Easy Chicken Marinade Recipes

5 from 10 votes

Five super simple chicken marinades that turn plain chicken breasts into something magical! They're freezer-friendly and perfect for making ahead of time.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Author: Lexi's Clean Kitchen

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

2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
⅓ cup lime juice
Handful of cilantro minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves minced or grated
1 teaspoon ground cumin

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.