This is the BEST chicken marinade recipe and is key to getting incredibly moist, juicy and flavorful chicken! It’s super easy to make and great for grilling or baking chicken.
I have so many different chicken recipes on the site (like my apple cider vinegar chicken and air fryer chicken cutlets), so I couldn’t believe it when I realized that I haven’t shared my favorite chicken marinade recipe… that is until today!
This chicken marinade is my secret weapon for transforming ordinary chicken into something truly special. Whether you’re grilling, baking, or pan-searing, this is a recipe you want to keep on hand. It’s guaranteed to become your new go-to marinade for juicy, flavorful chicken!
I love meal prepping this recipe for the week to serve for dinner with a side of rice and veggies like these air fryer brussels sprouts, roasted asparagus or roasted carrots. It would also be a delicious addition to any salad like this massaged kale salad, arugula salad or easy spinach salad. The options are truly endless!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Versatile – This marinade works great with any cut of chicken (i.e. breasts, tenders or thighs) and it can be grilled (try it with my grilled chicken), pan-seared, baked in the oven or cooked in the air fryer (try my air fryer chicken breast). There’s no wrong way to use this marinade!
- Easy – This marinade utilizes pantry staple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen and it takes only 5 minutes to prep.
- Juicy and Delicious – This marinade helps to tenderize the chicken, resulting in juicy, tender chicken every single time! No dry chicken over here!
Ingredients Needed
- chicken – you can use breasts, tenders or thighs, bone-in or boneless, skin-on or skinless — whatever you prefer or have on hand will work. Each type will absorb the marinade beautifully, making the chicken juicy and flavorful.
- lemon juice – this adds a bright, citrus flavor that helps tenderize the chicken. I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
- balsamic vinegar – this also helps to tenderize the chicken, adding adds a rich, slightly sweet flavor without sugar.
- soy sauce – adds a wonderful umami flavor that complements the sweetness of the vinegar and tanginess of the lemon juice. I usually use low-sodium soy sauce so I can control the sodium content. You can use tamari or coconut aminos if that’s what you have on hand.
- brown sugar – adds a hint of sweetness to balance the acidity from the lemon juice and vinegar, helping to create a caramelized crust on the chicken when cooked. You can skip this if you don’t want the added sugar! Feel free to use coconut sugar instead.
- extra virgin olive oil – this is the base of the marinade, helping to coat the chicken, keeping it moist and juicy.
- worcestershire sauce – don’t skip this! It adds a ton of flavor to the marinade!
- garlic – a much-needed ingredient for more flavor! I like to use the frozen crushed garlic cubes as a time-saver. You can also use garlic powder instead of fresh if that’s what you prefer. I would start with 1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder to replace the 3 cloves.
- fresh herbs – this is optional, but adding fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro or thyme as a garnish adds a pop of color and fresh flavor to the finished dish.
More Marinade Ideas
I love the flavor of this marinade as is, but there are a ton of ways to switch it up or different marinades you can use. Here are some ideas:
How to Make Chicken Marinade
Step 1: Combine all your ingredients in a small bowl to create the marinade.
Step 2: Add chicken to a large zip-loc bag or glass container. Pour the marinade over the chicken and marinade for at least 2 hours, or overnight in the fridge.
Step 3: Remove chicken from the marinade, shake off excess and discard leftover marinade.
Step 4: Cook your marinated chicken your desired method (on the grill, over the stovetop, in the oven or air fryer) until the internal temperature is 165°F.
Brittany’s Tip!
- Make a double batch of the marinade and freeze half in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a resealable plastic bag. You’ll have pre-portioned marinade ready to use for future meals, making meal prep even easier. Just thaw and marinate as usual!
- If you’re using chicken breasts, I recommend pounding them to help prevent uneven cooking.
- If you’re short on time you can marinate the chicken for only 30 minutes, I would just recommend poking holes in the chicken with a fork to help the marinade penetrate the chicken quicker.
What to Serve with Marinated Chicken
How to Store
- In the fridge: Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This makes it easy to add to salads, wraps, or enjoy as a quick protein option for meals.
- In the freezer: I would only freeze the chicken if you’re starting with raw, not previously frozen chicken. I wouldn’t defrost frozen chicken and then freeze it again. To freeze, place in a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- To reheat: Reheat chicken in the air fryer or on the stovetop in a skillet for the best results. You can also reheat the chicken in the microwave, but it’ll lose some of its crispness.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the best flavor, I recommend marinating the chicken for at least 2 hours. If you’re short on time, you can marinate it for 30 minutes, but you might want to poke holes in the chicken with a fork to help the marinade penetrate the chicken quicker. If you have the time, marinating overnight will allow the flavors to fully penetrate the meat, making it even more delicious. I just wouldn’t marinate the chicken for longer than 24 hours otherwise the marinade will start to break down the meat, causing it to get tough and possibly mushy.
You can use any cut of chicken! Breasts, cutlets, tenders, thighs or drumsticks will all work. And you can use bone-in or boneless, skin-on or skinless — whatever you prefer or have on hand will work. Just note, that the different cuts of chicken will take different amounts of time to cook. Always be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken before eating. It’s ready when the internal temperature is 165°F.
Absolutely! This marinade works well with pork, beef and even tofu. Just adjust the marinating and cooking times accordingly to suit the protein you’re using.
You can grill, bake or cook the chicken on the stovetop or in the air fryer! The cook time will vary depending on how you cook it, but you’ll know when the chicken is ready when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
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