6 Simple Chicken Marinades
Chicken Marinade – The Answer To An Easy, Flavorful Dinner
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.