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Home Chicken

Just a great Chicken Marinade

By:Nagi
Published:6 May '19Updated:23 Jun '20
232 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

This is such a great Chicken Marinade – it infuses chicken with savoury flavour as well as making it extra juicy! Particularly great for chicken breast though it can be used for any cut.

Use it for a quick 30 minute marinade, though it’s even better if you can leave it for longer!

Cooked chicken breast (after marinated in Chicken Marinade) on a white plate, ready to be served

Chicken Marinade

99% of the time I use this chicken marinade, it’s an emergency eek, gotta do something with that chicken before it goes off! type situation.

And therein lies the beauty of this marinade. It’s the quick-fix for any cut of chicken, and there’s tons of substitution options so you can make it anytime without having to run out to the shops.

It’s savoury with a hint of sweet, and makes the chicken extra juicy which is especially great for chicken breast.

This chicken marinade is sensational for grilled chicken!

Cooked marinated chicken breast - great back pocket chicken marinade!

Loads of substitution options

Here are the ingredients for the chicken marinade. I’ve listed some of the obvious alternatives here, but there’s actually substitutions for every single ingredient – even soy sauce (just use salt and water, that’s a basic brine mix).

Don’t you wish there were more recipes as flexible as this where I could still guarantee a great outcome??😂

Ingredients for chicken marinade

How to cook marinated chicken

What chicken to use?

This marinade will work for any cut of chicken (bone in or out, skin on or off) though it’s especially good for chicken breast because it’s a fast acting flavour injector that adds juiciness into this lean cut of chicken.

How long to marinade chicken?

3 hours to overnight is best. But for chicken breast or boneless thigh, even 30 minutes is effective – you’ll be surprised how much extra flavour you get from such a quick marinade!

Cooking options?

You’ll see that I cook it on the stove in the recipe video below, and it’s ideal for stove, BBQ or broiler/grill because you’ll get lovely browning on the chicken.

If you want to bake this, it’s best to finish it off with a blast under the broiler/grill to get some colour on it. Because colour = flavour, especially for a marinade like this!

Cooked chicken breast (after marinated in Chicken Marinade) in black skillet , ready to be served

How to serve it

Because the chicken sucks up the marinade and makes it extra juicy, you’ll find a good amount of juices pools on the plate as the chicken rests which sort of serves as the sauce. Plus the chicken itself is loaded with juiciness so you’re not going to be missing a sauce here.

Make up a mighty chicken salad, or serve it for dinner with a side salad. It’s pictured below with a Strawberry Spinach Salad that’s coming on Wednesday. One of the best new salads I’ve tried in a while!

Otherwise, try making a big batch of Lemon Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Broccoli Salad or Macaroni Salad that you can keep in the fridge and serve up for days. I’m fond of these because they’re the type of salads that are even better the next day, and the next! ~ Nagi x

Cooked chicken breast (after marinated in Chicken Marinade) on a white plate with a Strawberry Spinach side salad, ready to be eaten

My all time Top 5 favourite chicken marinades

It was a hard call, but here’s my Top 5 6…

  • Greek Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki – long time reader favourite!

  • Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken – the flavour in this is outrageously good

  • Chicken Shawarma (Middle Eastern) – the smell when this is cooking is unbelievable!

  • Marinated Thai Chicken (Gai Yang) – you will seriously think you’re in Bangkok…

  • Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce – skip the skewers and just use whole chicken pieces!

  • Honey Soy Chicken – the glossy serving sauce is the cherry on top

  • Or browse all Chicken recipes (there’s loads more chicken marinades!)


Watch how to make it

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Great Chicken Marinade

A great Chicken Marinade (great grilled or pan seared!)

Author: Nagi
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Marinating: 30 mins
Total: 15 mins
Mains
Western
4.99 from 64 votes
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
Print
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Recipe video above. This is a great everyday Chicken Marinade, one you make with things you've already got with plenty of sub options (see notes). It will make any cut of chicken extra juicy, infuse it with savoury flavour that's a touch of sweet, with a hint of herby goodness. Especially good for chicken breast, and terrific for grilling!

Ingredients

  • 700g / 1.4 lb chicken breast, tenderloins or thigh (Note 1)

Chicken marinade (subs Note 3):

  • 2 tbsp honey OR brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (or any oil)
  • 5 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano (or rosemary, thyme, minced herbs)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper , ground

Garnishes (optional)

  • Finely chopped parsley
  • Lemon slices

Instructions

  • Recommended: Pound breast to even thickness using a meat pounder, rolling pin, or fist. OR cut large ones in half horizontally to form 2 cutlets (steaks) for each.
  • Mix marinade in a ziplock bag (or container in which chicken fits snugly). Add chicken.
  • Marinate 3 hours to overnight, though even 30 minutes is effective. (Note 2)
  • Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, and cook chicken per times below until deep golden (see video). If browning too quickly, lower heat.
  • Transfer to serving plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 3 minutes before serving, garnished with parsley and lemon slices if desired. 

