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My super flavorful chicken marinade is going to be your secret to juicy, flavorful chicken! I use it all the time and not just on chicken! Trust me, you are going to be making this on repeat!
Why This Chicken Marinade Wins Every Time
- Juicy Every Time: This marinade locks in moisture for the most tender, mouthwatering chicken you’ll ever have! Throw it on salads, or with broccoli and rice for an easy meal prep dish!
- Grill, Bake, or Sauté: Works like magic no matter how you cook it. You can even use other meats, like salmon and steak.
- Better Than Store-Bought: Skip the bottle, I’m telling you, homemade wins on taste every time.
Ingredients for Chicken Marinade
- What type of chicken do I use? To begin with, use whatever cut you prefer—chicken breasts, chicken tenders, or chicken thighs. Each of these options works perfectly with this marinade.
How To Make The BEST Chicken Marinade
My chicken marinade recipe is easier than you’d think. Just add everything straight into a large ziplock bag, then toss in your chicken, and you’re done. It’s quick, easy, and so tasty. Try my simple balsamic chicken marinade next!
- Combine: First, in a medium sized bowl or directly in the bag, add the olive oil. Next, stir in the red wine vinegar, minced garlic, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and finally, season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to combine.
- Marinate Chicken: Add the marinade to a gallon sized bag along with 2 pounds of chicken. Seal the bag and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Remove the chicken from the marinade to cook, then discard the excess marinade.
Alyssa’s Pro Marinating Tips
- How long should I marinate? Ideally, at least 30 minutes. However, for the best flavor, marinate overnight in the fridge. Your chicken will be even more flavorful, and dinner the next day will feel so easy.
- Can I marinate too long? Yes! If chicken sits in the marinade for more than 48 hours, it can become dense and tough.
Cooking Methods
- Oven: Bake at 400°F for 22–25 minutes in a shallow pan. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
- Stovetop: Heat a greased skillet over medium high heat. Cook marinated chicken for about 10 minutes per side, checking doneness with a meat thermometer.
- Grill: Grill over medium heat for 9–10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove once internal temp hits 165ºF.
- Slow Cooker: Place chicken in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Storing Marinated Chicken
- Refrigerator: Store raw, marinated chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Cooked chicken will last 4–5 days.
- Freezer: Raw, marinated chicken can be frozen for up to 6 months. Cooked chicken can be frozen for 3–4 months. Use a freezer bag and press out as much air as possible before sealing.
- To Defrost: Thaw frozen chicken overnight in the fridge.
*Pro Tip: Add the marinade before freezing, so when you’re ready to cook, it’s already flavorful and ready to go! Makes it super quick and easy!
More Flavorful Marinade Recipes
A good marinade can really transform your meal! It adds bold flavor, tenderizes the meat, and keeps it juicy and delicious. A favorite is my tri-tip marinade, but here are a few more of my go-to marinade recipes to try.
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Ultimate Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, add ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to combine.
- Add the marinade to a gallon-sized bag along with 2 pounds of chicken. Seal the bag and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Remove the chicken from the marinade to cook then discard the excess marinade.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is excellent with no sugar or honey like most marinades. I marinated mine, grilled for the crisp outside (leg quarters with skin) for about 10 minutes per side. Then, I finished cooking it in a 350° oven. My son and husband were very impressed and want me to make this juicy, delicious chicken every time.
Can I make this marinade 2 days before using it? (ie. mix marinade ingredients together on Tuesday, put marinade & chicken together in a bag overnight on Thursday and grill Friday at 6:00 pm).
That is perfect! Love that idea.
Amazing !! My new favorite marinade ! I didn’t have fresh lemon the first time I made , it was still out of this world !
This marinade was the best I’ve ever tasted! My family loved it! And, it was super easy and very few ingredients. I highly recommend it!
Great marinade! Thanks
I modified this a little because I didn’t have the exact ingredients. I used merlot wine and Chinkiang vinegar and left out the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. I pan roasted it and my mom and I thought it was the best chicken breast we’d ever had. Tender and Juicy.
As a novice, I also appreciate all the preparation tips!
This was very delicious thank you so much for sharing your food talents!!! I will for sure be making more of your recipes 🙂
I want to try this recipe it looks delicious! I don’t have red wine vinegar. Can I use white vinegar instead? Will that work the same?
Yes, that will work too.
Absolutely delicious! I marinated the chicken for ~6 hours. I then seared each side of chicken with the “sauté feature on my instapot and then cooked for 18 minutes. So yummy!
I haven’t made this recipe yet. But, it will be cooked this week. The recipe makes my mouth water. I do have a question; the Italian Seasoning is that the dried seasoning or is it the Italian Seasoning that I use to make Italian dressing?
Thanks
Great question! It is Italian seasoning that is the dried seasoning.
Your Absolutely Perfect Chicken Marinade is a Perfect 10! Better than most restaurants!
One of the very best recipes I’ve tried. Let it stand 24 hours and cook in Air Fryer at 375 F for 10 minutes per side (check at 8 minute mark for doneness). The flavor is out of this world, and you’re right, this will be a repeat many times over..
This chicken was top notch! We used chicken thighs and it was devoured! This one is going into the recipe file! Yummmm! Thank you
Yummy. I made this today. Marinated for about three hours and cooked in oven. This is a do again, next time for the family.
Good flavor, moist, tender, super good. Oh, did I say yummy, I meant delicious too!
Enjoy!
Wow! wonderful recipe
Oh!! looks wonderful I loved this recipe
I really loved this recipe. Added dried Rosemary and 1/2 a teaspoon of dry mustard to the recipe. I cut up a chicken and cooked it on a cookie sheet at 350f for 55 minutes. I will definitely make it again.