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!
The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Chicken Breasts Tenders, or Thighs
- ⅓ - ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil depending on preference
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced or ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 ½ 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
PIN on PINTEREST:
Happy Cooking, my friends!
Dan
I have never left a review before over a recipe. This one I had to. Grilled chicken breast is not my favorite, mostly because it usually comes out dry, lacking flavor. This was hands down the best chicken breast marinade I ever used. My family absolutely loved it.
Kayla
Can you swap out balsamic for a red wine vinegar?
Kenny
Legit marinade!The best I have ever made so far. I suggest letting it marinate for a couple days, I did and mine was bangin.!. Thank you so much
A Chin
I needed a chicken marinade and found this one on Google. I have to admit I was super skeptical - another recipe claiming to be the best. I thought, I'll give it a shot anyway. WOW. My taste buds are SO HAPPY tonight. So easy so make and so delicious. This is definitely going into my regular cooking rotation. I made it with couscous and green beans and it was SLAMMING! Highly recommend.
Nancy
I made this chicken for dinner last week and loved it so much! The chicken was so flavorful and juicy! I'm making it for my family today. Definitely going to be my go to marinade! So easy to whip up yet so delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Tara Lund
Does this taste sweet? I don’t like sweet marinades.
Emma
I rarely ever leave comments, but it would be a crime not to leave one here. This is hands down the best marinade I've ever used for grilled chicken! Can't wait to try it with pork chops. Tk's for sharing!!!!
Tracy
Named appropriately: the BEST chicken marinade. My mom (who prefers thighs WAY over chicken breasts) raved about how juicy the meat was. Her preference is all about the dryness of breast meat, which is sadly, often the case. NOT with this marinade! Not at all! The meat is Juicy, tender, and packed with flavor! I followed the recipe exactly using garlic powder this time because I'd just used up the last of the garlic cloves. I'll use the real deal next time... and I'm already looking forward to it!
Thanks for this... the BEST marinade!
Linda
I stuck my rinsed chicken breast with a fork all over / both sides. I had all the ingredients except I used a juicy lime and after 2 hours grilled the chicken breast with lid 1/2 closed. I flipped over every 5 minutes for 25 minutes guessing around 350 degrees on a gas grill. Juice runs clear. So good with fried rice and broccoli flowerets. Light and healthy. I will be using this marinade with chicken wings and pork as well thank you
Maureen
This is absolutely the best chicken marinade that I have ever made. I just let the chicken marinade all day and then stick it in the air fryer. It is so moist and I didn't have to slave over a fancy dinner. My husband gave our grill away. Now I have to come up with meals that seem to come off the grill. That's not easy to do so I bought a grill pan and make him clean out the cooked on barbecue sauce.
Thanks for a great marinade.
I have tried a number of your recipes, just have to get caught up on my comments.
Tyral
Curious, would like to know what the Original recipe was before you tweaked it.
Thank you.
Respectfully,
Tyra
Analyssa
This was FIRE! Scrumptious. Made boring chicken breast sooooo enjoyable. My only regret was only marinating 3 chicken breast.
Katy
My life is divided in before and after I came across this recipe. And before was misery. The best chicken marinade ever!!!
Virginia
Can the chicken breast be baked?
Amanda
I would also like to know this.
Jon
I'm sure it could. I am just using the recipe for the marinade, and am going to airfry it afterwards because it's my favorite cooking method for getting crispy chicken skin.
If the marinade interests you, use it and cook the chicken with your preferred method!
Carmen
This is such a perfect marinade. I usually cut my chicken breasts in big chunks and plop them in the marinade. Then I thread them on kabob sticks and have both grilled them on a charcoal grill as well as broiled them or baked them in oven. My family LOVES this taste and I have served them to guests who quickly devour the chicken.
James Long
Very flavorful. I followed the recipe without variation. Chicken was moist and tender. Use a thermometer to keep from over cooking. Chicken was more popular than the dry-aged rib eye I cooked at the same time.
Nicole
Yes, it would come out good baked too. I would bake then broil to caramelize/brown the top.
Atu
Yes. I've only used this recipe for baking o
drumstiks and it's the best!
Suah
I baked it for 20 minutes at 425 and it came out great! Would definitely use chicken thighs next time though so it’ll come out more juicier!
Dale Hopwood
Well I must say, I'm always skeptical when a recipe says "best" in the title. I was going to grill up some boneless, skinless thighs and a few drum sticks tonight and saw this marinade. I made it, tasted it, and wasn't sure if I liked it or not. So, I used it, and boy howdy the chicken was awesome. The only things i changed were some ginger, some cayenne pepper, and a little more lemon juice. A+
Vicki
Love, love, love this marinade!
I love it so much that while the chicken is grilling I put the leftover marinade in a pan with 1/3 c of water and gently boil it for few to add a little extra on the plate!
Note that b/c of the sugar it might scorch so def add the water, gently boil & keep an eye on it.
Anita
Great recipe! My 2 picky eaters LOVED it, thanks!
Nella
Yum! I was looking for a quick marinade for chicken breasts and found this recipe. I only had about an hour for it to sit in the fridge, but by the time my husband grilled the chicken it was perfect! Definitely a new family favorite.
Florentina
I made this and since then, my whole family asks me to make this for them over and over again.
Rachel Hero
Do you think this would work for a pan seared cod?
Vicki
I wonder if searing with a sugared marinade would burn the sugar?
Florentina
Delicious!
Michelle
This has been my go to chicken marinade for almost 2 years now. Sundays I marinade a bunch of chicken to use for the week. The only thing I do different is cut the breasts in half and use for various lunches. It is soooo good!!!!!! I dip in hummus, delicious! Thank you!!
Victoria Inman
This is my go to grilled chicken marinade! So easy and comes out perfect every time. I have shared it with numerous friends who love it as well..
Kelli
This has become my #1 chicken marinade. Hits all the flavor points, have cooked this over & over for guests & family. Highest praise modern honey for an excellent recipe.
Cheers from a total meat snob.
Caroline
Would this pair well with BBQ Sauce? Thinking about using this marinade and towards the end of cooking the chicken, basting the chicken with BBQ sauce...