Cook times:

  • Whole breast and boneless thighs: 3 - 4 minutes each side (internal temp 165F/75C)
  • Cutlets and tenderloin - 2 minutes each side

Recipe Notes:

1. Chicken - marinade will work for any cut of chicken thought I mostly use skinless boneless cuts. 
Easiest to BAKE bone in cuts (breast, legs, thighs) - see Note 4.
2. Quick Marinade 30 min to 1 hr - cut breasts in half horizontally to form 2 thin steaks. For whole thighs or breast, poke a few holes in each breast using a fork. For drumsticks, cut a couple of slashes with knife.
3. Marinade subs:
  • Brown sugar - sub 2 tbsp white sugar, 1.5 tbsp honey, maple syrup
  • Soy - any normal, all purpose soy or light soy good here, or tamari, mushroom soy sauce. If you have sweet soy or kecap manis, skip sugar. Dark soy sauce not recommended (label will say "dark soy). 
  • No soy? Dissolve 1 tsp salt in 4 tbsp water, then use in place of soy sauce.
  • Only got DARK soy? Use 2 tbsp then add 3/4 tsp salt and 3 tbsp water instead of 5 tbsp soy sauce.
  • Lemon - sub with less sharp vinegars like cider vinegar, white wine or red wine vinegar, rice vinegar. Or 1.5 tbsp other vinegars (normal white vinegar, balsamic)
  • Worcestershire - dollop of ketchup or BBQ sauce would be a decent sub there! Say 2 tbsp, then cut down sugar. HP Sauce, steak sauce or other savoury sauces also good.
  • Garlic - 3 tsp from jar, or 3/4 tsp dried garlic powder good here. Also 1/4 tsp onion powder would be nice too.
  • Dried herbs - anything is the go here, go with what you like. Fresh won't really work here, too delicate unless doing a short marinade. Exception - fresh rosemary is terrific, 1 tsp finely chopped.
4. Baking directions - stove is best to get nice browning, but to bake, cook as follows:
  • Breast and boneless thighs - bake 18 minutes at 425F/220C oven, or internal temperature is 165F/75C, followed by quick grill/broil on high to brown
  • Drumsticks, wings and bone in thighs - 50 minutes at 180C/350F, basting with juices once or twice
5. Storage - Cooked chicken will be good for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, I always reheat in microwave because it keeps it moist. If keeping cooked chicken, boneless thigh is best (stays juiciest).
Freeze raw chicken in marinade as soon as you make it up (chicken will marinade while thawing!). Thaw then cook per recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 243cal (12%)Carbohydrates: 8g (3%)Protein: 33g (66%)Fat: 7g (11%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Cholesterol: 96mg (32%)Sodium: 1202mg (52%)Potassium: 622mg (18%)Sugar: 6g (7%)Vitamin A: 45IU (1%)Vitamin C: 5.9mg (7%)Calcium: 21mg (2%)Iron: 1.2mg (7%)
Keywords: chicken marinade
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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Reunited after a week apart! It’s only been an hour or so and he’s already so sick of the smoochy hugs 😂

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232 Comments

  1. Aaron says

    May 21, 2022 at 8:17 am

    5 stars
    Very good

    Reply
  2. Anna says

    April 22, 2022 at 12:44 am

    5 stars
    This marinade is delicious! I marinaded two whole chicken breasts, then baked. They were absolutely perfect. This is ideal for cous cous salads or Caesar salads where you want tender chopped chicken. Thankyou Nagi!

    Reply
  3. Malcolm says

    April 4, 2022 at 11:06 am

    5 stars
    Made marinade recipe exactly. I sliced the breasts length wise to shorten the marinading time…seasoned perfectly….

    Reply
  4. Kylie says

    March 21, 2022 at 2:03 pm

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe… I cooked mine on the bbq and gave an extra basting of marinate. Outstanding!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 23, 2022 at 6:07 pm

      I am happy you liked it Kylie! N x

      Reply
  5. Bec says

    October 20, 2021 at 7:56 pm

    5 stars
    Another treasure! You are my “marinade lady” Nagi. If ever I need a piece of meat turned into something tasty – I come here! Thanks for having such reliably tasty recipes!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 21, 2021 at 10:27 am

      My new job title…Marinade Lady! N x

      Reply
  6. Tricia says

    September 14, 2021 at 10:43 pm

    Stunning – and stunningly easy – recipe. This was just brimming with flavour!!!

