6 Simple Chicken Marinades
138 Comments
Updated Nov 19, 2023
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Simply put, using a chicken marinade is one of the best ways to give your favorite protein some big flavor and maximum juiciness. From a bright Greek lemon marinade, to punchy honey mustard, and everything in between – here’s what you need to know about making (and using) the best chicken marinades!
Flavorful Chicken Marinade Recipes
While I’m all for dry rubs for a savory top coat (like my herb baked chicken or crispy baked chicken thighs), chicken marinades have their own benefits. They’re great for locking in your favorite flavors, tenderizing the meat, and keeping it ultra juicy as it cooks. That’s especially important for when you’re cooking up chicken breasts – because we all know how easily they can dry out!
In addition to chicken breasts, these marinades can be used for chicken thighs (my favorite), or even chicken drumsticks, depending on what type of meal you’re prepping for the week. So if you need some fresh dinner ideas, keep reading for examples on how to pair each chicken flavor with side dishes and other ingredients.
How To Marinate Chicken
Before we start the marinade process, you have a choice of marinating the chicken breasts in a large bowl or large sealable bag. I personally like to use Stasher Bags to save room in the freezer or fridge. But if you choose to use a bowl, just make sure it’s big enough so that the chicken breasts are fully immersed in the marinade.
- Make the marinade. Choose a chicken marinade flavor and place all ingredients (minus the chicken breast) into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Prep the chicken. Place chicken breasts into a bag. Then pour all of the marinade into the bag. Seal the bag, then give it a good squish to make sure the chicken is fully coated.
- Let the marinating process begin! Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours (though you can go up to 24 hours).
Pro Tip: You want to marinate chicken between 2 to 24 hours, and never for more than a day. The reason being is that marinades typically have an acidic ingredient to help tenderize the meat. But it can give chicken a mushy texture when exposed for too long.
6 Best Chicken Marinades
Note that these marinades are meant for 1 pound of chicken (which is about 2 to 3 chicken breasts). So if you’re marinating more than that, you can double the recipe. To get started – grab a small mixing bowl, whisk, and let’s get into it.
Greek Lemon Chicken Marinade
If you love bright and fresh Mediterranean flavors, you’ll fall head over heels for this one. It’s loaded with fresh lemon juice, lots of herbs, and a punch of Dijon mustard.
How to serve: Slice the chicken into strips with a side of roasted veggies from my Greek sheet pan chicken recipe.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
Taking inspiration from my cilantro lime chicken, this marinade is extra fresh and extra zesty!
How to serve: This is perfect for when you need a quick Mexican fix (i.e. burrito bowls, tacos, or salads) alongside some cilantro lime rice, beans, guacamole, and pico de gallo.
Honey Mustard Chicken Marinade
This classic flavor never fails when it comes to chicken. But instead of making a sauce (like in my honey mustard chicken wings), this sweet and punchy marinade is infused into the chicken, making each bite pretty darn irresistible.
How to serve: I love to eat slices of this chicken with a side of roasted veggies such as roasted Brussels sprouts or roasted broccoli. But it also makes a delicious addition (sliced or diced) to a salad tossed with a Dijon vinaigrette.
Teriyaki Chicken Marinade
Think of this as a simplified version of my teriyaki sauce (because I know not everyone has sake and mirin in their fridge). It’s rich, savory, and has hints of fresh ginger and green onion.
How to serve: Slice the chicken into strips and serve over a bed of white rice. And for veggies – both garlic ginger bok choy or steamed broccoli will round out this meal!
Fajita Chicken Marinade
This is essentially my fajita seasoning dry rub turned into a marinade, with all those classic Mexican flavors you love. In other words, it’s like my chicken fajitas recipe that’s ready on-the-go.
How to serve: You can sub ground beef for slices of this chicken in a taco salad. Or make it the ultimate Mexican plate served with a side of fajita veggies, guacamole, beans, or corn salad.
Italian Chicken Marinade
This is everything you love about Italian seasoning, but with a kick! If you don’t like spicy heat though, you can reduce or omit the red pepper flakes.
How to serve: I love pairing this Italian chicken with fresh salads such as a caprese salad or a simple massaged kale salad. It’s also great on top of sauteed spinach and blistered tomatoes.
