Pellet Grilled Chicken Breast

Jazz up your weeknight chicken dinner with these smokey, succulent grilled chicken breasts! Tender chicken breasts are smothered in a lively blend of herbs and spices and grilled to perfection. They’re finger-licking delicious and undeniably healthy!

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken breast, pellet grilled

Prep Time: 4 22

Cook Time: 1

Servings:

Calories: 117kcal

Ingredients

2-4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons thyme, dried
1 ½ teaspoons oregano, dried
1 ½ teaspoons sage,
½ tablespoon black pepper, freshly ground
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon mustard powder, dried
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon celery seed, (optional)
2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

Prep the chicken – Wash and pat dry your chicken breasts. You can also trim off any excess fat from the chicken breasts.
Make the rub – In a small bowl combine onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, sage, black pepper, cayenne pepper, mustard powder, paprika, celery seeds, and salt. Mix until well combined.
Season the chicken – Next rub your chicken breasts with olive oil, followed by the seasoning. Make sure the chicken breasts are well coated with the seasoning.
Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat. Once the chicken has marinated, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before grilling. This allows for more even cooking.
Prep the grill – Prepare your Traeger Pellet Grill by filling the pellet hopper with your preferred wood pellets such as applewood or hickory. Preheat your pellet grill to 375 F (190 C). This may take about 10-15 minutes. Lightly oil the grill grates to ensure the chicken breasts don’t stick.
Cook the chicken – For extra flavor, you can sprinkle additional spices or herbs over the chicken breasts just before grilling. Place them directly on the preheated grill grates. Close the lid and grill the chicken breasts for about 20-28 minutes flipping them halfway. The internal temperature should reach 165 F (74 C). To ensure juicy chicken breasts, do not overcook them.
Let it rest – Once the chicken breasts reach the desired internal temperature, take them off the grill and transfer them to a plate or a cutting board. Tent the chicken breasts loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute resulting in more tender and juicy chicken.

Notes

You can marinate the chicken breasts ahead of time, up to 24 hours in advance. Keep the marinated chicken breasts in the refrigerator in a sealed bag until ready to smoke.
For extra flavor, you can consider brining the chicken breasts before seasoning. This will help to keep them juicy while grilling.
Feel free to adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Use an instant-read meat thermometer to ensure the chicken breasts are cooked through but not overcooked.
I use the Traeger pellet grill for all smoking. If using a different brand of pellet grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for pre-heating and grilling times.
You can store any leftover chicken breasts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

Nutrition