Best Chicken Marinade Recipe

Make 25 healthy and easy chicken marinade recipes using 4 ingredients or less. Basics like lemon juice, soy sauce, honey, and olive oil transform mundane into mouthwatering in just a few minutes!

Do you ever grill chicken and get excited for that hot off the grill, smoky charcoal flavor, only to be greeted with a mouthful of dry, bland chicken?

I’ve been there.

Thankfully, you can make a delicious chicken marinade (yes, even as flavorful as my Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken or Oven-Roasted Whole Chicken) using what you already have in the pantry!

There are two secrets to amazing chicken: 1) marinate ahead of time, and 2) choose the RIGHT marinade.

WHY MAKE YOUR OWN CHICKEN MARINADE?

It’s easy to throw some naked chicken on the grill, or just buy a bottle at the store, so why bother making your own marinade for chicken? Let me tell you!

• Easy. Making a marinade only takes a few extra minutes, and those ingredients give you A LOT of flavor.
• Healthy. All of these homemade chicken marinades are made with FOUR OR LESS simple whole food ingredients. We were even able to use these marinades during our Whole30 challenge.
• Utilizes pantry staples. Sure, you can go buy a fancy marinade, like this Primal Kitchen Marinade, but why bother when you can whip something up with what you have on hand?
• Saves money. No trips to the store. No expensive sauces. Just basic ingredients.
• Gives you moist, juicy, delicious grilled chicken!

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THE BEST CHICKEN MARINADE FORMULA

The key to making the best chicken marinade is knowing how to create a good combination based on what you have.

Lucky for you, I found a “formula” that seems to do the trick every time. A great marinade for chicken will include 4 components.

• Fat. Most flavors dissolve well in oil, but not so much when dissolved in water. When we use fat in a marinade, it permeates the meat better. It gets the flavor deep into the crevices so that every bite is tender, juicy, and flavorful.
• Acid. Acid plays a dual role in tenderizing the meat by breaking down the proteins, but it also balances out the fat a bit and adds flavor.
• Salt. Salt allows the fat and acid to more easily permeate the meat than using oil and/or acid alone. Remember that SALT CAN BE FLAVOR (when it’s the end of the month and there’s no room for special ingredients).
• Flavor. Here’s a chance to add other spices, fresh herbs, or flavors to your marinade. Remember that sometimes FLAVOR IS SALT (I’m looking at you, soy sauce).

MARINADE FOR CHICKEN INSTRUCTIONS

Ready to make some marinade for chicken breasts (or chicken wings or chicken drumsticks)? Let’s get started.

CHICKEN MARINADE RATIOS

For every ONE POUND of meat, you need:

• ONE ½ cup fat
• ONE ½ cup acid
• ONE ½ cup salt (OR one teaspoon/tablespoon, depending on the type of salt you use – more on that below)
• ONE teaspoon/tablespoon flavor (depending on the flavor you choose – more on that below)

Example #1: One of my favorite chicken marinades is simply olive oil, honey, soy sauce (and maybe some garlic). If I were going to marinate ONE POUND of chicken breast, I would put the chicken into a bag or container and add:

• ONE ½ cup of olive oil* (fat)
• ONE ½ cup of honey (acid)
• ONE ½ cup of soy sauce (salt)
• ONE Tablespoon of granulated garlic (flavor)

Pretty simple, right?

Example #2: Let’s say I have some pineapple juice in the fridge, leftover from making Healthy Hawaiian Rolls, that needs to get used up. Here’s how we can turn that into a chicken marinade:

• ONE ½ cup olive oil (fat)
• ONE ½ cup pineapple juice (acid)
• ONE teaspoon salt (salt)
• ONE teaspoon pepper (flavor)

*For simplicity’s sake, I’m using “olive oil” throughout the post, when in fact I am using extra virgin olive oil in all of these recipes. It’s what I keep on hand and tends to have the best flavor.

SALT IN CHICKEN BREAST MARINADE RECIPES

It’s important to consider how much salt you’re using in chicken marinade recipes. We want to use SOME salt in order to tenderize and flavor the meat. However, we don’t want to use so much salt that the meat itself tastes salty.

Here are the general rules of thumb I follow:

• When you’re using salt, use one teaspoon of salt for one pound of chicken breast.
• If you’re using salty liquid (like soy sauce), use ½ cup for one pound of chicken and skip additional granular salt.
• When you’re using a spice blend that contains salt (like Homemade Taco Seasoning) as your flavor component, use 1 Tablespoon and skip the additional salt.

Note: Using these “rules,” you can easily double or triple any chicken marinade and make a big batch!

EASY CHICKEN MARINADES USING PANTRY INGREDIENTS

Once I learned this formula and opened my pantry, I thought of MANY chicken marinade recipes using ingredients I already have! As long as you follow the rules of including fat, acid, salt, and flavor, you can experiment with lots of combinations.

In fact, I was easily able to come up with 25 chicken marinades in all sorts of flavors just with what I usually have in my kitchen!

CHICKEN BREAST MARINADES USING CITRUS

Lemons, limes, oranges, and pineapples all give delicious, tangy acidity to the chicken marinades.

• Olive Oil + Lime Juice + Taco Seasoning
• Olive Oil + Lemon Juice + Soy Sauce
• Olive Oil + Pineapple Juice + Salt and Black Pepper
• Olive Oil + Lime Juice + Honey + Fresh Cilantro
• Olive Oil + Orange Juice + Soy Sauce + Granulated Garlic
• Olive Oil + Orange Juice + Dijon Mustard + Hot Sauce

Ginger, cumin, and basil also go well with citrus flavors!

