The BEST Chicken Marinade (For Grilling or Baking)

Name: The BEST Chicken Marinade
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: ½ cup extra virgin olive oil; ½ cup balsamic vinegar (or other vinegar); ¼ cup soy sauce (I use low sodium soy sauce); ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce; ⅛ cup lemon juice; ¾ cup brown sugar; 2 teaspoon dried rosemary; 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or Spicy Brown mustard); 1 ½ teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 teaspoon garlic powder; 6 chicken breasts or 3.5 lb chicken

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The best Chicken Marinade ever! This marinade produces so much flavor and keeps the chicken incredibly moist and outrageously delicious! This easy chicken marinade recipe is sure to become a staple in your kitchen. Great for grilling and baking!

Grilling tonight? Make sure to try my steak marinade and grilled potatoes too!

grilled chicken breast made with chicken marinade sliced on stone cutting board with title overlay at top of image.

Best Chicken Marinade Recipe

For many years now I have been perfecting my chicken marinade recipe and it’s finally exactly what I want. I love this easy recipe because it quickly transforms an ordinary chicken breast (or any other cut of chicken) into something extraordinarily delicious – just in time for dinner.

It really is the BEST chicken marinade I’ve ever had and I’m confident you’re going to love it as much as we do.

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Easy Chicken Breast Marinade

I keep chicken breasts on hand at all times because there is just SOO much you can do with a chicken breast…(Make sure to check out my book for ONE HUNDRED chicken recipes!)

Having a good grilled chicken breast marinade on hand is essential if you live in a hot area like I do. It’s a quick, no-brainer dinner option that we rely on several times each month.

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Let me be clear, this is not to say that this marinade won’t work on other cuts of chicken. It most certainly does and is insanely delicious so use what you have on hand.

One of our other favorite ways is to use this as a chicken thigh marinade or even drumsticks. It really will work for any piece of chicken. (I’ve had lots of reader write in saying it’s also delicious with veggies, pork and beef!)

What To Serve With Grilled Chicken

Since we grill multiple times a week, I’ve become quite an expert at quickly whipping up one or two side dishes that pair perfectly with grilled chicken. Here are some of our favorites:

top down view of chicken marinating in large resealable bag.

Grilled Chicken Marinade

This is really my very favorite grilled chicken marinade. I love to make up a big batch of grilled chicken and this recipe is great for that. It makes enough marinade for about 6 large chicken breasts or 3 to 4 pounds of chicken pieces.

Chicken Marinade Ingredients

While the list looks long, most if not all of these ingredients will likely be in your pantry. What we’re doing here is just building layers of flavor in this easy marinade. Let’s take a quick look at what you’ll need:

extra virgin olive oil – this is the base of the marinade and keeps the chicken so juicy and moist.
balsamic vinegar – a balsamic chicken marinade is my very favorite. It is definitely one of the key ingredients in this recipe and adds loads of flavor.
soy sauce – I like to use low sodium.
Worcestershire sauce – so many flavor in this ingredient, it’s a must for this marinade.
lemon juice – fresh is best for flavor but you can use bottled if you need to.
brown sugar – I have lots of readers that reduce or even eliminate the brown sugar but I personally love it in this recipe.
dried rosemary – a little herbaceous flavor is always nice to round out a marinade.
Dijon mustard – or Spicy Brown mustard or even plain yellow mustard will work in a pinch.
salt and ground black pepper – for seasoning.
garlic powder – I prefer garlic powder instead of fresh garlic because the fresh garlic will burn on the grill.

chicken marinade ingredients in a large glass measuring cup.

How To Make Chicken Marinade

This easy marinade comes together in just minutes!

Prepare marinade. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Cheater method: put them straight into a large ziploc bag that will also be used for marinating the chicken.
Reserve. Remove a half a cup of marinade and reserve for basting the chicken later.
Marinate Chicken. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over the top. Close securely and gently massage marinade into breasts. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

chicken breasts marinating in plastic bag.

Cooking Methods

Marinated chicken can be cooked on the grill, in the oven or on the stovetop. Here are my tips for cooking it best:

Grilling: Preheat grill to medium high heat and lightly oil the grates. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Baste the chicken occasionally with the reserved marinade. Remove chicken from grill and tent with foil. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Baking: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place marinated chicken on a shallow baking sheet or baking pan and cook for 18 to 22 minutes (or 450F for 15 to 18 minutes if you’re in a hurry) or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Baste as often as you can for best flavor.
Stovetop: Preheat a skillet over medium high and lightly grease. Cook chicken for 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Use a stovetop grill pan for those pretty sear marks!

FAQs

What kind of chicken can I use?

