Quick Look at the Best Chicken Marinade Recipe
- Ready In: 5 minutes + 30 minutes to marinate before cooking
- Amount of Chicken: about 1 pound of any cut of chicken (breasts, thighs, wings, etc.)
- Main Ingredients: olive oil (fat), lemon juice & lemon zest (acid), + garlic, salt, & pepper (seasoning)
- Dietary Info: dairy-free, gluten-friendly, Paleo & Whole30-friendly
- Why You’ll Love It: Store-bought marinades are easy to use but they can be expensive and full of ingredients that you can’t even pronounce. So, I began testing homemade marinades for my chicken. Now in about 5 minutes using 6 real ingredients, you can have a super flavorful chicken marinade that will give you the most juicy & tender chicken you have ever eaten!
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Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card for a full listing of the ingredients, instructions, & estimated nutrition information.
- olive oil – easily swap it out for avocado oil, if you prefer!
- soy sauce – option to use regular soy sauce, reduced sodium, or coconut aminos (plus omit the worcestershire sauce) to make it gluten-free.
- lemon juice + lemon zest – our secret ingredients for that touch of acidity that enhances the flavor and begins to breakdown the muscle fibers of the chicken.
How To Make The Best Chicken Marinade
Step 1 – Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
Pro Tip
Option to reserve a small amount of the marinade, before pouring it over the chicken, to use as a baste during the cooking process.
Step 2 – Pour the marinade over your chicken and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Best Ways To Cook Marinated Chicken Breasts
After a quick marinate time of 30 minutes, the chicken can be cooked a variety of different ways:
- Grilled – use a gas grill or charcoal grill to make the best grilled chicken breasts!
- Smoked – love using our Traeger electric smoker to make our smoked chicken breast recipe.
- Pan-Seared – any easy option to cook them right on the stovetop. Highly recommend making easy butterflied chicken breasts before using this cooking method for a faster cook time.
- Air Fryer – our quick and easy air fryer chicken breasts are so good!
- Sous Vide – a more uncommon kitchen tool, but sous vide chicken breasts are incredibly juicy.
How Do I Make My Chicken Juicy & Tender?
Donโt Over-Cook: Overcooked chicken = dry chicken! Remember that the chicken will continue to cook as it rests. For best results, take the chicken off when it is about 5 degrees lower than where you ultimately want it to be (use a meat thermometer). By the time you cut into it โ it will be perfect!ย
Let the Meat Rest: Letting your chicken rest for at least 5 minutes is crucial. It allows the juices to redistribute after cooking, so when you do cut into it the entire piece will be juicy and delicious.
Best Chicken Marinade FAQs
Any cut of chicken would be great in this marinade recipe (i.e. chicken breasts, thighs, wings, legs, etc.).
Yes, feel free to make a double batch or triple batch depending on how much chicken you plan to cook. Or if you want to marinate a whole roasting chicken.
The surface of the meat can be poked with a fork or scored to help the marinade penetrate the meat as deeply as possible, resulting in a more moist meat, but this step is not required. I have done both and both turn out juicy & delicious.
A quick marinade of at least 30 minutes at room temperature will work wonders. Option to let it marinate for a couple of hours, but do not exceed a maximum of 24 hours. The acidity will breakdown the muscle fibers too much and it will result in a mushy chicken.
Yes! Marinating any meat for longer than 24 hours is not recommended.
Yes, as long as you do not exceed 24 hours.
Yes, place the marinating chicken in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for about 6-8 weeks. Thawย overnight in the fridge and cook any way you want.
Other Marinade Recipes for Chicken You Might Like
Made this recipe and loved it?!
We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review โ it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, sub tamari or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, sub avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.ย
- Pour over chicken and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.ย
- Cook chicken any way you want – we love the best grilled chicken breasts!
Notes
- Paleo/Whole30: use coconut aminos, instead of soy sauce and omit the worcestershire sauce.
- Ways to Cook Marinated Chicken: option to make smoked chicken breasts, air fryer chicken breasts, or sous vide chicken breasts!ย
- Make Ahead: this is an easy recipe to make ahead of time to cut down on meal prep!
Bridget says
I make this marinade every time I cook chicken breasts – so good!
Jenny says
This is a weekly go to….suggested from the kids! (Big kids and tweens)! We use this marinade anytime we grill chicken for any recipe. I’m always stocked with these ingredients for this recipe. Thank you! Any idea how long the max is to marinate?Thanks again!
Robin Giese says
Best chicken marinade ever! This is now my go-to! Are use reduce sodium Worcestershire and soy sauce. You wonโt miss the extra salt. Thank you for sharing!
Erin says
Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review, Robin! And so glad you found no taste difference using reduced sodium products – yay!!
Norma says
Great recipe. Easy to do. The chicken was moist and with great flavor. I did this again.
Question: I would like to cut down on the sodium in the marinade sauce. What can I replace ?
Erin says
Hi Norma! You could definitely use a reduced-sodium soy sauce if you want. Or replace the soy sauce with a coconut aminos?
KH says
This is such an excellent marinade! I used it for chicken in Caesar salad and it was absolutely delicious! I didn’t have zest so I used 2 tsp lemon juice and it worked very well. Thank you! Will be sharing and singing the praises!
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Taylor B. says
This marinade was AMAZING! Tried it tonight and my husband said it was the best chicken Iโve ever made!! So quick and easy to throw together and let marinade in the fridge all afternoon. The chicken turned out so flavorful and juicy!! I will definitely make this again!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Taylor!! And thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review + feedback – I really appreciate it!