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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.
- 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. Here are a few more of my go-to marinade recipes to try.
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Ultimate Chicken Marinade
This simple, flavorful chicken marinade guarantees juicy, tender chicken every time. It’s perfect for grilling, baking, or meal prepping.
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
Updated June 5, 2025
Storing Instructions: Store raw marinated chicken in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze it for up to 6 months; cooked chicken lasts 4–5 days in the fridge or 3–4 months frozen.
Nutrition
Calories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gSodium: 383mgPotassium: 60mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 17IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
This was a good recipe.
To tell the truth, I’ve eaten so much chicken, I dont really know that I can get excited about any of it.
Thanks though.
Made this last night for dinner. It was a bit worried about all the different ingredients, but it was just delicious!! A keeper for sure!
Thank you for this great marinade recipe!
First time I’ve used this recipe and I just love it.It makes my chicken so tender and juicy and flavorable.Thank you so much .
Excellent marinade! My husband has complimented this chicken twice since we started eating!
This is outstanding! I always use mayo instead of oil for chicken, which makes it extremely juicy. Plus it sticks to the chicken so you don’t need to brush on any more. The sugar in the soy sauce makes it nice and charred, which is how i like it! I’m so glad I found this recipe; thank you!!
Hi.
I would like to cook this in the oven. Can you tell me what temp, for how long… for cutlets? Much appreciation! Thank you.
Thanks for the question. Place your marinated chicken in a shallow baking pan in a 400 degree oven for 22-25 minutes. Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
When making the chicken in the crock pot… Can you add the marinade, as well? I am catering a wedding soon and the want chicken…. I need a recipe I can cook, then put into a chaffing dish with some liquids, so it doesn’t dry out.
Serving about 100 to 130 people.
Thanks for the question. I think thats a great idea and would probably work great! Of course, I would test it before the day of the wedding! Let us know how it turns out!
How many servings is this for? Or how many pounds of Chicken (thigh or breast) per the marinade?
This recipe makes about 1 cup of marinade. As a general rule of thumb, I like to use 1/2 cup of marinade per pound of chicken.
This was a yummy recipe but it was a bit strong with the vinegar and olive oil taste. Great way to get the taste buds jumping though!
Made this last night and it got rave reviews at my dinner party!
I marinate my chicken tenders in this and then make creamy Tuscan chicken. The marinade adds such wonderful flavor! The final product is amazing and a family favorite!!
Our new favorite! We’ve made this so many times that we have most of the recipe memorized! I know this one is good, but what is your favorite recipe of all the ones you’ve posted? We definitely would like to hear your response and try as well. Btw, my son now hates every other chicken recipe we make! Thanks a lot! ?
Ooh, that’s a tough one! I love my Butter Pecan Cake or The Best New York Cheesecake Ever! for dessert! And my family asks for Korean Ground Beef and Rice Bowls every single week! My favorites are constantly changing because there are so many to try out. I’m so glad that you love this marinade… Have you tried my steak one? It’s the number one recipe on my site and SOO delicious! World’s Best Steak Marinade
I was looking for something different from all the sweet/sour chicken dishes. This one, with NO sweet ingredients, intrigued.
We loved it.
Here were my tweaks, that worked for me, maybe not for you…
Two people, two whole chicken legs, the full marinade recipe. Half on the chicken, half saved.
Grilled with no sauce (tends to flare up so we avoid).
I reduced the half of the marinade saved with a big glug of white wine, then stirred in a TB of unsalted butter after it was reduced. The butter mellowed out the acidity even more.
It was really delicious. The other (very important) thing I did was STRAIN the marinade before reducint because I don’t personally like the mouthfeel of herbs, so my sauce was smooth.
And oh, about Italian seasoning….back when I was young, I used to think it meant just oregano and basil, but it really contains so many more things which all contribute to a well-balanced, delicious herb mix…I got mine at one of our (many) supermarkets which sell things in bulk, just bought the one TB I needed.
Going into my ever growing chicken rotation.
This marinade was amazing. I subbed mustard powder for the Dijon (I didn’t have any on hand). My family raves about this and I will be adding this to our regular routine.
Just did chicken breasts in this marinade and it is delicious! Grilled the chicken breasts after marinading for 4 hours and used the chicken breast for a Cobb salad – the flavor worked perfectly!