Chicken Marinade

Think dry, bland chicken breasts are the way of the world? You’ve been settling! Time for the BEST CHICKEN MARINADE. Use it for grilling, chicken in the oven, and more!

Chicken breasts on a plate with a lemon soy marinade

Why You’ll Love This Simple Chicken Marinade

The Tastiest Chicken EVER. This combination of marinade ingredients will not only make your chicken actually taste like something (that “something” being savory, herby, and downright delicious), it comes together with mostly pantry ingredients. Win!
Juicy, Tender, and Never Dry. It’s not just about flavor! This marinade works double-time to tenderize the chicken and make it juicy.
No Long Marinating Time Needed. Just 15 minutes of marinating can work wonders to juicify (<—my new favorite verb) and flavorize (<—my other new favorite verb) your chicken.
Super Versatile. This chicken marinade recipe works for any cut of boneless chicken, be it chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or chicken tenders. You can use this simple chicken marinade for grilling (it would be excellent with my Grilled Chicken Sandwich or these Grilled Chicken Tenders), for baking (try it with my Baked Chicken Breast), or for Air Fryer Chicken Breast.

5 Star Review

“Absolutely phenomenal. Total hit at my house and I have an extremely picky six-year-old!”

— Crystal —

How to Make the Best Chicken Marinade

The Ingredients

Olive Oil. My choice of fat for the marinade. You only need a little bit!
Lemon Juice and Zest. This tenderizes the chicken and gives it bright citrus notes. I also use the zest to make the most of the lemon.
Herbs. You can use almost any dried or fresh herbs. I’m a sucker for an Italian chicken marinade, so my most-used herbs are oregano and thyme or simple Italian seasoning.
Seasoning. Soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce season the meat to help the others flavors shine and they add a more complex umami component compared to kosher salt alone. Fresh garlic is my other must-have chicken marinade seasoning. It’s a dream with the lemon and herbs.

More Marinade Ideas

For more inspiration, check out these recipes:

Mustard Chicken Marinade. One of my favorites! Check out this Chicken Thigh Marinade for a recipe; you can also add honey mustard or Dijon mustard to this recipe.
Fajita Chicken Kebabs. Lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and jalapeno create the spectacular flavor.
Orange Chicken. Uses a sweet and bright marinade of orange juice, honey, and soy sauce.
Balsamic Chicken Salad with Avocado Feta and Blackberry. This delicious salad features a marinade of oil, balsamic, honey, salt, and pepper.
Strawberry Chicken with Avocado. A cilantro lime chicken marinade pairs perfectly with the strawberry and avocado flavors in this dish.
BBQ Chicken Marinade. A classic! Sweet maple syrup, apple cider vinegar. Worcestershire sauce, and all the spices.

The Directions

Pound. Pound the chicken (if using breasts). Thighs and tenders do not need pounding.

Three raw pieces of meat on a cutting board

Poke. Poke holes all over the chicken (this helps the marinade absorb more quickly).

Lemon juice, oil, soy sauce, and spices in a bag

Mix. Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziptop freezer bag.

Add. Place the chicken in the bag.

Three chicken breasts in a bag of chicken marinade

Close. Seal the bag and make sure the chicken is coated in the marinade.
Marinate. Marinate chicken at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes or refrigerate for longer (up to 6 hours). Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking.
Cook. Grill the marinaded chicken or bake the marinaded chicken as desired.
Rest. Transfer the chicken to a plate, let rest for a few minutes, then ENJOY!

Delicious chicken marinade for baking chicken

Storage Tips

To Store. Refrigerate cooked chicken in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F. You can also gently reheat chicken in the microwave.
To Freeze. Freeze chicken in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Meal Prep Tip

I like to cook a big batch of marinated chicken, then dice it up for salads, wraps, and grain bowls for lunches throughout the week.

What to Serve with Marinated Chicken

Salads. Serve the chicken alongside, on top of, or tossed with Winter Salad, Italian Pasta Salad, or any salad you like!
Potatoes. Pair your chicken with Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Roasted Fingerling Potatoes.
Vegetables. While the chicken cooks, make Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts or Sauteed Carrots.
Rice. Lean into the zippy lemon chicken marinade with Lemon Rice or complement it with Instant Pot Risotto.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Basting Optional. As long as you marinade the chicken for at least 15 minutes, basting isn’t necessary. If you like, you can reserve some of the marinade and use it to baste the chicken during cooking.
Reuse Marinade Carefully. If you plan to reuse marinade for basting or saucing, either reserve some before adding the chicken OR if the marinade has already touched raw meat, boil it for several minutes to kill harmful bacteria. Note that boiling will likely change the flavor of the marinade (citrus will become less pronounced and it can taste saltier, for example), so be sure to taste it. It is also likely to reduce and thicken during boiling, which can be a good thing if you are using it as a sauce.
Some Marinating Is Better Than None. Citrus juices like lemon and lime do a great job marinading chicken quickly. Even if you only have 15 or 20 minutes, marinate your chicken it anyway!
But Marinating Longer Is Not Always Better. Marinating chicken for too long can cause it to become tough, negating the original benefits of the marinade. I find that marinating chicken between 5 to 6 hours is ideal for both texture and taste.