How To Freeze Marinated Chicken
Having marinated chicken in the freezer is one of the best ways to meal prep. You’ll seriously have the most amazing and flavorful chicken ready at your fingertips for cooking! But first, here’s a few tips on how to freeze it properly.
- Prep the chicken. Place the chicken and marinade in a freezer-safe bag. Squeeze out as much air as you can and seal the bag.
- Store away. Label the name of the marinade and date on the bag. Then store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Defrost. When you’re ready to cook it, thaw the chicken in the refrigerator overnight. Once the chicken is thawed, cook it using any of the below methods!
Pro tip: you don’t need to marinate the chicken in the fridge before freezing. Just toss it straight into the freezer! As the chicken freezes and then thaws in the fridge overnight (when you’re ready to enjoy it), that’s when the chicken will go through the marinating process.
Label Bags for Freezer Friendly Meal Prep
If you plan to double or triple any of these recipes (which I highly recommend you do) and then store them in your freezer, it’s best to label the Stasher Bags with the marinade and date – so you don’t forget what’s inside!
To label the bags, it’s as easy as using a chalk marker and then writing on the matte side of the bag. Let the marker dry completely before storing away. To remove the label, simply use soapy water and a sponge.
Ways To Cook With Marinated Chicken
When you’re ready to cook, you’ve got a few options. Baked chicken is my default method given how easy it is to just pop it in the oven for 20 minutes or so. But if you want that deliciously charred flavor, you can easily grill it. Either way, here’s how to cook it both ways!
- Baked Chicken: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Then pour the chicken breasts and the marinade into a small baking dish (Note: if you have a large baking dish or rimmed sheet pan, omit the marinade as it will spread out and get charred). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Once the chicken is done, make sure to let it rest for a few minutes before slicing into it.
- Grilled Chicken: Preheat the grill to medium-heat and grill each side of the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes, or until it’s cooked through with the perfect set of grill marks.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
If you often look to chicken for meal prep, consider these easy chicken recipes! They’re great for batch cooking and enjoying for multiple meals throughout the week.
Once you’ve marinated and cooked with these marinades, I’d love to hear what your favorite flavor is in a comment below!
6 Simple Chicken Marinades
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (2 to 3 breasts)
Greek Lemon Chicken Marinade
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced (about 3 tablespoons juice)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2 limes, zested and juiced (about ¼ cup juice)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Honey Mustard Chicken Marinade
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Teriyaki Chicken Marinade
- ¼ cup tamari soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
- 1 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (about ½-inch piece)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
Fajita Chicken Marinade
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 lime, zested and juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Italian Chicken Marinade
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Choose a chicken marinade flavor and place all the ingredients (minus the chicken breast) into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Place the chicken breasts into a glass container or sealable bag. Pour the marinade on top of the chicken, making sure it is covered. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or for up to 8 hours. (*See notes above for cooking and serving ideas!)
Lisa’s Tips
- The nutritional information is for the Greek Lemon marinade.
- Each of these chicken breast marinade recipes is enough marinade for 1 to 1.5 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken breast.
Nutrition
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We especially love the Greek & Italian marinades! My husband is diabetic, so finding ways to add a lot of flavor, without adding any sugar is important. It has to be foods that everyone from our toddler to adults enjoy. These are delicious, easy, and all ingredients I keep on hand. Better than any you’ll buy at the store!
Hi Amanda – Happy to hear you and your husband are loving these chicken marinades!
I love the teriyaki marinade most, but they are all simple and delicious. I buy my chicken breasts in bulk and make up marinade bags for the freezer
It’s always a great idea to keep a batch of these in the freezer!
awesome. will be trying later. looks awesome and love that you gave 6 different marinades to try. God bless you.
Hi Carolyn – I’m so glad you love these chicken marinades!
The Cilantro Lime Marinade is awesome! Have made it a couple of times already!
Hi Tracy – Happy to hear you love the cilantro lime chicken.
Great recipe. Good information and tips.
Love the Cilantro Lime version, but good tips to do multiple versions!
The cilantro lime chicken marinade is a favorite of mine as well. Enjoy!
How about vacuum sealing the chicken breast in the marinade, freeze it… and then sous vide it at 60 Celsius for four hours? It should then thaw and marinade in one go?