DELICIOUS GRILLED CHICKEN MARINADES WITH HOMEMADE SPICE BLENDS

You can make a delicious grilled chicken marinade using homemade spice blends you already keep on hand (or can easily whip up!). If you have a favorite spice mix that you’re already using, chances are it will taste great in a chicken marinade recipe too!

• Ranch Chicken Marinade: Olive Oil + Buttermilk + Dry Ranch Salad Dressing Mix
• Italian Marinated Chicken: Olive Oil + Apple Cider Vinegar + Dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix
• Greek Chicken Marinade: Olive Oil + Red Wine Vinegar + Dry Greek Salad Dressing Mix
• Great Marinade for Chicken: Olive Oil + Rice Vinegar + Dry Poultry Seasoning Mix
• Asian Chicken Marinade: Olive Oil + Rice Vinegar + Chinese 5 Spice Mix

CHICKEN WING MARINADE RECIPE USING CONDIMENTS

Check the refrigerator door for condiments to use in your next chicken wing marinade. Most of the sauces you already use for other purposes make perfect chicken marinade ingredients! Bonus points if you use up the last bit in a jar that has been lingering in the refrigerator for a while. We love these on wings and drumsticks!

• Olive Oil + Honey + Soy Sauce + Garlic Powder
• Olive Oil + Apple Cider Vinegar + Worcestershire Sauce
• Olive Oil + Apple Cider Vinegar + Honey + Mustard
• Olive Oil + Pesto
• Olive Oil + BBQ Sauce
• Olive Oil + Balsamic Vinegar + Soy Sauce + Worcestershire Sauce
• Olive Oil + Maple Syrup + Soy Sauce

MARINADE FOR CHICKEN BREASTS WITHOUT OLIVE OIL

If you’re out of olive oil, try a marinade for chicken breasts using coconut milk, which acts as the fat in the chicken marinade formula.

• Coconut Milk + Lemon Juice + Salt
• Coconut Milk + Lime + Curry
• Coconut Milk + Pineapple Juice + Fish Sauce

Tip: Everything ends up in the same Ziploc bag or mixing bowl when you make marinades, so save yourself time and dishes by not rinsing out the measuring spoons!

CHICKEN AND YOGURT MARINADES

Yogurt is another option for chicken marinades, combining the fat component with a bit of acidity from the lactic acid. Try one of these creamy chicken and yogurt marinades.

• Plain Yogurt + Lemon Juice + Ranch Seasoning Mix
• Greek Yogurt + Pineapple Juice + Chili Seasoning
• Yogurt + Lemon Juice + Garlic Cloves + Smoked Paprika
• Yogurt + Honey + Salt + Cinnamon

HOW TO MARINATE CHICKEN AND OTHER TIPS

Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes to one hour, but for the best flavor, marinate for 4-6 hours. If you only have a bit of time, you can also poke holes in the chicken with a fork or a skewer to help the marinade soak in more quickly.

• If leaving the marinade on overnight, try using a weaker acid like rice wine vinegar or honey, rather than a strong acid. Too much acid will break down the chicken and make for an unpleasant texture.
• You can also make the marinade a day ahead of time, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and just add it to the chicken 4-6 hours before you want to cook it.
• Cook the marinated chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F, regardless of the marinade.
• Don’t skimp on liquid. It may seem like a lot, but all the liquid is necessary to thoroughly cover the chicken with liquid in order for the marinade to impart flavor to the meat.
• Marinades are multi-purpose! They work well on whole chicken, boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders, chicken thighs with or without bones, chicken legs, chicken wings, or any variety of cuts.
• Reserve some of the marinade and use it to baste the chicken during cooking for extra flavor.

SIDE DISHES TO SERVE WITH YOUR GRILLED MARINADE CHICKEN

Once you’ve picked a chicken marinade flavor, you can find some yummy side dishes to complement it.

• Butter Parmesan Zoodles and sliced chicken breasts with Zesty Italian Dressing Mix in the marinade for an Italian night (or simply oregano + onion powder + red pepper flakes)
• Caramelized Onions and Swiss Chard and Jalapeno Cheddar Bread with a garlic and honey-flavored chicken marinade
• Instant Pot Steamed Vegetables and Crispy Potato Wedges with the oil/ACV/honey/mustard marinade
• Fajita Veggies would pair great with lime juice and taco seasoning flavors
• Cilantro Lime Coleslaw and Italian Pasta Salad with a barbecue chicken marinade would be perfect for a summer dinner in the backyard

HOW DO I TRACK CHICKEN MARINADE?

When you’re tracking your macros, it’s important to be as accurate as possible to help you meet your goals. Here’s how I make that work with marinated chicken.

Since there’s a fat component in the chicken marinade, you likely won’t add additional fat when cooking. So, you’ll just have the chicken and the marinade itself to consider (plus any sides you enjoy with your lean protein).

Weigh the raw chicken and track that using your favorite nutrition tracker (I like My Fitness Pal).

You could try to figure out exactly what goes into your marinade for chicken AND exactly how much you’re using, but the reality is that most of the marinade gets discarded before cooking.

So, I track the raw meat and add 2g of oil for my serving. It’s not exact, but it covers the oil from the marinade. Sometimes, “good enough” really is good enough!

Want to learn more about macros, nutrition goals, and accurately tracking what you eat? Grab my free guide here to start achieving your real body goals by eating the foods you love.

MARINADES FOR GRILLING CHICKEN FAQS

MORE FLAVORFUL CHICKEN RECIPES

Are you looking for other ways to jazz up your chicken? Try these chicken recipes that are packed with flavor!

• Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
• Sweet and Sticky Chicken
• Jamaican Jerk Chicken
• Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
• Kung Pao Chicken with Vegetables