Chicken Marinade Best Ever For Baking Or Grilling Wellplated Com

This quick combination of marinade ingredients not only will make your chicken actually taste like something (that “something” being savory, herby, and down-right delicious), it works double-time to tenderize the chicken and make it juicy. Just 15 minutes of marinating time can work wonders to juicify (<—my new favorite verb) and flavorize (<—my other new favorite verb) your chicken.

This chicken marinade recipe works for any cut of boneless chicken, be it chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or chicken tenders.You can use this chicken marinade for baking (try it with my Baked Chicken Breasts) or for grilling (it would be excellent with my Grilled Chicken Sandwich or these Grilled Chicken Tenders).

Below, you’ll find the key components of a stellar chicken marinade that you can tweak to suit the recipes you’d like to use it in or what you have on hand.

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. (This Air Fryer Chicken Breast is another favorite.)Chicken cooked with this marinade is also tender and tasty enough to enjoy on its own, a rarity for many chicken recipes.

The Makings of a Marinade

A chicken marinade should have four key components: fat, acid, seasoning, and time. You can play around with these in endless combinations.

Fat. Fat plays two roles in a marinade. It transfers flavors that are fat-soluble to the meat (meaning you won’t be able to taste other ingredients as well without fat). Fat also helps to keep the meat moist. 99% of the time, I use olive oil. Vegetable oil is another excellent, neutral option.Acid. Acid tenderizes the meat by breaking down its fibers. Citrus juices, vinegar, yogurt, and buttermilk are four excellent options. For today’s recipe, I am using lemon juice. Lemon pairs beautifully with chicken and is easy to have on hand.Seasoning. Here the possibilities are truly endless! Citrus zest, herbs, aromatics (like onion and garlic), and spices can all come into play. The one non-negotiable is SALT. I use either kosher salt or, for even more complexity, soy sauce and a dash of Worcestershire.Time. MARINATING LONGER IS NOT BETTER! The ideal amount of time to marinate chicken is 5 to 6 hours, but even 15 minutes makes a difference. See below for more.

The Best Easy Chicken Marinade

Today’s chicken marinade is a simple go-to that works well for a variety of recipes (like Grilled Chicken Thighs, to name just one) and everyday enjoyment. Marinating chicken is healthy AND delish. It’s a perfect way to increase the appetite appeal of your wholesome meals.

The Ingredients

Olive Oil. My choice of fat for the marinade. You only need a little bit (this chicken marinade is not unhealthy in the slightest) and olive oil offers healthy fats, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties.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 for this chicken marinade. 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.

The Directions

Storage Tips

To Store. Refrigerate 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.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Non-Slip Cutting Board. A must-have kitchen tool. Instant Read Thermometer. The best way to check your chicken for doneness. Rolling Pin. An easy way to pound the chicken breasts.

Ready to IMMEDIATELY improve your cooking? Marinate your chicken!

Sheet Pan Tandoori Chicken. Found in The Well Plated Cookbook, this one-pan meal uses yogurt and is safe to prep as an overnight chicken marinade. It’s so tasty, I cooked it live on Good Morning America.Fajita Chicken Kebabs. Lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and jalapeno create the spectacular flavor for this chicken kebab marinade. 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 marinade of lime juice, honey, and cilantro pairs perfectly with the strawberry and avocado flavors in this dish.

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing

20 mins

Lemon Rice

1 hr

Vegetable Lo Mein

30 mins Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe. With this easy, effective chicken marinade recipe, healthy baked and grilled chicken will become something you look forward to enjoying for a dinner, instead of a bland burden. As always, if you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Your comments make my day and are so helpful for others too.