3-Ingredient Chicken Breasts Recipe (With the Best Marinade)

Part of the hassle of dinner is figuring out what meal you can make that everyone will like. It’s nearly impossible, right? I’m lucky because my husband will eat anything (I love him for that), but my daughter is the selective one. Fortunately, I know what she likes.

In fact, I had her make a list of her favorite foods which she updates regularly. As we know, kids are forever changing their minds on things. Some constants on her list are chicken, macaroni and cheese, and salad (not sure how I scored that one). I also know she loves mustard and anything with a sweet-and-sour flavor profile.

That’s why I rely on this three-ingredient chicken as a weekly meal—my daughter loves it. Not counting the oil, salt, and pepper, it’s just chicken, honey mustard, and lemon marinated for a short time. I like to prep the dish during lunch and let it marinate in the fridge until dinner, but a short 30 minutes also works. During this time, I can make any side dishes and then cook the chicken.

How To Make My 3-Ingredient Chicken

To make four servings, you’ll need: 

• 1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons avocado or other neutral oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons honey mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Working with one breast at a time, place the chicken in a zip-top bag and pound it until it’s evenly thick, about 1/2 inch. 

Finely grate 1 teaspoon zest from the lemon and set it aside. Juice the lemon and measure 3 tablespoons juice into a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup oil, the honey mustard, and the garlic, if using, and whisk to combine.

Reserve 3 tablespoons of the marinade in a separate small bowl or airtight container, stir in the lemon zest, and set aside (you’ll use this later to serve with the chicken). Transfer the remaining marinade to the bag with the chicken. Seal the bag and turn to coat the chicken. Place it in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.

Set a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and add to the skillet. Discard the chicken marinade.

Season the tops of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Slice the chicken, drizzle with the reserved lemon sauce, and serve.

Some Tips for Making My 3-Ingredient Chicken

While the dish is pretty simple, it’s helpful to know a few things before you get started. 

1. The Best Cut of Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breast for this dish because it’s what my family likes best. However, I know that boneless chicken thighs and tenders would also work well. You may need to adjust the time a bit if you make that swap, but a thermometer makes that job easy. 
2. Pound the Chicken: Chicken breasts are almost comical in size these days—so big! This causes problems with cooking it evenly. To rectify this, I always pound my chicken breasts to an even thickness. This allows the chicken to cook at the same rate, preventing under or over-cooking. I like to use a plastic bag and the flat side of a meat mallet to accomplish this, but plastic wrap and a rolling pin will also work. Just don’t be too aggressive or you’ll tear the meat instead of flattening it.
3. Double-Duty Mustard Sauce: The marinade is also used as a finishing sauce. Choose a honey mustard that you love or make your own by combining equal parts honey and Dijon mustard. Be sure to reserve some before adding the chicken. Once the raw chicken is in there, it’s no longer safe to consume. 
4. Wet Chicken Will Burn: Remove as much excess marinade from your chicken as you can before adding it to your hot skillet. If you don’t, the chicken will stick to your pan and burn. If you notice that happening, take your skillet off the heat and wait for it to cool off, then add it back to the heat, lowering the temperature if necessary.
5. Serve the Chicken Simply: I personally love serving this with salad (one of my daughter’s favorites) and either roasted potatoes (they can roast while you marinate the chicken) or crusty bread. Sometimes I’ll serve it with stir-fried broccoli or pan-seared green beans and then drizzle extra sauce over everything.