This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Chicken is one of those weeknight staples that we all lean on, but let’s be honest, we like to mix it up. That’s why I created these 5 Easy Chicken Marinades. With just a few simple pantry ingredients, you can completely transform plain chicken into something flavorful, juicy, and exciting.
The best part? They’re quick to prepare, freezer-friendly, gluten-free, and compatible with almost any cooking method. So, grill, bake, pan-sear, or toss them in the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
Why You’ll Love These Chicken Marinades
If you’ve been looking for a way to streamline healthy dinners while keeping them fresh and fun, these marinades are going to be a game-changer for you.
Marinades are one of my favorite kitchen tricks. They infuse flavor into the chicken while also helping to keep it tender and juicy. By mixing up just a few ingredients, you can create totally different flavor profiles that make weeknight meals feel anything but repetitive.
These 5 marinades cover all the bases—from bright and herby, to smoky and citrusy, to sweet and tangy. They’re also naturally gluten-free, and many are Paleo and Whole30-friendly as well, so they’ll fit seamlessly into your dinner routines.
The Basics of a Good Chicken Marniade
So what makes a good marinade? It usually comes down to four elements:
- An acid, such as lemon, lime, or vinegar, to tenderize the chicken
- A little fat (olive oil, avocado oil) to help carry flavor and keep things juicy
- Seasonings such as garlic, herbs, and spices for depth
- A touch of salt (and sometimes sweetness) to balance and enhance the flavors
Let your chicken soak up these flavors for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator; however, allowing it to soak for anywhere from 2 to 24 hours will yield the best results. You can also freeze your chicken once it’s in the marinade, allowing the flavor to soak in during freezing and thawing, and then it’ll be ready to cook.
The 5 Best Chicken Marinade Recipes
Each recipe below makes enough for about 2 pounds of chicken, but feel free to scale up or down depending on what you need.
Greek Chicken Marinade
This one is fresh, zesty, and loaded with oregano, garlic (fresh garlic), black pepper, a pinch of salt, and lemon juice. It’s perfect for throwing on top of a big Greek salad or serving alongside roasted veggies and potatoes.
Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade
Bright lime juice, fresh cilantro, and a hint of cumin give this marinade a punchy zest flavor that pairs especially well with tacos, burrito bowls, or a simple side of rice and beans.
Pollo Asado Chicken Marinade
Smoky and citrusy, this one brings big flavor. With orange juice, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano, it’s a natural fit for the grill and makes amazing leftovers for tacos or bowls.
Honey Mustard Chicken Marinade
This is a family favorite! It’s a little sweet, a little tangy, and incredibly versatile. The Dijon mustard is what really makes this marinade stand out. Try it with roasted veggies, on a salad, or served with a simple side of rice or quinoa.
Sweet Chipotle Chicken Marinade
If you love smoky and spicy, this one is for you. The chipotle peppers in adobo add just the right amount of heat, while honey balances it out. It’s delicious on the grill and makes an excellent protein for salads or sandwiches.
Safety Tips
Marinating meat isn’t a complicated process, but be sure to follow a few safety tips to prevent cross-contamination from the raw meat.
- Cook the marinated chicken within 2 days. Because the marinade contains acidic ingredients, as it sits, it will continue to break down the chicken. If it sits for too long, it actually can become tougher.
- Meat should be refrigerated during the marinating process. It’s always best to store raw meat on the lowest shelf or in a designated part of your refrigerator, so that if there are any accidental drips, they don’t contaminate any food below.
- Please don’t use the leftover marinade (unless you are cooking the chicken with it). It contains raw chicken and, therefore, is not safe to use. We also don’t recommend heating it separately, as the chicken liquid within the marinade, when cooked, can become a little unusual.
How to Freeze Chicken with Marinade
One of my favorite meal prep hacks is to freeze chicken right in the marinade. Here’s how:
- Place the chicken and marinade in a freezer-safe plastic bag or a reusable silicone bag, such as Stasher Bags, and remove all the air before sealing tightly.
- Freeze initially on a flat surface, such as a sheet tray. Once the chicken is frozen, you can move it to a long-term storage spot, standing them up horizontally if desired.
- Defrost the chicken overnight if possible, the day before you plan to use it. And then cook with the desired method (see below for more information).
Cooking Methods
No matter the marinade, you can cook chicken with these easy methods:
- Grill: Cook over medium-high heat, about 5–7 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 400°F and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Pan-Sear: Sear in a skillet with a small amount of oil, 5–7 minutes per side.
- Instant Pot: High pressure for 8 minutes, followed by a 5-minute natural release.
- Slow Cooker: 3–4 hours on low.
Always rest chicken for 5 minutes before slicing for maximum juiciness!
Cooking Frozen Marinated Chicken (in the Instant Pot)
Yes, it’s possible to freeze marinated chicken and then cook it from frozen in the Instant Pot.
A few tips for success:
- We recommend that before you freeze that marinade, you make note of what size the chicken breast is, and put that information on the freezer-friendly bag, that way you know how long to cook it for!
- Let the chicken marinate for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator before you place the marinated chicken in the freezer. This is only necessary if you plan to cook the chicken from frozen.
- When you are ready to cook, place the freezer bag in a bowl of lukewarm water just until the chicken easily slides out of the bag. Then, add the chicken and all the marinade contents to the Instant Pot. Add 1/4 cup of water as well, to ensure there is enough liquid for the chicken to cook and to prevent a burn notification.
- Frozen chicken in the IP is cooked differently than fresh chicken. Check out this post for all the details about the exact cooking times, based on the size of the chicken breasts.
