Pound the chicken breast on both sides with the back of a Chinese cleaver/chef’s knife, rotating the chicken 90° to make a crosshatch pattern. (You could also use a meat mallet.) This process will loosen the meat texture so the marinade can better penetrate.

In a large bowl, mix the chicken breast with the water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, massaging it in with your hands until the chicken absorbs it. Keep adding it a couple tablespoons at a time until the chicken stops absorbing water. The process takes about 10 minutes.

To make the marinade, strip the tender thyme leaves off the woody stems and discard the stems. Do the same with the oregano. Finely chop the herbs. Next, mince the garlic.

Add the chopped herbs and garlic to the bowl with the chicken, along with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.

Take the chicken out 1 hour before grilling so it’s not stone cold when it hits the hot grill. Preheat your grill. You want to start with a brushed grate and a hot temperature (in the ballpark of 400-500°F/200-260°C).

If you’re using skin-on chicken, place the chicken skin side down. Use any remaining marinade to baste the chicken at the beginning of the grilling process. Rotate the chicken a half turn to get nice grill marks before flipping. The chicken should take about 6-8 minutes to cook depending on how hot your grill is (3-4 minutes per side). Try not to flip the chicken too many times during the grilling process.

We grilled ours on a gas grill, and it took closer to 8 minutes. If we were using very hot charcoal, it probably would be done in about 6 minutes. Thinner pieces will also cook faster. When in doubt, use an instant read thermometer. We consider chicken to be done at around 160°F-ish. It will continue to come up to 165°F as it rests. Let the chicken rest under an overturned plate or foil for 5-10 minutes before serving!