Easy Chicken Marinade for Grilling

Sick of boring dry rubbed chicken with lackluster flavor? Well you have come to the right place! This chicken marinade is perfect for any cut of chicken that you prefer to grill.

Chicken and common pantry spices are placed in a large zippered bag and marinaded for at least 6 hours. The end result is juicy chicken breast that has lots of seared in flavor.

Now that grilling season is in full swing, I wanted to share an easy chicken marinade for grilling; chances are, you might even have the ingredients in your pantry too! I have been making the chicken marinade for years and it has saved me a ton of money verses buying those pricey pre-made bottled varieties.

To make things even easier, I place my chicken in a freezer bag to marinate verses dirtying up a glass bowl and having my fridge take on the smells of garlic and spice. I love the easy clean-up and the fact that I can marinate ahead of time in a very convenient manner.

My husband is not the biggest chicken breast fan, but he will eat chicken that has been marinaded for a while. He really needs those flavorful juices to penetrate the meat to enjoy it. After it has marinaded for a while, he places the breasts on a charcoal grill for even more flavor and grills them for around 20 minutes or until clear juiced flow out freely.

Easy grilled chicken marinade

• 3+ lbs. white meat chicken
• 1/2 cup olive oil *can also use vegetable oil.
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar *can also use white wine vinegar
• 3 cloves fresh garlic *minced
• 1 tbsp. fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp. Herb de Provence *can substitute Italian seasoning or oregano
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. minced onion
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Marinading chicken breast

Place all the ingredients (except the chicken) into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Place chicken breasts into a large zippered bag.

Pour in the whisked marinade and seal the bag tightly. Be sure to remove any excess air.

Allow the chicken to marinate in the bag for at least 6-8 hours in the refrigerator. Ideally, I typically will start the marinade the night before for the next night’s meal. Marinaded chicken can be stored in the fridge properly for up to 36 hours.

I like to put my sealed bags on a large plate or in a dish. Sometimes the bags leak and you do not want any raw chicken juices in your fridge due to salmonella.

Grill chicken

Once chicken has marinaded for at least 6-8 hours, it is time to grill the chicken. Light your charcoal grill, or heat your gas grill to medium heat.

Chicken takes about 10 minutes per side when cooked over indirect heat, and 6-8 minutes per side when over direct heat. Chicken breast must reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to be safely consumed.

Cook until clear juices flow out when breast is gently pressed.

Of course you could use this chicken marinade for drumsticks, thighs and wings. Just be sure to adjust the cooking times.