Any kind of chicken you like. Breasts, thighs, drumsticks, tenders, skin on or off, bone in or out. Now, keep in mind that different cuts will take more or less time. Always check on the internal temperature to check doneness. Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F.

How long do I need to marinate the chicken?

A minimum of 30 minutes and as long as overnight. I find the chicken starts to get tough if I marinate it for more than 24 hours. If you have less time, consider poking holes in the chicken with a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate quickly.

Can I freeze marinated chicken?

Yes, absolutely. After adding the marinade to the chicken breast in a freezer safe resealable bag, freeze chicken for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

How should I cook the marinated chicken?

The chicken can be grilled, baked or cooked on the stovetop. See the previous section for more information or check out the recipe card below for instructions.

delicious chicken breast that has been grilled after being marinated for hours. Topped with fresh parsley.

More Chicken Recipes

How to Make the Best Chicken Marinade

grilled chicken breast made with chicken marinade sliced on stone cutting board.

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4.97 from 769 votes

The BEST Chicken Marinade

The best Chicken Marinade ever! This marinade produces so much flavor and keeps the chicken incredibly moist and outrageously delicious! This easy chicken marinade recipe is sure to become a staple in your kitchen, your go-to chicken marinade! Great for grilling and baking!

Course Main Dish, Marinade

Cuisine American

Keyword best chicken marinade, chicken marinade, grilled chicken marinade

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 30

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 115kcal

Author Trish – Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar or other vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce I use low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
⅛ cup lemon juice
¾ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard or Spicy Brown mustard
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoon garlic powder
6 chicken breasts or 3.5 lb chicken

Instructions

Combine all marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Remove a half a cup of marinade and reserve for basting the chicken later.
Place chicken in a large resealable bag and pour marinade over the top. Gently massage chicken breasts and be sure to close bag securely. (If you have less time, consider poking holes in the chicken with a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate quickly.)
Refrigerate chicken and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. I find 4 to 6 hours to be perfect.

To grill

Preheat grill to medium high heat and lightly oil the grates.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
Baste the chicken occasionally with the reserved marinade.
Once the chicken has reached 165°F, remove chicken from grill and tent with foil. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Optional.

If you bring the reserved marinade up to a boil, let simmer until slightly reduced, it makes a wonderful sauce to go on top of the chicken.

Video

Notes

I’ve marinated my chicken for as few as 30 minutes and the chicken was still phenomenal. Basically, the longer you have to marinate the better but don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of time.

Grilling: Preheat grill to medium high heat and lightly oil the grates. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Baste the chicken occasionally with the reserved marinade. Remove chicken from grill and tent with foil. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Baking: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place marinated chicken on a shallow baking sheet or baking pan and cook for 18 to 22 minutes (or 450F for 15 to 18 minutes if you’re in a hurry) or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Baste as often as you can for best flavor.

Stovetop: Preheat a skillet over medium high and lightly grease. Cook chicken for 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Use a stovetop grill pan for those pretty sear marks!

Nutrition

Comments

Susan says

July 14, 2026 at 10:21 AM

Easy and delicious – the family loved it! I did not add the sugar, it’s really not needed and saves on some calories. Thanks for a terrific recipe!

Laura Wood Raymond says

June 27, 2026 at 11:21 AM

I am going to use this marinade for a barbeque dinner party. Will this marinade work well for boneless skinless thighs.

- Trish - Mom On Timeout says
  
  July 1, 2026 at 11:47 AM
  
  We use thighs all the time with this marinade – you’re going to love it!
  
Kelsey says

June 15, 2026 at 4:40 PM

10/10. Even my son who is iffy on chicken gave it two thumbs up.

T says

June 13, 2026 at 4:10 PM

Incredible. I simmered the left over sauce until it was glaze consistency and wow! This would be amazing on salad if you blended the marinade as well. Thank you for a great recipe.

bhh says

June 6, 2026 at 8:20 PM

I loved this. So good!

Heather says

June 4, 2026 at 4:54 PM

Really yummy marinade. I subbed coconut sugar for the brown sugar and only used half the amount. Still turned out delicious! I will definitely be using this recipe again!

Sandy says

May 24, 2026 at 5:49 PM

This is the BEST chicken marinade I’ve ever had. I have made this multiple times and it always comes out great!! Thank you for sharing this recipe

Beth says

April 18, 2026 at 6:57 AM

This marinade is AMAZING! I made the whole recipe but only used a small amount and put the rest in the fridge. Any idea how long it lasts? I would hate to waste it!! Thank you!!

- Trish - Mom On Timeout says
  
  April 22, 2026 at 2:49 PM
  
  Hi Beth! It should stay good for several days if stored separately from the chicken. Thank you so much!

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