10 Recipes

Chicken Marinade Recipes

Yogurt marinades, soy-honey glazes, and lemon-garlic-herb bases the Pepper community uses to turn plain chicken breasts and thighs into every dinner style imaginable.

Contributors
Briana Trager
Tabetha Garrison
Taylor Somers
+7

Dinner

Best Grilled Chicken MarinadeDinner

Best Grilled Chicken Marinade

The best grilled chicken marinade full of tips and tricks for crazy juicy, flavor exploding, versatile chicken every time! This marinated chicken can be grilled, baked, or cooked on the stovetop for savory, tangy, subtly sweet, layered flavor in every succulent bite.

21 min370 cal45 g proteinServes 666 saves
Briana TragerBriana Trager

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds, pounded to an even thickness boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. 1Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a freezer bag or glass bowl. Add chicken to the marinade and turn to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate up to 12 hours.
  2. 2When ready to cook, remove chicken from the refrigerator and let rest 15-30 minutes before cooking.
  3. 3Preheat grill to 400 degrees, clean and grease grates. Grill chicken undisturbed for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
  4. 4Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes, or until deeply golden on one side. Flip chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F.
  5. 5Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a baking dish with cooking spray. Drain chicken from marinade and add to prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 16-18 minutes (depending on thickness), or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

P.S. We update the recipes on this page every few days. If you want to cook this recipe over and over again, we'd love it if you downloaded Pepper 🤝.

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Why a Good Marinade Needs Three Things

Every great marinade lands on fat, acid, and salt — olive oil carries flavor, lemon or vinegar tenderizes, and salt (or soy) drives everything into the meat.

Cooks on Pepper marinate the second the chicken comes out of the package and let it sit at least four hours — the difference at 30 minutes vs. overnight is dramatic.

The recipes here are the community's most-repeated marinades — the ones that work on the grill, in the oven, and in the air fryer without changing a thing.

Quick Tips

  1. 1

    Salt in the marinade

    Skip a separate salt step — soy sauce or a real spoonful of kosher salt in the marinade does the work.

  2. 2

    At least four hours

    Thirty minutes barely flavors the surface — real marinade time is 4-12 hours in the fridge.

  3. 3

    Pat dry before cooking

    A wet marinade steams — pat the chicken almost dry so the sear develops on the grill or in the pan.

  4. 4

    Reserve some for basting

    Set aside half the marinade before the raw chicken goes in — safe to brush on during cooking.

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