These are such fantastic marinades – we have made and enjoyed each of them, but the Honey Mustard, Cilantro Lime, and Greek Lemon are in regular rotation in our weekly meal preps. Thank you!
I’m happy to hear you’re loving these chicken marinades, Ashley! Thanks for leaving a review.
Tried the Greek on chicken breast for lunch. It was delicious!
Marinated overnight and baked it per instructions.
Served over a steamed lentil, quinoa and brown rice mixture. Arranged cooked beets and avocado slices into a flower and used chopped chicken as the center. I love food art!
What a perfect meal with the Greek chicken marinade, Laura! Thanks for leaving a review.
It looks delicious, I’ll definitely try few of them. Can you tell me some chicken rubs with Indian spices as i am from India.
Hope you enjoy these chicken marinades! I will be sure to test some other chicken rubs as well.
your notes say to never marinate for more than a day, but chicken can be frozen in the marinade for up to 3 months. I just want to make sure I don’t ruin the chicken. thanks for any clarification
Yes, that is correct! Storing in the fridge and freezer are two different instructions.
My family and I did a fun experiment of making one recipe a week for six weeks. we were trying to rank them to see what chicken marinade was our favorite but they were all equally delicious! Now I’m going through all six again but making more to freeze. Thanks, I really loved these recipes :)
I love that Amy! What a fun experiment to do with your family and glad you enjoyed all the chicken marinades!
I would like to hear how the freezing works out for you.
Every single marinade is a home run. I rotate through them for my meal prep and it keeps the chicken from being boring! Love it thank you!
Yay, I’m happy you love all the different flavors, Susie! And that’s really such a great way to do it, just keep rotating through to keep dinner interesting! :)
I’ve just made batches of the fajita and the Greek chicken happily marinating in the fridge. Looking forward to trying them tonight. Thanks.
Can’t wait to hear what you think of them, Nicola.
hi, just made this Greek Lemon marinade for the chicken drumsticks. I took a small taste of the marinade, looking Good! yum, I know we’ll enjoy it… quick and easy to make! thank you for posting different marinades ;o)
You’re more than welcome, Lise! Hope you enjoy more flavors after you devour those Greek lemon chicken drumsticks. ;)
Your recipe is missing one vital piece of information. The Oven Temperature! Your Chat Bot is of no help.
Hi there, you can find the oven temperature written in the post if you’re oven-baking them. Otherwise, the recipe card is meant to just show how to make the marinades. Also, you can find baked chicken recipes across my site for specific baking instructions.
I tried this prep 2 weeks ago , and we already eat the teriyaki one, the greek one and yesterday was the fajita chicken that we cook. For the fajita, we cooked that one in the instant pot with 1 cup of chicken broth for 15 minutes in manual, but chicken was overcooked, I think 8 minutes could be enough when the chicken is unfrozen.
For the greek one, oven was perfect. And for the teriaky, I cut chicken in small pieces and I cooked those in a wok, and I let reduce the sauce until having a nice coloration. It was so gooooood :D
I’m so happy you’re enjoying all of the different chicken marinades, Pauline!
Can chicken be frozen in the marinades and for what period of time?
You can find all that information written in the post. But yes, the chicken is meant to be frozen in the marinade :)
Lisa, I made your Greek Lemon Chicken a couple of days ago, and it is so delicious. I made three chicken breasts to put on my salads. I could eat this every single day and not get tired of it. I love 🍋. Thanks so much. Love your YouTube channel. I have your website on “speed dial,” on the homepage of my iPhone. ❤️❤️
Lorena Wilson
This is definitely a repeater recipe! Glad you enjoyed it Lorena.
I love these marinades so much!!! Ever since I found this page, I just keep rotating the marinades nonstop! Thank you so much for creating these. They are truly fantastic!!!
Finally tried one of these (Greek), holy cow!! So awesome :-D
Happy to hear you’re loving the Greek marinade!
Hi!
I am trying the teriyaki marinade tonight on the grill.
Is it safe to brush the leftover marinade on the chicken while it is cooking?
I would set some marinade aside before you add the chicken if you would like to add some to the chicken while it’s cooking. That way, there is no cross contamination of uncooked chicken [juices] with cooked chicken.
If you were worried you could always boil the leftover marinade briefly to kill any bacteria.