow Cooker Cowboy Pork and Beans
- Coleslaw
- Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon
- Creamed Spinach
- Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
- Southern Potato Salad
- Classic Southern Macaroni Salad
- Creamed Peas
- Broccoli Salad with Bacon
Preparation and Storage Tips:
- Marinate the chicken for 20-30 minutes. I do not recommend marinating for much longer than 30 minutes, because the acid in the marinade will start to cook the meat.
- Wrapped tightly, the lemonade chicken will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also store the chicken in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- You can substitute frozen limeade concentrate or frozen orange juice concentrate for the lemonade called for in this recipe.
- Oven Fried Lemonade Chicken: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. Bake the marinated chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet in a 425 degree F oven for about 1 hour, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Smaller pieces like wings will be done in a much shorter amount of time.
- Lemonade Baked Chicken: I’ve shown you how to grill the chicken here, but I have also included instructions for baking the chicken breasts in an oven.
- Since the size and thickness of chicken breasts can vary greatly, I suggest using a meat thermometer to know when your chicken is done. The meat needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- For a shorter cooking time, cut large chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create thinner pieces of meat.
More lemon chicken recipes that you might enjoy:
- Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
- Dump-and-Bake Lemon Chicken
- Lemon Chicken Piccata
- Lazy Day Garlic and Lemon Chicken
Lemonade Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 6 ounces (about ¾ cup) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
- ½ cup soy sauce (I used less-sodium soy sauce, but any variety will work)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together lemonade concentrate, soy sauce, garlic powder and seasoned salt. Place chicken in a dish or in a large Ziploc bag. Pour marinade over top. Toss to coat the chicken with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
FOR THE GRILL:
- Remove chicken from the dish. Discard marinade. Allow chicken to sit on the counter at room temp while you prepare the grill.
- Heat a nonstick pan, grill pan, or outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Coat grill or pan with about a teaspoon of oil so that the chicken doesn’t stick. Sear or grill chicken on each side until golden, crispy and cooked through (about 5 minutes per side for small, thin chicken breasts or up to 10-12 minutes per side for larger, thick chicken breasts). The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
FOR THE OVEN:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place chicken and marinade in a large baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove cover, spoon sauce over the chicken, and bake for 10-15 more minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. If you want your chicken crispier on the outside, you can place the dish under the broiler for the final few minutes.
- Spoon the pan sauce over the meat just before serving.
Notes
- Nutrition information is just an estimate, assuming 2 lbs. of chicken and 1/3 of the marinade is consumed. Actual nutrition facts will vary depending on the size and type of chicken used, as well as how much marinade is absorbed by the meat.
- Marinate the chicken for 20-30 minutes. I do not recommend marinating for much longer than 30 minutes, because the acid in the marinade will start to cook the meat.
- Wrapped tightly, the lemonade chicken will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also store the chicken in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- You can substitute frozen limeade concentrate or frozen orange juice concentrate for the lemonade called for in this recipe.
- Oven Fried Lemonade Chicken: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. Bake the marinated chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet in a 425 degree F oven for about 1 hour, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Smaller pieces like wings will be done in a much shorter amount of time.
- Lemonade Baked Chicken: I’ve shown you how to grill the chicken here, but I have also included instructions for baking the chicken breasts in an oven.
- Since the size and thickness of chicken breasts can vary greatly, I suggest using a meat thermometer to know when your chicken is done. The meat needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- For a shorter cooking time, cut large chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create thinner pieces of meat.
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