The Only Chicken Marinade Recipe You'll Ever Need

This amazing chicken marinade is going to become your new best friend in the kitchen! Anyone who loves juicy, flavorful chicken will absolutely love this recipe, and the best part is you can make it in just 15 minutes of prep time.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Active Time: 15 minutes, Total Time: 30 minutes, Serves: 8 people.

Nutrition Profile: Sesame-Free, Diabetes-Friendly, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Heart-Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian, Egg-Free.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 13 Calories, 1g Fat, 1g Carbs.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Neutral oil: You’ll need ¼ cup of something like canola or avocado oil. These oils don’t add any weird flavors, so your marinade tastes perfect every time!

Onion: One medium onion chopped up gives you the sweetest base flavor. Yellow or white onions work great – whatever you have sitting in your kitchen right now.

Garlic: 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh garlic adds that amazing savory kick. Fresh is best, but you can use the pre-chopped stuff from a jar if that’s easier.

Reduced-sodium soy sauce: ½ cup brings all that umami goodness without making things too salty. This is the secret to that restaurant-quality flavor!

Red-wine vinegar: ¼ cup helps tenderize your chicken and adds a nice tangy brightness to balance everything out.

Orange zest and juice: ½ teaspoon of zest and ¼ cup of juice give this marinade the most amazing citrus pop. Fresh oranges work best here!

Brown sugar: 3 tablespoons packed help your chicken get that beautiful caramelized color when you cook it. Plus it balances out all the savory flavors perfectly.

How to Make The Only Chicken Marinade Recipe You’ll Ever Need

Step 1: Heat your oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook them, stirring often, until they look translucent – about 2 minutes. You’ll smell the most amazing aroma! Transfer this mixture to a medium bowl.

Step 2: Stir in the soy sauce, red-wine vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, and brown sugar. Add all your spices – the allspice, pepper, thyme, cloves, and cinnamon. Don’t forget those 5 dashes of hot sauce! Mix everything together until it’s well combined.

Step 3: Let the marinade cool down to room temperature. This step is super important because hot marinade can start cooking your chicken before you want it to!

Step 4: Pour your cooled marinade into a shallow dish or a 1-gallon plastic bag. This amount is perfect for marinating 1 to 2 pounds of chicken, which feeds 4 to 8 people depending on how hungry everyone is!

Easy and Quick Chicken Marinade Version

Want to make this even faster? You can skip cooking the onion and garlic! Just mince them really finely and mix everything together raw. The flavors won’t be quite as deep, but it’ll still taste fantastic and save you about 10 minutes. You’ve got this!

Serving Ideas

This marinade works amazing with any cut of chicken – thighs, breasts, drumsticks, you name it! Serve your marinated grilled chicken with some fluffy rice, roasted vegetables, or a fresh green salad. It’s honestly delicious enough to be the star of any dinner table.

Storage

You can keep this marinade in the fridge for up to 3 days before using it. Want to make a big batch? No problem! This marinade freezes beautifully for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or airtight container. Just thaw it in the fridge when you’re ready to use it.

Substitutions

No red-wine vinegar? Apple cider vinegar works great too! Don’t have fresh orange juice? Bottled is totally fine. Missing some of the spices? Just use what you have – this marinade is super forgiving and will still taste incredible.

Pro Tips

Marinating time: Give your chicken at least 2 hours in this marinade, but overnight is even better for maximum flavor!
Don’t waste the marinade: Never reuse marinade that’s touched raw chicken, but you can make extra to use as a sauce if you keep it separate.
Perfect grilling: Cook your chicken to 165°F internal temperature – that’s the magic number for juicy, safe chicken every time.
Meal prep magic: This recipe makes enough for multiple meals, so marinate different cuts of chicken for the whole week!

FAQs

How long should I marinate the chicken?

You’ll want to marinate your chicken for at least 2 hours to let all those amazing flavors soak in. But honestly, overnight marinating is where the magic really happens! You can marinate up to 2 pounds of chicken with one batch of this recipe, making it perfect for meal prep.

Can I use this marinade on other proteins?

You bet! This marinade is incredible on extra-firm tofu, salmon, duck, pork, beef, or lamb. The flavors work with pretty much anything you want to throw on the grill or in the oven.

Is it okay to skip the brown sugar?

While you could skip it, I really don’t recommend it! The brown sugar helps balance all the spices and gives your chicken that beautiful caramelized color when cooking. Plus, it only adds 1 gram of sugar per serving, which is way less than most store-bought marinades.

How do I cook the marinated chicken?

Sure! Preheat your grill to medium-high and oil those grates so nothing sticks. Cook boneless chicken 6-8 minutes per side, or bone-in pieces 15-25 minutes total, flipping occasionally. Just make sure it hits 165°F internal temperature and you’re golden!

Can I freeze this marinade?

Absolutely! Let it cool completely, then pop it in a freezer bag or airtight container. It’ll keep perfectly for up to 3 months. Just thaw it in the fridge when you’re ready for another delicious chicken dinner.

Final Thoughts

I really hope you love this marinade as much as my family does! It’s been our go-to for years, and I know it’s going to make your chicken dinners so much more exciting. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out – I’d love to hear about your cooking adventures!