This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Best Chicken Marinade Recipe – An easy chicken marinade that comes together in minutes for the best grilled chicken or baked chicken you’ve ever tasted!
For years now, we’ve used this simple grilled chicken marinade that I quickly throw together when grilling chicken. It uses ingredients that you’ll most likely have on hand. If not, I urge you to buy them the next time you are at the grocery store, along with your favorite cuts of chicken and make it! It makes the perfect marinade for the BEST grilled chicken I’ve ever had!
Best Chicken Marinade Recipe
Years ago, we made grilled chicken legs using this marinade when my sister-in-law Karen, her husband Todd, and their three boys were on an RV trip with us. I knew that our son loved it and hoped that their boys would as well. We won’t even talk about how much chicken we got all of the kids to eat…so let’s just say they loved it as much if not even more than I’d hoped!
In all seriousness, I’ve not fed anyone chicken made with this marinade that hasn’t loved it.
How to Make Chicken Marinade
I originally just included this recipe in with my grilled chicken legs recipe that I shared a long time ago. It makes such juicy, delicious grilled chicken breasts and works for baked chicken too! Since I have requests for this recipe so often, I thought it deserved it’s own little spot in the world.
Chicken Marinade Ingredients
To make this, you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Cayenne
- Garlic
- Onion
- Fresh parsley
- Beer, ginger ale, apple cider (not apple cider vinegar), or apple juice
I rarely cook with beer, but it definitely adds something to this chicken. For the beer, I would recommend using whatever beer you prefer. I usually use Corona or Yeungling, but any beer that you prefer will work. If you can’t use beer or prefer not to, I’ve included a couple of other options that I’ve tested in the recipe below for you.
- Ginger Ale
- Apple Cider
- Apple Juice
Step-by-Step Instructions
Stir. Stir together all of the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
Pour. Then pour the marinade over the chicken in a large zip top or other airtight container. If using a zip top bag, press as much air as possible out of the bag as you seal.
Chill. Make sure that all of the chicken is well coated with the marinade. Arrange in the refrigerator and chill for at least an hour.
How Long to Marinate Chicken:
- At least 1 hour
- No longer than 2 days
If I’m using a ziptop bag, I place it on a half sheet pan in the refrigerator for at least an hour, but hopefully overnight so the chicken has plenty of time to soak up all that goodness.
Every few hours, I’ll turn the bag from one side over to the other to keep the chicken coated with the marinade.
Can I Freeze Chicken in this Marinade?
Yes! It works perfectly to freeze chicken in this marinade. Here are the steps.
Package. Place chicken into freezer-safe container and pour over the marinade. Make sure that all of the chicken is well coated. Remove as much air as possible as you seal the container. Label the container with the contents and date.
Freeze. Arrange in the freezer so that the container is as flat as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw. Remove from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. After it’s thawed, then remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Finally, cook the chicken according to your favorite chicken recipe.
What Chicken Recipes Can I Use With This Marinade?
You can use this recipe with many of your favorite chicken recipes! We love it for our grilled chicken as well as for our simple baked chicken!
Here’s The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!
The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 cups beer, ginger ale, apple cider, or apple juice
Instructions
- Pour olive oil into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup.
- Mix together salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper and add to olive oil. Add garlic, onions, and parsley. Mix together well with a fork. Slowly add beer as it will cause the mixture to foam and bubble slightly.
- Pour marinade over the chicken in the zip top bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag and seal. Turn the bag from side to side to make sure all chicken has been coated with the marinade.
- Place the bag flat on a small, rimmed kitchen sheet pan and into the refrigerator. Allow to sit up to 1 hour or overnight for best results, turning the bag over every few hours to keep the chicken coated.
Notes
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published 2012.
Am I missing something? Checking the recipe several times I could not find any quantities listed for the I ingredients so I winged it and hope for the best. Please give us some quantities or tell me where I can find them. Ann
Ann, I’m not sure where you are looking but the amount of each ingredient is listed under Ingredients in the recipe. Example: the first two ingredients – 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt.
Key ingredient amount is missing…HOW MUCH CHICKE ???
Sarah, this recipe is just for the marinade. As stated in the Notes section, the recipe is best for about 5 pounds of chicken.You can use this recipe with many of your favorite chicken recipes! We love it for our grilled chicken as well as for our simple baked chicken.
This marinade was absolutely delicious! I will definitely use it again and again. I will pass it on to friends and family for sure. Hats off to the Chef!!
So glad this marinade worked so well for you, Susan. Thanks!
Have just grabbed an idea that l had never thought of, using beer in marinade. I’m looking forward to try it soon
Hope you enjoy the chicken, Jonathan!
Tried it this weekend and everyone loved it. Will make this over and over again.
Ok. You said 1 1/2 of beer, apple cider and ginger ale. Is that half beer half ginger ale and half apple cider ??? Or 1 1/2 of each ??
Ruperto, it’s 1 1/2 cups beer, ginger ale, apple cider, or apple juice. You just choose which one you want to use, not all of them. Hope you enjoy!
Sound divine, am always looking out for new chicken marinades,,please advise what temperature oven to bake in and approximately the time in minutes, thanks
You’ll want to use the time and temperatures specific for the chicken recipe you are preparing. This recipe is simply for the marinade.
Do you think ginger beer would work?
I haven’t tried this with ginger beer, Bethany, but someone else commented that she did and her family loved it.
This recipe is AMAZING!!! Thank you so much! I did it with bone in chicken thighs and next I’m going to make wings with it! Soooo yummy! I bet it would also be great to marinate a pork tenderloin as well.
Betty, I have used this marinade with pork and it was delicious. Hope you enjoy it with the pork, too. Thanks!