Learn how to make the best Chicken Marinade for Grilling that you will use all the time! Whether you are grilling chicken breast, thighs or chicken wings, this simple yet delicious marinade is for you.

A white plate with grilled chicken.

Grilling season is just around the corner and you’ll have to try our Grilled Pork Chops and Grilled Shrimp – so easy.

BEST CHICKEN MARINADE RECIPE-

This simple chicken marinade is going to give you the juiciest, tender and most flavorful grilled chicken! Allowing chicken to marinate in oil and seasonings gives you the softest chicken. We love using this chicken marinade not only on our grilled chicken but with all of our grilled chicken recipes.

Marinated chicken breast sliced into pieces with a white plate.

INGREDIENTS-

All you need for this basic grilled marinade is just a few ingredients!

  • Oil– Olive oil or peanut oil will work great in this recipe. The oil is the base of the marinade and will result in the chicken is tender and juicy.
  • Salt & Pepper– For flavoring, add more or less, to taste.
  • Paprika– gives you that smokey flavor.
  • Garlic– Garlic powder works best when grilling because freshly minced garlic will burn on the grill.
  • Onion– for added flavors.
  • Italian seasoning– We love adding Italian seasoning to enhance flavors.

WHAT KIND OF CHICKEN CAN I USE-

This delicious and easy marinade is the best for just about any kind of chicken! Here is the kind of chicken you can use for this recipe:

  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
  • Chicken Drumsticks
  • Bone-in Chicken Thighs
  • Chicken Wings
  • Chicken Tenders

How much chicken will this marinade work with? This marinade is perfect for 2 pounds of any type of chicken that you use!

All the ingredients needed for this easy grilled chicken marinade.

HOW TO MAKE grilled CHICKEN MARINADE-

  1. Add the chicken into a large bowl or plastic bag and toss in the oil.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the salt, paprika, garlic, onion, Italian seasoning, and pepper.
  3. Once the chicken is fully coated in the oil, add the seasoning blend and mix until all chicken is coated in the seasoning.
  4. Marinate until ready to cook.

MARINATE TIME– The key is the amount of time you marinate the chicken. You want to marinate the chicken for at least an hour and up to 2 days.

If marinating for one hour, you can leave it at room temp. Refrigerate the chicken is marinating for longer.

A glass bowl of chicken in the marinade mixture.

HOW TO COOK THE MARINATED CHICKEN-

Our go to way to cook this chicken is to grill but you can also use it with any other method as well! These cook times for chicken breast.

GRILLING METHOD-

  1. Once you are ready to grill the chicken, remove from the fridge and let it sit at room temp for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the grill to 400°F and clean and prep the grill.
  2. Add the chicken to the grill and cook for about 6-8 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through.
  3. Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes then use as desired.

OVEN METHOD-

  1. Once you are ready to grill the chicken, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temp for about 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Add the chicken to the baking sheet and bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until cooked through.

AIR FRYER-

  1. Once you are ready to grill the chicken, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temp for about 15 minutes.
  2. Add the chicken to the air fryer basket and cook at 380°F for 8 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

PAN-SEARED-

  1. Once you are ready to grill the chicken, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temp for about 15 minutes.
  2. On high heat, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a skillet. Sear chicken for 2 minutes on both sides. Turn heat down to low, close the lid of the skillet and cook another 5-6 minutes, until chicken is tender and cooked through.

How can I tell if my chicken is ready? The internal temperature of cooked chicken will be 165°F. The cook time will vary depending on the size and cut of chicken. When you are using bone-in chicken the cook time also varies.

Tender and juicy sliced chicken breast on a white plate.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS-

Do I need to poke holes in my chicken before marinating?

No, you do not need to poke holes in the chicken. Poking holes many times leads to dry chicken.

Can I over marinate my chicken?

This marinate doesn’t have any citrus so you can’t over marinate it but like all foods, the chicken can go bad if it sits too long. You don’t want it sitting no longer than 2 days.

Can I freeze the chicken marinade?

Yes! Transfer the marinade and chicken to a freezer safe plastic bag and freeze for up to 2-3 months. When ready to enjoy, remove and thaw, then cook right away. Don’t let it marinate again.

Can I freeze the chicken after it is cooked?

Yes! Chicken freezes GREAT! Just add the whole chicken or cut the chicken into a freezer safe plastic bag or container and freeze.

How to store leftover grilled chicken?

Store cooked grilled chicken in the fridge 3-4 days.

Sliced chicken breast on a white plate.

HOW TO SERVE-

Once this chicken is cooked, you can enjoy it as the main dish or any other way. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy this chicken:

Chicken Marinade for Grilling

Valentina
Learn how to make the best Chicken Marinade for Grilling that you will use all the time! Whether you are grilling chicken breast, thighs or chicken wings, this simple yet delicious marinade is for you.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Marinade Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Sides
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 357 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

chicken marinade-

Instructions
 

Marinating the Chicken-

  • Add the chicken into a large bowl or plastic bag and toss in the oil.
  • In a small bowl, combine the salt, paprika, garlic, onion, Italian seasoning, and pepper.
  • Once the chicken is fully coated in the oil, add the seasoning blend and mix until all chicken is coated in the seasoning.
  • Marinate until ready to cook.

Grilling the Chicken-

  • Once you are ready to grill the chicken, remove from the fridge and let it sit at room temp for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the grill to 400°F and clean and prep the grill.
  • Add the chicken to the grill and cook for about 6-8 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through.
  • Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes then use as desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 48gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 1136mgPotassium: 868mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 323IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
(The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
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