Name: Chicken Marinade
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: ½ cup fresh lemon juice; 3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce; ¼ cup olive oil; 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (minced or 2 teaspoons dried oregano); ¼ cup fresh parsley (minced and lightly packed or 4 teaspoons dried parsley); ¼ cup fresh basil (minced and lightly packed or 4 teaspoons dried basil); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tablespoon brown sugar; ½ teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; 4 8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

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This Easy Chicken Marinade brightens up grilled chicken with flavors of fresh herbs, smoky Worcestershire, paprika, and sweet brown sugar.

This marinade is made with fresh ingredients from the pantry and garden. It is so effortless and you can substitute fresh or store-bought where necessary, and it will still be just as delicious.

This marinade is perfect for my Air Fryer Chicken Breasts, too!

chicken marinade in a jar

I love cooking, but one of the things I find most enjoyable is creating simple recipes which allow all the different flavors to shine through. Heavy sauces and complicated recipes are just too much sometimes. A light chicken marinade really enhances versatile meat such as chicken.

I think you’re going to love this easy 5-Minute Chicken Marinade!

INGREDIENTS

To make this grilled chicken marinade you will need:

lemon juice – for a half-cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, you will need four medium lemons
Worcestershire sauce – this adds a rich depth of flavor to the marinade
olive oil – olive oil is a good, neutral flavor oil to use in marinades. It helps to carry flavors into the meats and also prevents foods from sticking to the grill
oregano – fresh herbs are best if they are available. You’ll want to mince the leaves so the flavors will release the aromatic oil.
basil – as with the oregano, tear the fresh basil leaves if you have them for the best flavor. Otherwise, dried basil is a great alternate.
garlic – to easily peel garlic, use the flat side of a knife and press down on the cloves to crack their skins. The peel should easily remove by hand.
brown sugar – brown sugar should be packed when measuring
paprika – paprika has a warm smoky flavor that balances the tang of the lemon juice and balances well with chicken
salt +black pepper
chicken – the recipe here recommends grilled chicken breasts, but the mixture works equally well as a chicken thigh marinade or chicken kebob marinade

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHICKEN MARINADE

1. MIX

Add all marinade ingredients, except chicken, to a medium bowl and whisk until completely combined.

2. MARINATE

Add chicken to a large resealable bag. Pour marinade over chicken and seal the bag well.

3. CHILL

Place in refrigerator to chill for up to 4 hours. Submerge the chicken in the marinade by turning it occasionally.

4. COOK

Remove from refrigerator and set at room temperature, 20-30 minutes. Cook on grill or in the oven. Chicken breast should be grilled for about 10 minutes, turned about halfway through so they cook evenly. If you choose to make thighs with this recipe, they should be grilled for about 15 minutes.

FAQ

How long can I marinate the chicken?

Four to six hours at a minimum so the marinade has a chance to penetrate and flavor the meat fibers. Chicken doesn’t need to be tenderized. Usually, it’s not recommended to leave the meat sit in the marinate for more than 24 hours, especially if it contains an acid (in this case, the lemon juice) as the meat can break down and become mushy.

Does the chicken have to be submerged in the marinade?

Yes. The marinade should be allowed to flavor all parts of the chicken. Use a resealable plastic bag and turn it periodically during the marinating time.

Is it safe to use the marinade as a sauce?

Use caution if you want to use the remaining marinade as a sauce. The raw chicken does contain bacteria and can contaminate the marinade. Pour any remaining marinade into a saucepan and bring it to a rolling boil (165 degrees F) to kill off any bacteria and make it safe to use as a sauce or dip.