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The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe makes chicken extra juicy and flavorful. This savory grilled chicken marinade makes the perfect mouthwatering grilled chicken! Everyone loves this 5-star-rated chicken marinade.
The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe
Do you want to make the most flavorful, mouthwatering, juicy grilled chicken? I have the recipe for you and all of the secrets to the best chicken marinade! This recipe has consistently received 5-star reviews for over 5 years and is the most popular chicken recipe.
When we were newly married, we lived near Dean’s brother, his wife, and two kids. We were living in an apartment, going to college full-time, and working crazy hours to pay the bills. We were poor little college students and would love when Deron and Sarah would invite us over for dinner.
Their go-to meal was grilled chicken in a delish marinade. They knew how much we loved it so we ate it almost every time we had dinner at their home.
So I had to ask her what was in this amazing chicken marinade recipe. It is beyond simple! I decided to tweak it and add a few more flavors to make it extra tangy and zesty. This grilled chicken marinade will become a staple in your home too!
Chicken Marinade Ingredients:
Everything you need is most likely in your pantry and refrigerator. This is all about layers upon layers of flavor from fresh lemon juice to tangy balsamic vinegar. It makes the most flavorful grilled chicken!
This Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe is made with extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper. You have such a variety of seasonings in this marinade.
What do I love about this Grilled Chicken?
The extra virgin olive oil keeps the chicken extra moist and juicy.
Fresh lemon juice and balsamic vinegar break down the fibers in the chicken to make it tender.
The soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce give it a salty depth of flavor.
The brown sugar adds some rich sweetness and gives the chicken a nice crust when grilled.
All of the ingredients work together in harmony to make the perfect chicken marinade!
How long should I marinate chicken?
The key is to let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes. This allows the marinade ingredients to infuse flavors and moisture into the chicken for the juiciest, most flavorful chicken you will ever eat!
Pierce the chicken breasts with a fork all over to ensure the marinade can seep into the chicken to make it juicy. What is an ideal amount of time to marinate chicken? An ideal marinating time is 4 – 5 hours.
How to grill chicken and how long to cook grilled chicken?
To grill the chicken, set your grill at medium heat. Allow it to preheat before placing the chicken on the grill.
To keep the chicken from sticking, brush a bit of oil on the grill.
Cook for about 5 – 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken breast. The chicken needs to reach 165 degrees to ensure that it is completely cooked through. I suggest using a food thermometer for ensure the perfectly cooked and juiciest grilled chicken.
What type of chicken should I use?
Use whatever types of chicken you prefer — chicken breasts, thinly sliced chicken breasts, chicken tenders, or chicken thighs.
Thinly sliced chicken breast will cook faster than traditional chicken breasts. Chicken tenders and thinly sliced chicken breast will cook much quicker than thick chicken breasts so watch carefully.
What should I serve with grilled chicken marinade?
Some of my favorite recipes to serve with grilled chicken are:
Loaded Potato Salad with Bacon
Another great marinade is my Tri-Tip Steak Marinade.
I can’t wait to hear how much you love this grilled chicken recipe!
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The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Chicken Breasts Tenders, or Thighs
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil depending on preference
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced or 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- Garnish:
- Fresh Parsley
Instructions
- In a bowl, stir together oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Pierce chicken breasts with a fork all over. Place in a large Ziploc bag. Pour marinade over chicken.
- Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. 4 – 5 hours is ideal.
- Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush grill with oil to prevent sticking.
- Place chicken on the grill. Cook for approximately 5 – 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of chicken. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165 degrees.
- Remove chicken from grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
Notes
What type of chicken should I use?
Use whatever types of chicken you prefer — chicken breasts, thinly sliced chicken breasts, chicken tenders, or chicken thighs.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Happy Cooking, my friends!
Marinade was great and easy to make.
One question though, what is a “cup” defined as in grams or ml?
A “cup” is 8oz or ~240mL
After the first time trying this and LOVING it, I bought a whole bunch of chicken breasts and tripled the recipe. I divided the ckn up into 4 freezer bags and divvied up the marinade into each bag. Put them in the freezer as dinner preps for my husband and myself. However, I pulled them all out for a visit with our sons and their families. Everyone LOVED them and asked for more. Next time I’ll have to double the chicken purchase. THANK YOU so much for sharing such an easy and absolutely delicious recipe.
I made this recipe and it was amazing. I was wondering if anyone ever tried this marinade on pork tenderloin.
The title is not a lie. Literally the best chicken marinade I’ve used.
Would this be just as tasty setved cold with salad?
Yes. My daughter had the leftover chicken on a salad for lunch. But good luck having leftovers! This is a wonderful marinade.
I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, marinated them for 4 hours, started them in a grill pan, and finished them in a 350 degree oven. Everyone in the family loved the finished product, which is almost miraculous! The flavor profile was very complex, and we thought it had notes of Mediterranean and Asian flavors without tasting too strongly of either cuisine.
Damn
Lovvvvved this recipe so much I made it two days in a row. Even my picky picky child loves it!
Thank you so much!!
Also what do you usually serve it with? Looking fot ideas.
This marinade is fantastic!!! I was looking for a quick, simple chicken recipe that my picky grandsons, 16 & 13, would like. (My son has full custody & I’m helping him raise them.) Usually if one likes something, the other one doesn’t. ???? They both LOVED this – we all did & not a bite left over!! I doubled it & added a little extra garlic (our personal preference) & baked the tenders because I didn’t have time to let them marinate. I removed them from the marinade, finished them under the broiler & then thickened the remaining marinade with cornstarch. We had this on Thursday night & they had visitation with their mom this weekend. They’ve requested it for tonight (Sunday) when they get home! ???? Quick, easy & beyond delicious!
Would this be okay without garlic? My friend is allergic.