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The BEST Chicken Marinade

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The best Chicken Marinade ever! This marinade produces so much flavor and keeps the chicken incredibly moist and outrageously delicious! This easy chicken marinade recipe is sure to become a staple in your kitchen. Great for grilling and baking!

Grilling tonight? Make sure to try my steak marinade and grilled potatoes too!

grilled chicken breast made with chicken marinade sliced on stone cutting board with title overlay at top of image.

Best Chicken Marinade Recipe

For many years now I have been perfecting my chicken marinade recipe and it’s finally exactly what I want. I love this easy recipe because it quickly transforms an ordinary chicken breast (or any other cut of chicken) into something extraordinarily delicious – just in time for dinner.

It really is the BEST chicken marinade I’ve ever had and I’m confident you’re going to love it as much as we do.

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Easy Chicken Breast Marinade

I keep chicken breasts on hand at all times because there is just SOO much you can do with a chicken breast…(Make sure to check out my book for ONE HUNDRED chicken recipes!)

Having a good grilled chicken breast marinade on hand is essential if you live in a hot area like I do. It’s a quick, no-brainer dinner option that we rely on several times each month.

Let me be clear, this is not to say that this marinade won’t work on other cuts of chicken. It most certainly does and is insanely delicious so use what you have on hand.

One of our other favorite ways is to use this as a chicken thigh marinade or even drumsticks. It really will work for any piece of chicken. (I’ve had lots of reader write in saying it’s also delicious with veggies, pork and beef!)

What To Serve With Grilled Chicken

Since we grill multiple times a week, I’ve become quite an expert at quickly whipping up one or two side dishes that pair perfectly with grilled chicken. Here are some of our favorites:

  1. Fruit Salad
  2. Grape Salad
  3. Creamy Cucumber Salad
  4. Twice Baked Potato Casserole
  5. The Best Coleslaw Recipe
  6. Grilled Potatoes
  7. Easy Baked Sweet Potato (How To Bake Sweet Potatoes)
top down view of chicken marinating in large resealable bag.

Grilled Chicken Marinade

This is really my very favorite grilled chicken marinade. I love to make up a big batch of grilled chicken and this recipe is great for that. It makes enough marinade for about 6 large chicken breasts or 3 to 4 pounds of chicken pieces.

Chicken Marinade Ingredients

While the list looks long, most if not all of these ingredients will likely be in your pantry. What we’re doing here is just building layers of flavor in this easy marinade. Let’s take a quick look at what you’ll need:

  • extra virgin olive oil – this is the base of the marinade and keeps the chicken so juicy and moist.
  • balsamic vinegar – a balsamic chicken marinade is my very favorite. It is definitely one of the key ingredients in this recipe and adds loads of flavor.
  • soy sauce – I like to use low sodium.
  • Worcestershire sauce – so many flavor in this ingredient, it’s a must for this marinade.
  • lemon juice – fresh is best for flavor but you can use bottled if you need to.
  • brown sugar – I have lots of readers that reduce or even eliminate the brown sugar but I personally love it in this recipe.
  • dried rosemary – a little herbaceous flavor is always nice to round out a marinade.
  • Dijon mustard – or Spicy Brown mustard or even plain yellow mustard will work in a pinch.
  • salt and ground black pepper – for seasoning.
  • garlic powder – I prefer garlic powder instead of fresh garlic because the fresh garlic will burn on the grill.
chicken marinade ingredients in a large glass measuring cup.

How To Make Chicken Marinade

This easy marinade comes together in just minutes!

  1. Prepare marinade. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Cheater method: put them straight into a large ziploc bag that will also be used for marinating the chicken.
  2. Reserve. Remove a half a cup of marinade and reserve for basting the chicken later.
  3. Marinate Chicken. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over the top. Close securely and gently massage marinade into breasts. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
chicken breasts marinating in plastic bag.

Cooking Methods

Marinated chicken can be cooked on the grill, in the oven or on the stovetop. Here are my tips for cooking it best:

  • Grilling: Preheat grill to medium high heat and lightly oil the grates. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Baste the chicken occasionally with the reserved marinade. Remove chicken from grill and tent with foil. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
  • Baking: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place marinated chicken on a shallow baking sheet or baking pan and cook for 18 to 22 minutes (or 450F for 15 to 18 minutes if you’re in a hurry) or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Baste as often as you can for best flavor.
  • Stovetop: Preheat a skillet over medium high and lightly grease. Cook chicken for 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Use a stovetop grill pan for those pretty sear marks!

FAQs

What kind of chicken can I use?

Any kind of chicken you like. Breasts, thighs, drumsticks, tenders, skin on or off, bone in or out. Now, keep in mind that different cuts will take more or less time. Always check on the internal temperature to check doneness. Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F.

How long do I need to marinate the chicken?

A minimum of 30 minutes and as long as overnight. I find the chicken starts to get tough if I marinate it for more than 24 hours. If you have less time, consider poking holes in the chicken with a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate quickly.

