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    Home » Recipes » Main Meals

    Best Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe

    Last Updated: Aug 3, 2022 by Seanna Borrows · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. · 8 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
    Marinated Grilled Chicken Pin with title banner on top.

    Best Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe is an easy marinade recipe that will add zesty citrus flavor to your meal. Use this marinade recipe to make tender and juicy chicken every time. It's so delicious!

    Looking for an easy weeknight dinner option? We've got you covered. This grilled marinated chicken is a great addition to so many meals. We love to have it in our Copycat Olive Garden Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo.  It's also great in salads, pastas, sandwiches, tacos, burritos, you name it!

    Bonus: This easy marinade recipe also makes a great flank steak marinade.

    Sliced grilled chicken on a cutting board.

    Everybody's Favorite Marinade

    This recipe is also known as Big Ed's Marinade. And it's hands down everybody's favorite marinade recipe around here.

    This zesty marinade recipe was developed by our friends/family Big Ed and Mary Jo and has been served at countless summer BBQ's and family gatherings ever since.

    It's simply best marinade for chicken or flank steak EVER. Thanks Big Ed and Mary Jo! 💜

    Jump to:
    • Everybody's Favorite Marinade
    • Here's What You Need
    • Equipment
    • How to Make It
    • Substitutions: A Guide To Marinades
    • Meal Prep Tip
    • Variations
    • Recipe FAQS
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Freezing/Storage
    • Easy Weeknight Dinners
    • More Dinner Ideas
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Community
    Image showing individual ingredients for Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe.

    Here's What You Need

    • corn oil - or any neutral flavored oil like canola oil or olive oil will do.
    • lemon juice - fresh squeezed is best.
    • green onion - use green tips and slices all the way down into the white.
    • garlic - use fresh garlic.
    • dried oregano
    • salt - kosher salt
    • ground black pepper
    • dried thyme
    • dried rosemary
    • boneless skinless chicken breasts - This recipe works with any cut of chicken like boneless chicken thighs, legs, or tenders.

    See recipe card for ingredient amounts.

    Equipment

    • medium mixing bowl
    • gallon resealable bag
    • liquid measuring cup
    • measuring spoons
    • chef's knife
    • cutting board

    How to Make It

    Image showing individual ingredients for Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe inside a Ziploc bag.

    Combine Ingredients. Add all ingredients to a gallon resealable bag, squeeze out the air, and seal the bag.

    Chicken marinating in a ziploc bag set in a white bowl.

    Marinate. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to 10 hours.

    Grilled chicken on the grill with a red Thermoworks Instant Read Thermapen inserted showing 165 degrees fahrenheit.

    Grill. Grill over direct heat (medium-high heat) for 6 minutes on each side until internal temperature reaches 165°F when checked with a meat thermometer.

    We recommend using a fast and accurate, instant read thermometer like the Thermapen® ONE to check temps.

    Grilled chicken on a rectangular white plate.

    Rest 5 Minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing into it so that the juices reabsorb into the meat. That way, the meat stays juicy instead of the juices running out onto the cutting board or plate.

    Sliced grilled chicken on a cutting board with more unsliced chicken on white plate in background.

    Slice. Slice the meat against the grain. This will aid the tenderness of the meat.

    Substitutions: A Guide To Marinades

    Change Up the Flavors. Get creative with your flavors and make your own perfect marinade using your own combination of simple ingredients. Here are some ideas to get you started.

    Oil - Use any neutral flavored oil. Common examples include canola oil, vegetable oil, or corn oil. Olive oil and avocado oil may impart a more pronounced flavor of their own.

    Acid - Acidic ingredients like citrus or vinegar tenderize meat but can also "cook" the meat. So limit the marinating time to under 10 hours. Citrus juice like lemon juice, lime juice, or orange juice are common acids used in marinades. As are vinegars like balsamic vinegar, white vinegar, champagne vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.

    Salt - Don't forget the salt!

    Protease - Tenderizes meat by breaking down the protein. Good examples of proteases are soy sauce, ginger, or pineapple juice.

    Fresh Herbs - Fresh herbs give a bolder flavor than dried herbs. Try few sprigs of rosemary, thyme, oregano.

    Dairy - Great meat tenderizer. For super tender meat without using oil, soak it in buttermilk or greek yogurt for 30 minutes.

    Chicken marinade ingredients inside an open Ziploc bag.

    Meal Prep Tip

    Store prepped bags of marinated meat in the freezer to take out as needed for easy weeknight dinners. Thaw a bag in the refrigerator overnight and it'll be ready to cook the next day.

    Variations

    This recipe for the Best Chicken Marinade also makes a great marinade for flank steak, too!

    Chicken Marinating in Ziploc ready for freezer.

    Recipe FAQS

    What is a marinade?

    A marinade is a liquid mixture of ingredients in which fish, poultry, beef, or other meat is soaked for a period of time in order to infuse flavor and tenderize the protein.

    What are the 3 main ingredients of a marinade?

    The 3 main ingredients of a marinade are oil, acid, and salt and/or protease. Herbs are often added for flavor, as well.