Serving Suggestions
The beauty of these marinades is that they’re so versatile. Pair your chicken with a simple salad, roasted or grilled vegetables, a grain like rice or quinoa, or tuck it into tacos, wraps, or bowls. I love using leftover marinated chicken on top of a big salad for an easy lunch the next day.
- Oven Roasted Vegetables
- How to Make Cauliflower Rice
- Easy Cucumber Salad with Lots of Herbs!
- Avocado and Corn Salsa
- Healthy Cole Slaw
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Roasted Potato Wedges
- Coconut Rice
FAQs
Yes! These marinades work just as well with boneless, skinless thighs. You may need to adjust cooking times slightly depending on the thickness.
Raw chicken should only be marinated in the fridge for up to 24 hours (recommended). Once cooked, it will keep well for 3–4 days.
If you’re using the Instant Pot, yes. Just add ¼ cup of water and follow the directions, checking that the chicken reaches 165ºF. For best texture, though, I recommend thawing overnight first.
Honestly, we love any of these combos for the best grilled chicken marinade you’ll find.
If you like this chicken recipes, check out these other chicken options:
- Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken
- The Best Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
- Baked Maple Dijon Chicken
- The Juiciest Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- The Best Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
Watch The Video:
Easy Chicken Marinade Recipes
Ingredients
Greek
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced or grated
Cilantro Lime
Pollo Asado
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Honey Mustard
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Sweet Chipotle
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons canned adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced chipotled peppers optional, this is hot
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- For your chosen marinade, whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Place 2-3 chicken breasts either inside of a freezer-safe bag, or storage bowl / container. Pour marinade over the chicken, and move the chicken around to ensure it coats it evenly.
- Transfer chicken to the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. Or place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Cook as desired (see section labeled “How to Cook Marianted Chicken” for more tips on this).
Notes
- Each marinade recipe makes enough for 2-3 chicken breasts (about 2 pounds of chicken) or similar sized chicken pieces.
- Meat should be refrigerated during the marinating process. It’s always best to store raw meat in the lowest shelf or part of your refrigerator that way if there are any accidental drips, it doesn’t contaminate any food below it.
- Don’t use the leftover marinade (unless you are cooking the chicken with it). It contains raw chicken and therefore is not safe to use. We don’t recommend you heat it up separately either as the chicken liquid within the marinade when cooked up makes the sauce a little funky.
- Cook the marinated chicken within 2 days. Because the marinade contains acidic ingredients, as it sits it will continue to break down the chicken. If it sits for too long, it actually can become more tough.
Pin For Later!
Hi Lexi! Excited to try this as well as a bunch of other of your recipes while meal prepping for our first baby!
For freezing – would you suggest to put the chicken/marinade together in the freezer bag, place in fridge for 30 mins, then throw the whole bag in the freezer (with marinade) or marinade in a bowl and then take chicken out, place into freezer bag and freeze? Hope that makes sense – haha.
Thank you for so many great options! These marinades are great!
Would love to try this however the recipe doesn’t show up! Help?
It should be there now! So sorry. Do you see it?
I absolutely love these marinades! The cilantro lime is a real crowd pleaser. I also love how quickly the honey mustard comes together. I will make them again and again!
The Greek chicken marinade was a hit and so easy! The marinade imparted a great flavor with the hints of garlic, lemon and oregano. I grilled the chicken breasts after marinading for several hours.
The greek marinade is on weekly repeat at our house. SO GOOD!! We need to try one of the other ones – maybe Honey Mustard- yum!
We used turkey tenderloins and grilled them with broccoli- so delicious and flavorful. Thx!!
Hi, can you use chicken that is already frozen? I know you’re not supposed to defrost chicken then refreeze, but wondering if the 30 minutes in the fridge of marinade would make a difference? Thanks!
Hi Ellie! I’m not sure I understand the question–do you mean can you put the marinade on frozen chicken, and then stick it back in the freezer?
Thank you for these great ideas! I am due with baby #2 in April and getting a jump start on gathering meal prep ideas. These will be wonderful! I do have a quick question. What kind of meal do you make with the sweet chipotle marinade? That looks like a really good marinade, but am unsure of how to use the chicken afterward. Do you have any suggestions ? It would be appreciated!!
So, so good! Love how quick and easy these marinades are. SO tasty!
These turned out so great! We have done the pollo asado, honey mustard, and chipotle marinades and it’s hard to pick a favorite, honestly. Super quick and easy with pantry staples. We keep coming back to this post!
hi Lexi, just defrosted the Greek marinaded chicken and cooked, had with salad and taziki sauce, so yummy! Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed!
Tried the Sweet Chipotle marinade for grilled chicken this week and it was amazing! I can’t wait to try the others.
why can’t I see the ingredients and instructions again
Sorry we had an issue with the website, but it’s all fixed now!
I made the cilantro lime marinade and it was amazing! Incredibly easy and so flavorful. I cannot wait to try all of the other marinades.
I’ve done this a couple times now; for some reason, I prefer 10 min + 5 natural release in the instant pot (vs 8 min stated). It may be because my chicken was thicker, or my preference in texture
Made these last week! Took me about an hour to do all 5 marinades. I used about 10 lb. chicken breasts total. I filleted them each in half so the marinade would coat more of the chicken. I let them marinade overnight in the fridge and then popped them all in the freezer the next morning. We had pollo asada last night and it was delish! Seared it in the cast iron and then baked in the oven until done. Thanks for the recipes!!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I made the Greek chicken and it is so good!! I love that it is so quick and easy!
Can you cook from frozen in the Instant pot? Thanks!
Hi Melissa! You can! We are publishing a whole guide on Wednesday on how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot, as there is some explanation behind it. So I’ll update this post once that launches!