Grilled Chicken

This low-FODMAP grilled chicken builds its savory flavor from garlic-infused oil instead of garlic bulb, with lemon, fresh herbs, and scallion green tops carrying the marinade.

Prep 15 min

Cook 15 min

Serves 4

Gluten-freeDairy-free

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (about 1.5 lb / 680 g), pounded to even thickness
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) garlic-infused olive oil
• Zest of 1 lemon, plus 3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (any mix of oregano, thyme, rosemary, or parsley)
• 2 tbsp finely sliced scallion GREEN tops only (the dark green part)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard (check the label for onion or garlic)
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cane or white sugar (optional, helps browning)

Instructions

Make the marinade

1. In a bowl, whisk together the garlic-infused oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped herbs, scallion green tops, Dijon, salt, pepper, and sugar until combined.
2. Reserve about 2 tbsp of the marinade in a separate small dish to brush on later. Do not let the reserved portion touch raw chicken.

Marinate the chicken

1. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or zip-top bag and pour in the remaining marinade. Turn to coat every piece.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours. Longer than that and the lemon can start to make the surface mushy.

Grill

1. Heat a grill to medium-high (about 450 F / 230 C) and oil the grates. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes while the grill heats.
2. Lift the chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off, and discard the used marinade. Grill breasts 5 to 7 minutes per side, thighs 4 to 6 minutes per side, brushing once with the reserved clean marinade.
3. Cook until the thickest part reads 165 F (74 C) on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer to a plate, tent loosely with foil, and rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Tips & Substitutions

• Make the oil yourself. A quick garlic-infused olive oil gives you the garlic flavor with none of the fructans, since fructans do not dissolve into oil.
• Bake or pan-sear instead. No grill needed. Roast at 425 F (220 C) for 20 to 25 minutes, or sear in a hot pan 5 to 6 minutes per side, in both cases cooking to 165 F (74 C) internal.
• Watch the mustard. Plain Dijon is usually fine, but some jars add garlic or onion. Read the label, or leave the mustard out and add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice.
• Swap the herbs freely. Fresh basil, chives (the green part), or dill all work. Dried herbs are fine too; use about 2 tsp in place of the 2 tbsp fresh.
• Skip pre-made spice blends. Most BBQ rubs and seasoning salts hide onion and garlic powder. Build heat with plain cayenne, smoked paprika, or chili flakes instead.
• Zest before you juice. Zest the lemon while it is whole, then cut and juice it. Doing it in that order is much easier.

Why This Works

• Garlic flavor without the fructans. The fructans in garlic bulb are the FODMAP problem, and they are water-soluble, not oil-soluble. Infusing them into oil leaves the flavor behind while keeping the oil itself low in FODMAPs.
• Green tops only. The white bulb of scallions and onions is high in fructans, but the dark green tops are low FODMAP, so they add a mild oniony note safely.
• Plain chicken carries no FODMAPs. Chicken is pure protein and contains no FODMAPs. The usual risk in a chicken dish is the marinade, rub, or bottled sauce, which is why this one is built from scratch.
• Lemon and fresh herbs stay low. Lemon juice and common cooking herbs are low FODMAP in the amounts used here, so they season the meat without adding to your load.

Storage

Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a covered pan or microwave with a splash of water so the meat does not dry out, or slice it cold over a salad. Cooked chicken also freezes well for up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge before reheating. Check the Monash app for current tested serving sizes if you plan to pair it with other ingredients that carry portion caps.

Not sure about an ingredient? The FODMAP Foods app rates 1,000+ foods low, moderate, or high FODMAP, with the safe portion for each, so you can cook with confidence.