    How long should you marinate chicken before you grill it?

    Marinate chicken for 30 minutes up to 10 hours.

    Serving Suggestions

    We love to use this recipe for the Best Grilled Chicken Marinade in our Copycat Olive Garden Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo.  It's also great in salads, pastas, sandwiches, chicken tacos, burritos, you name it!

    Freezing/Storage

    Store sliced, cooked meat in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer.  

    Sliced Marinated Grilled Chicken on cutting board.

    It's as easy as that. Make this easy chicken marinade at your next family gathering for the most flavorful chicken. People will be asking you for this recipe! Try it and let us know how you like it. We'd love to hear from you!

    xo ~ Seanna

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    Hungry for More? Subscribe to my Newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of the latest recipes.

    📖 Recipe

    Sliced grilled chicken on a cutting board.

    Best Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe

    The Best Grilled Chicken Marinade is an easy marinade recipe that will add zesty citrus flavor to grilled chicken. Great for tacos.
    This easy marinade recipe can be thrown together fast and frozen for easy meal prep. Bonus: this easy recipe also makes a great flank steak marinade.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate Add to Shopping ListGo to Shopping List
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes
    Marinating Time: 6 hours
    Total Time: 6 hours 17 minutes
    Servings: 6 Servings
    Calories: 572kcal
    Author: Seanna | Seanna's Kitchen

    Equipment

    • medium mixing bowl
    • gallon resealable bag
    • liquid measuring cup
    • measuring spoons
    • chefs knife
    • cutting board

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 cups corn oil
    • 1 cup lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon green onion chopped
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
    • ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
    • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Combine Ingredients. Add all ingredients to a gallon resealable bag, squeeze out the air, and seal the bag.
    • Marinate. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to 12 hours.
    • Grill. Grill over direct heat for 6 minutes on each side until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
    • Rest 5 Minutes. Let the grilled meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing into it so that the juices reabsorb into the meat. That way, the chicken stays juicy instead of the juices running out onto the cutting board or plate.
    • Slice. Slice the meat against the grain. This will aid the tenderness of the meat.

    Notes

    Substitutions

    Change Up the Flavors.  Feel free to get creative with your flavors.  Just remember to substitute oil for oil, citrus or vinegar for acid, and herbs galore.  Try a little chopped jalapeno for spice.
    Fresh Herbs:  Sub in fresh herbs for the dried herbs.  A few sprigs of each, up to a small handful in total will be just right.

    Variations

    Makes a great marinade for flank steak, too!

    Top Tips

    How long to marinate?  Marinate the meat for a minimum of 15 minutes up to 10 hours in the refrigerator.
    Meal Prep Tip.  Plan ahead for easy weeknight dinners by prepping bags of marinating meat and storing them in the freezer to take out as needed.  Thaw a bag in the refrigerator overnight and it'll be ready to cook the next day.

    Freezing and Storage.

    Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer.  

    Use In Various Recipes.

    Grilled marinated chicken is a great addition to so many meals.  We love to have it in our Copycat Olive Garden Asiago Tortelloni Alfredo.  Its also great in salads, pastas, sandwiches, tacos, burritos, you name it!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 58g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 33g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 842mg | Potassium: 269mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 48IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Mention @SeannasKitchen and tag #seannaskitchen!

    Did you love this recipe? If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!! Follow Seanna's Kitchen and share this recipe with your friends on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest and subscribe my Newsletter for ALL the latest recipes! We'd love to hear from you!

    Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links to products we use and love. If you click through these links and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Kathy

      October 18, 2022 at 10:29 am

      I love the easy to follow directions, explanations, and flavorable results!

      Reply
      • Seanna Borrows

        October 18, 2022 at 12:52 pm

        So happy to hear! 😊

        Reply
    2. Lisa Hatfield

      August 04, 2022 at 7:20 pm

      5 stars
      Seanna! This is the best marinade ever...thank you for sharing your family recipe with us. It's now my go-to favorite, and so easy. A total keeper!

      Reply
      • Seanna

        August 05, 2022 at 8:06 am

        Thanks so much Lisa! That means a lot coming from you!

        Reply
    3. Jessica Robinson

      August 04, 2022 at 6:29 pm

      5 stars
      We've been eating healthier and found this chicken marinade! It's absolutely amazing and so flavorful.

      Reply
      • Seanna

        August 04, 2022 at 7:12 pm

        Oh thank you so much Jessica! I am so happy you like it! We're trying to eat healthier over here too!

        Reply
    4. Russ B

      August 03, 2022 at 5:01 pm

      5 stars
      Awesome flavor for chicken or flank steak!

      Reply
      • Seanna

        August 03, 2022 at 5:02 pm

        Thank you!! I'm glad you like it. You've sure been eating it enough lately!

        Reply

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    Seanna Borrows.

    Welcome to Seanna's Kitchen!

    Hi, I'm Seanna, a home cook and food blogger, sharing favorite recipes inspired by the people and places I love.
    Food is love. And here you can expect to find the recipes and stories that bring us together.
    Good food…made with love…for the people you love…Now, that's a great recipe!

    More about me →

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