Description
This marinade for chicken is versatile and delicious—ideal for grilling, baking or prepping meals ahead of time. It delivers juicy, flavorful chicken every time.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup extra‑virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar or other vinegar
- ⅛ cup (2 tbsp) lemon juice, fresh
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1½ tsp garlic powder)
- 2 tsp dried rosemary (or 1½ tsp Dried mixed herbs)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, rosemary, mustard, salt and pepper until well combined. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
- Place your chicken (breasts, thighs or tenders) in a large resealable bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over it. Massage to coat evenly.
- Seal the bag (or cover the dish) and refrigerate. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 4‑6 hours (overnight is okay too, but high‑acid marinades may begin to break down texture). :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
- When ready to cook: remove chicken from marinade and let excess drip off. Discard marinade (unless you boil it to use as sauce). Preheat grill or oven.
- • If grilling: Preheat grill to medium‑high heat. Grill chicken approx. 5‑6 minutes per side (depending on thickness) or until internal temperature reaches 165 °F (74 °C). Let rest 5 minutes before serving. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
- • If baking: Preheat oven to 375 °F (190 °C). Place chicken in a baking dish and bake until no longer pink in center and internal temp reaches 165 °F. Rest a few minutes before serving.
- For meal prep: After cooking and cooling slightly, slice or cube the chicken and portion into containers for easy lunches or dinners—store in fridge up to about 4‑5 days.
Notes
- You can swap balsamic vinegar with apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar if preferred. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
- If you prefer a sweeter, milder profile, reduce the brown sugar to 2 tbsp and increase lemon juice to ¼ cup.
- Avoid marinating in highly acidic mixtures (lots of lemon/lime) for more than ~8 hours as texture may become mushy. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
- Always discard marinade that has been in contact with raw chicken unless you boil it to make it safe to use as a sauce.
- For extra flavor, you can add 1‑2 tsp smoked paprika or a pinch of chili flakes for heat.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: Varies (grill ~10‑12 minutes; bake ~20‑25 minutes depending on thickness)
- Category: Main Dish, Marinade
- Method: Grilling / Baking / Meal Prep
- Cuisine: American / Global Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken portion (approx. 4 oz cooked)
- Calories: Approx. 220
- Sugar: Approx. 8 g
- Sodium: Approx. 450 mg
- Fat: Approx. 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
Keywords: best chicken marinade, grilled chicken marinade, baked chicken marinade, meal prep chicken marinade, juicy flavorful chicken