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!
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.
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:
- Fruit Salad
- Grape Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- The Best Coleslaw Recipe
- Grilled Potatoes
- Easy Baked Sweet Potato (How To Bake Sweet Potatoes)
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.
How To Make Chicken Marinade
This easy marinade comes together in just minutes!
- 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.
- Reserve. Remove a half a cup of marinade and reserve for basting the chicken later.
- 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
More Chicken Recipes
- Homemade Chicken Nuggets
- Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Chicken Piccata – Ready In 20 Minutes!
- The BEST Chicken Salad
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken
- Greek Chicken – A Sheet Pan Dinner
How to Make the Best Chicken Marinade
The BEST Chicken Marinade
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
- ⅛ 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.
Erika says
I always struggle with making a good chicken, but thanks to this recipe it never fails again! Always so soft and juicy! I cut the chicken breast in cubes, marinate for a couple of hours or a day and cook in the pan on medium heat. So delicious!
ROBYN says
I haven’t got a bag to put it all in, does it matter if it’s just in a covered bowl?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
That totally works!
Jamie says
I never leave comments, but this was honestly the most delicious chicken marinade! I didn’t have a lot of time and only marinated it for 10 minutes, i also didn’t have any lemon on hand (can’t wait to try it with the lemon). I ended up searing in a cast iron skilled and then finished baking it with the extra marinade in the oven. My family said it was the best chicken I’ve ever made.
Kevin says
This marinade literally changed my life. I put it on everything. It’s not just good for chicken… I use it on salads, as a bread dip.. it’s fantastic. The only thing I add is some crushed red pepper flakes for a kick. Thank you for this recipe!
Cheryl says
No kidding! I’ve tried many marinades over the years. Some too acidic, some too bland. This hits all the right spots and is permanently in my rotation . Might try it on pork chops soon.
Beth says
This marinade was absolutely amazing, my husband couldn’t stop eating it. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and made exactly as you stated. I let it marinade for about 4 hours and then put them on the grill. They were so tender and juicy you could cut with a fork, and the flavour was awesome. I boiled 1 cup of reserve marinade as suggested and used for a dipping sauce and like I said my husband couldn’t stop talking about how good it was( between mouthfuls). This is my go to recipe for grilled chicken. I think I may try pork chops next time.
Diane says
Wow! This is the best chicken marinade I have ever tried! So flavorful and it makes a caramelization on the chicken that is delicious! (I cooked it in the oven)
Shelley J Cassidy says
I used this on boneless skinless chicken breasts, and left out the salt due to dietary restrictions, and we didn’t miss it. Absolutely delicious! We’re having a grad party soon and will be using this marinade instead of teriyaki on our chicken kabobs.
Catrina says
Outstanding recipe! I’ve made this now family favorite several times. Any idea how long extra/unused marinade would last in a mason jar?
sonnchris4 says
Excellent, easy recipe for chicken.
I will definitely use your marinade again. Our grilled chicken came out very juicy.
Summer Steed says
I made this last year for Father’s Day for all the men in my family. They all raved how delicious it was & asked me for the recipe; but the best review by far was my 18-year-old extremely picky niece who tasted it and said “ Oh my gosh who made this? This is seriously the best chicken I’ve ever had in my life!” & continued to eat an entire chicken breast (she had already had dinner and even when she’s hungry she would only eat 1/4-1/2 of a piece, so that’ says it all!) Her whole family started clapping and cheering which I found out later was their way of saying it’s a 5-star recipe! Marinading more today for dinner tonight, thank you for this awesome easy chicken marinade that even my husband asks me to make at least 4-6 times a year.
Michelle says
I never comment on recipes but this marinade deserves it. This marinade is the best i have EVER had! It hits all the right notes. Had 3 large chicken breasts that i butterflied and was only able to marinade for an hour in the fridge. SPECTACULAR! I also portioned out some marinade and marinated bell peppers and onions which we threw on the grill too and charred them a bit. I will add even more veggies next time. Thank you Trish, you have a fan now!
Annmarie says
I made this last night and got rave reviews from everyone, which was quite impressive since both my sons grill a lot! The only change I made was cutting the rosemary in half since I’m not a fan of it; however, I think the next time I may try it with the full amount since I think it went well with the other ingredients.
I usually try several recipes until my husband and I find the one we like the best; quite often, it’s one of your recipes we stick with. So I have you to thank for my husband telling people I’m a good cook! 😉
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
That means so much to me! I’m so glad you found me 😊
Candace says
I know in your steak marinade you said to use low sodium soy sauce. Was just wondering if should use low sodium soy sauce in the chicken marinade as well. Or if should use regular soy sauce?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I usually use low sodium here too, it’s what I keep on hand.
Lynn says
Absolutely love this marinade. A true win for my fussy family. I add some Siracha to it sometimes. Thank you for the great recipe!