Can I freeze marinated chicken?

Yes, absolutely. After adding the marinade to the chicken breast in a freezer safe resealable bag, freeze chicken for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

How should I cook the marinated chicken?

The chicken can be grilled, baked or cooked on the stovetop. See the previous section for more information or check out the recipe card below for instructions.

delicious chicken breast that has been grilled after being marinated for hours. Topped with fresh parsley.

More Chicken Recipes

  1. Homemade Chicken Nuggets
  2. Chicken Enchilada Soup
  3. Chicken Piccata – Ready In 20 Minutes!
  4. The BEST Chicken Salad
  5. Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
  6. Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken
  7. Greek Chicken – A Sheet Pan Dinner

How to Make the Best Chicken Marinade

grilled chicken breast made with chicken marinade sliced on stone cutting board.
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4.97 from 742 votes

The BEST Chicken Marinade

The best Chicken Marinade ever! This marinade produces so much flavor and keeps the chicken incredibly moist and outrageously delicious! This easy chicken marinade recipe is sure to become a staple in your kitchen, your go-to chicken marinade! Great for grilling and baking!
Course Main Dish, Marinade
Cuisine American
Keyword best chicken marinade, chicken marinade, grilled chicken marinade
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 115kcal
Author Trish – Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar or other vinegar
  • ¼ cup soy sauce I use low sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
  • â…› cup lemon juice
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard or Spicy Brown mustard
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 6 chicken breasts or 3.5 lb chicken

Instructions

  • Combine all marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Remove a half a cup of marinade and reserve for basting the chicken later.
  • Place chicken in a large resealable bag and pour marinade over the top. Gently massage chicken breasts and be sure to close bag securely. (If you have less time, consider poking holes in the chicken with a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate quickly.)
  • Refrigerate chicken and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. I find 4 to 6 hours to be perfect.

To grill

  • Preheat grill to medium high heat and lightly oil the grates.
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
  • Baste the chicken occasionally with the reserved marinade.
  • Once the chicken has reached 165°F, remove chicken from grill and tent with foil. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Optional.

  • If you bring the reserved marinade up to a boil, let simmer until slightly reduced, it makes a wonderful sauce to go on top of the chicken.

Video

Notes

I’ve marinated my chicken for as few as 30 minutes and the chicken was still phenomenal. Basically, the longer you have to marinate the better but don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of time.
Grilling: Preheat grill to medium high heat and lightly oil the grates. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Baste the chicken occasionally with the reserved marinade. Remove chicken from grill and tent with foil. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Baking: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place marinated chicken on a shallow baking sheet or baking pan and cook for 18 to 22 minutes (or 450F for 15 to 18 minutes if you’re in a hurry) or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Baste as often as you can for best flavor.
Stovetop: Preheat a skillet over medium high and lightly grease. Cook chicken for 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Use a stovetop grill pan for those pretty sear marks!

Nutrition

Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1041mg | Potassium: 77mg | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 2.8mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Comments

  1. Jessica A. says

    This marinade is amazing! My chicken was only marinated for about 15 min and the flavor was still awesome. Definitely recommend

    Reply

  3. Darlene says

    Well I made this for supper tonight .Because it’s to cold to BBQ here now I had to put it in the oven , 400F for 20-25 minutes was not even close to it being cooked . But closer to an hour it was cooked and tasted really good . I only made a couple changes used fresh rosemary and because I can’t do all that brown sugar , used 1/4 c brown sugar and 1/2 c honey . I was concerned about the smell about the vinegar while marinading it was fine when cooked . One thing I would try is using Maple syrup instead of brown sugar & honey next time . My MIL even agreed on that .

    Reply

  5. Andrew McG says

    This works really well, a great recipe that I’ve probably used at least 20 times now. Up to 8 hours marinating time is plenty, any more and I find it can taste a little sour, but 30 minutes to a few hours and it’s perfect. Thanks!

    Reply

  9. Jane says

    Have you ever tried freezing in baggies after marinating? Or might an ingredient in the marinade begin to break down the chicken and make it mushy? Just thinking about making a large batch and freezing multiple bags at a time. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  11. Linda Jones says

    Hi, I made your Best Chicken marinade and it is all you said it would be. Marinated my chicken for about 6 hrs. and grilled and served with rice. It was a GOOD meal. Moist and flavorful. I only had 1 tsp. of rosemary but it tasted great. At this point it tasted so good don’t think I’ll add the other teaspoon next time. Afraid it might change a good thing for at least us. Thanks, Linda

    Reply

  14. Ligia says

    So let me start by saying i SUCK when it comes to cooking, my family never eats what i cook. After i made this chicken they all said it smelled delicious so they decided to give it a try. Guess what? THEY LOVED IT. Even our cook is excited to try this recipe. THANKYOU SO MUCH!!

    Reply
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