    Reply
  7. Bec says

    August 29, 2021 at 8:00 pm

    5 stars
    This was amazing ! We had it with your corn and avocado salad, also delicious. And a baked potato on the side.
    Thanks Nagi.

    Reply
  8. Nita Reymann says

    August 21, 2021 at 4:24 am

    How long do you cook the chicken if you’re doing on the grill and should you cover it with foil?

    Reply
  9. Tim Lewis says

    August 20, 2021 at 5:20 am

    5 stars
    Made this today, 3-4 hours marinading, cooked the chicken on a griddle pan. Perfect, really nice flavours. Made a salad with avocado and served it with cous cous.
    Only thing I’m not sure about it is what to do with the marinade that’s left when you take the chicken out? Any ideas, thoughts? Next time I make it it might be with rice and I’d have quite like to have a sauce to go with it?

    Reply
    • Marbin says

      September 17, 2021 at 3:34 am

      Toss that out. It had raw chicken in it my friend. I’ve looked into this many times. No good.

      Even if you were in a cutting edge, trillion dollar food lab with the top scientists from the future telling you it perfectly safe in that moment…what’s the best you could do? Even if you boil it to turn it into a glaze, it going to have so much coagulated chicken blood that you’d really want to strain, I mean is it worth all that for such little pay off?

      But really, it SUPER unsafe. Take the advise and dispose of that bacteria bath immediately!

      Reply
      • Bec says

        October 10, 2021 at 5:29 pm

        5 stars
        Great response but def true, toss for sure.

        Reply
  10. Mary says

    July 29, 2021 at 5:51 pm

    This is definitely a great chicken marinade!

    Reply
  11. Kelly McDonnell says

    July 25, 2021 at 9:28 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is SO delicious, and versatile! I have made it any time we have chicken left over from a big meal, and it is always amazing- even if it only marinades for 30 minutes!

    Reply
  12. Shaun says

    July 23, 2021 at 6:37 am

    5 stars
    The first time I made this I was so hungry for more, I went out the next day and bought more chicken and made it again. I have since made it for family and friends and it is always a hit. And could it be more easy?!

    Reply
  13. Shingi Hinton says

    July 12, 2021 at 5:51 pm

    Hi Nagi,
    This was super delicious, yum. My hubby says ‘Is that a Nagi recipe’. 🙂 Thank you for your amazing recipes. You are a real treasure x

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 12, 2021 at 8:56 pm

      That’s great to hear Shingi!!! N x

      Reply
  14. Angela P. says

    July 7, 2021 at 11:48 am

    5 stars
    Loved this marinade for chicken! I made it tonight and let the chicken stay in it for about an hour before putting on the grill. The whole family agreed that it was delicious. I paired it with some sweet potato fries in the air fryer and a strawberry spinach salad. I will definitely make this again.

    Reply
  15. Naomi says

    June 24, 2021 at 10:14 am

    Looks Delish!
    I have just put it together to marinate. Will it last to tomorrow night, or am I best to cook it tonight?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 24, 2021 at 6:50 pm

      Hi Naomi, as per the recipe, 3 hours to overnight is fine. N x

      Reply
  16. martin says

    June 14, 2021 at 12:29 pm

    It looks so delicious and easy to follow recipe. I’m gonna try this now.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 15, 2021 at 1:30 pm

      I hope you love it Martin – love to know if you try it!! N x

      Reply
      • Naomi says

        June 24, 2021 at 6:57 pm

        Thanks, I wasn’t sure if it would last that little extra time from morning to the evening of the next day.
        In the end had it tonight yum yum yum! Regular in the rotation now!

        Reply
  17. M says

    June 12, 2021 at 10:00 pm

    5 stars
    We loved this!! 😍 (Subs: maple syrup, cane vinegar)
    For some reason, the outcome reminded me of Filipino chicken inasal, so I paired this with traditional dip of soy sauce and Filipino lime.

    Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  18. Cher says

    June 9, 2021 at 12:47 am

    Your site is my go to for delectable and delicious recipes. This marinade is the bomb.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 9, 2021 at 10:59 am

      Thanks so much Cher!!! N x

      Reply
  19. Kathy says

    May 24, 2021 at 6:52 am

    5 stars
    Fast and flavorful!

    Reply
  20. Lorraine says

    April 22, 2021 at 3:03 am

    5 stars
    Awesome and flavorful recipe!!! I have used this recipe many times already (probably once a week!!!). It works amazingly on chicken thighs. We like to cook it on the grill. This chicken goes well with rice or wrap.

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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