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As professional Chefs, we’ve grilled, roasted, pan-seared and skewered more chicken than we can count. And our honest opinion: a good chicken marinade can get our whole family excited about dinner.
We want to help you make juicy, flavourful, next-level chicken that your guests will crave and ask for the recipe!
Here is a list of 15 chicken marinades that we love! Whether you are meal prepping, hosting a backyard BBQ or needing something everyone will love on a Tuesday night, this list has you covered.
What Makes a Great Chicken Marinade?
A great marinade had three key elements:
Acid → lemon, lime. Vinegar or yogurt to tenderize
Fat → olive oil, sesame oil, coconut oil, even melted butter, to lock in moisture
Flavour bombs → herbs, spices, garlic, ginger, miso or chili to bump up the taste
Mix these three elements (even multiples of the elements), let the chicken soak it all up and you have elevated your chicken to another level. Start with good quality chicken from your Local Farmer’s Market or Favourite Butcher Shop!
10 Best Chicken Marinade Recipes
Chef Tip
- These work for thighs, breast, wings or whole chickens
- When you have the time use fresh ginger & garlic, pinched for time garlic-ginger paste does the trick!
Mediterranean Lemon- Garlic Yogurt Chicken Marinade
Creamy + tangy = super tender chicken
Pro Tip: Scrape off excess yogurt before grilling to avoid flare-ups!
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the Ultimate Tzatziki Recipe (loaded with Feta Cheese!) click HERE!
Buttermilk + Hot Sauce Chicken Marinade
A southern secret to juicy chicken. This works well when pan frying or baking.
Pro Tip: Dip in seasoned flour (1 cup flour + 1 tsp garlic + 1 tsp smoked paprika) after marinating overnight, and pan fry for delicious southern fried chicken.
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup hot sauce (We love Valentina’s)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Jerk Chicken
Bold Caribbean flavours, dial the heat up or down depending on your spice tolerance.
Here is a quick and easy recipe for jerk-marinated chicken.
- 1 tbsp allspice
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 jalapeño, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- ¼ cup soy sauce
Honey Mustard Chicken Marinade
Kid-friendly and super versatile – great in the oven or on the grill
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher sal
- ½ tsp black pepper
Whisk everything together, this is especially good on Chicken Wings!
Miso Marinade
Umami-packed and beautifully balanced
- ¼ cup white miso
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
This marinade is definitely one of our favourites! We have used in on Salmon for our Miso-Glazed Salmon bowls, and by happy accident leftovers marinated some chicken.
Korean Gochujang
Sticky, spicy, and addictive!
- 2-3 Tbsp gochujang
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil (or canola oil)
Chicken Satay
Chicken thighs love this marinade! Perfect for entertaining.
- 2 Tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp chili garlic paste (Sambal Oelek)
- Juice & zest 1 large lime
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For the Ultimate Chicken Satay Experience, Join our Chicken Satay & Rice Vermicelli Noodle Bowl Cooking Class! Find all the info HERE!
Spiced Yogurt
Turmeric and yogurt contribute to some great colour when grilling! Garlic-ginger paste brings this together in minutes.
- ¾ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- ½ yogurt
- 2 tsp kosher salt
Thai Coconut
Creamy & delicious with a squeeze of fresh lime juice when you take it off the grill.
- 1 tsp curry paste (red, green or yellow)
- ¾ cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp ginger/garlic paste
- Lime zest from 1 lime (save the juice to drizzle on chicken hot off the grill)
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1-2 bird’s eye chili to taste or your favourite hot pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Sweet Chili Lime
The easiest marinade on the list!
- ¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
Substitutions
- No yogurt? Use sour cream or buttermilk.
- Vegetarian? Many of these work great on tofu or halloumi.
- Ginger- Garlic Paste? Use fresh garlic and ginger instead.
What to Know/Avoid when Marinating Chicken
- Don’t over-marinate: 2 to 8 hours is the sweet spot. Beyond that, the acid in the marinade makes the chicken mushy
- Place the chicken on a paper towel and pat dry to avoid steaming
- Salt wisely: some marinades (with soy or miso) are already salt
What to Know/ Avoid when Marinating Chicken
- Marinated raw chicken: Store in the refrigerator, tightly sealed, up to 2 days
- Cooked chicken: Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- Freezing tip: You can freeze chicken in the marinade – it marinates as it thaws!
FAQ
Q: Can I reuse a marinade?
A: Not without boiling it first! It’s touched raw chicken, so always cook it before you use it as a sauce.
Q: How long should I marinate chicken?
A: 30 minutes minimum; 2-8 hours for best results; overnight for maximum flavour (avoid acidic ingredients in longer marinades: it changes the texture of the meat
Q: What cuts of chicken work best?
A: Thighs, drumsticks, breasts, wings – they all shine with the right marinade.
