The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe
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The Best Chicken Marinade recipe is easy, delicious, and comes together in minutes for the best grilled chicken and baked chicken you’ve ever tasted!
We’ve used this simple yet scrumptious chicken marinade for many years, especially when making grilled chicken (and my son’s favorite grilled chicken legs). It is quick to make and uses common ingredients that you most likely have on hand. But the beauty of this recipe is that it is just as delicious as a marinade for baked chicken, so there’s no need to save this only for warm weather grilling season!
Use this chicken marinade recipe year-round on your favorite cuts of chicken, and enjoy! It makes the perfect marinade and results in some of the most juicy, delicious, and flavorful chicken ever! Everyone always loves the chicken I’ve marinated with this. I think you will enjoy it too!
How to Make the BEST Chicken Marinade
I originally just included this marinade recipe with my grilled chicken legs recipe many years ago. Since this recipe was requested so often, I thought it only fitting that the BEST Chicken Marinade got its own spot in the world. Here’s how you make it.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
Ingredients
This marinade recipe works best for about 5 pounds of chicken. To make this delicious marinade, you’ll need the following:
- Olive oil – Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil
- Spices – salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and cayenne
- Garlic – fresh garlic cloves, chopped
- Onion – chopped
- Fresh parsley – chopped
- Beer – Use the beer of your choice. If you don’t want to use beer, you can substitute ginger ale, apple cider (not apple cider vinegar), or apple juice.
I rarely cook with beer, but it definitely adds something to this chicken. Use whichever brand you prefer – I usually use Corona or Yeungling, but any beer will work. If you can’t use beer or prefer not to, one of the substitutes listed taste delicious as well.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Combine the ingredients. In a medium to large-sized mixing bowl, stir together all of the spices with the olive oil. Mix in the chopped onion, garlic, and fresh parsley. Slowly pour in the beer (or substitute if using one), as it may foam over if poured too quickly. Mix all ingredients together until combined.
Pour mixture over chicken. Place the chicken you plan to marinate in either a large, sturdy zip-top bag or another airtight container. Pour the marinade over the chicken in your zip bag or container. If using a zip-top bag, press as much air as possible out of the bag as you seal it.
Chill the marinade-covered chicken. If using a zip-top bag, place it on a baking sheet. If in a container, make sure the lid is secure and airtight. Make sure that all of the chicken is well coated with the marinade and place in the refrigerator to chill.
How Long to Marinate Chicken in Refrigerator:
- At least 1 hour
- Preferably overnight for best results
- No longer than 2 days
Every few hours, turn the bag from one side over to the other to keep the chicken coated with the marinade.
Freezer Instructions for Chicken in Marinade
You can freeze the raw chicken in this marinade. Here are the steps.
Package in a freezer-safe container. Place the chicken into a freezer-safe container and pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure all of the raw chicken is well coated. Remove as much air as possible as you seal the container. If using a zip-top bag, place the bag on a baking sheet to freeze. Label the container with the contents and date.
Freeze chicken with marinade. Place the container in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw, then cook as desired. Remove from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. After the chicken is thawed, then remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Then 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!
More Delicious Marinades and Sauces
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 ground 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
Freezer Instructions
You can freeze the raw chicken in this marinade. Here are the steps. Package in a freezer-safe container. Place the chicken into a freezer-safe container and pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure all of the raw chicken is well coated. Remove as much air as possible as you seal the container. If using a zip-top bag, place the bag on a baking sheet to freeze. Label the container with the contents and date. Freeze chicken with marinade. Place the container in the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw, then cook as desired. Remove from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator overnight. After the chicken is thawed, then remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Then cook the chicken according to your favorite chicken recipe.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published 2012.
Absolutely w/o a doubt, the best Grilled Chicken Marinade I’ve ever tried! I allowed the chicken to marinade a Min of 8hrs. The seasoning was flat out perfect! This will always be my GO TO MARINDE for Grilled Chicken!!!
Thx a lot,
Gerald
Happy to know you enjoy it Gerald! Thanks!
I added 2 bay leaves to the marinade, and used some fancy apple juice from Kroger. This recipe is excellent. I definitely thought I had overcooked the chicken because I was trying to do too much at once but this recipe made the chicken so forgiving and tender. My girlfriend said it is her favorite!
I’m going to experiment with different combos of apple juice, apple cider vinegar, and sparkling or hard apple cider and I will report back.
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy the marinade, Nate! Thanks!
can you freeze this for around 2 months, chicken and all the marinade together
Sure! Hope you enjoy it! Thanks!
I’ve made your recipe 3 times now. Seems to work well with whatever I pop open 😊. So far Hard Cider, belgain ale, and tonight sprite! Awesome every time. Thanks
This is so great to hear, Geoff! I’m so happy you enjoy it too!
What can I serve this with? Can you recommend an easy side dish preferably either bread or rice related?
Hi Alina,
We love this with all types of sides from green house salads, Coleslaw, Southern Potato Salad, Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes, Southern Baked Beans and more. For rice, an easy side dish could be my Instant Pot Brown Rice. Really any favorite side dish you’d enjoy when you grill out or with grilled chicken will be delicious!
Here is a link to my Side Dish Recipes if you would like to look around further for some more ideas! Enjoy! xo
The recipe sounds delicious. Thanks. The apple cider version appeals to me. I love barbecued foods, but at age 56, I now love quickly and easy more! So I don’t have a grill. I used to cook all my chicken recipes by baking chicken thighs in a 9×9 pan half way through, pouring off the fat/juices, then pouring on a homemade sauce or marinade recipe directly into the pan, over thea chicken. Then finish baking it and serving over Brown rice with a green vegetable. Saves the time and steps of marinating in a bag. The only problem was having to clean the oven! Due to back pain, I need to make cooking even easier and faster, so now I microwave the chicken thighs in a covered Corningware casserole, pour off the grease, then pour a marinade over the chicken and microwave a few more minutes. It comes out so moist and delicious. From the time I open the chicken package and remove the chicken with a fork into the casserole dish, until done, it’s 15 – 20 minutes, and only a fork and the casserole dish to wash. Plus the rice/veg pot, and my plate and utensils.
I’m going to try your marinade. I bet it will be delicious. Thank you.
Hope you enjoy the marinade, Alice! xo
Hey Robyn, in substitution for beer can use soya sauce as well?
Hey Robyn, in substitution of the beer can I use soya sauce.
I’ve not tried that Veli. I do list substitutes in the recipe that work well instead of beer. Thanks!
If beer (alcohol) isn’t an option, what you recommend to replace it?
Hi Holly,
I give a couple of substitutions in the recipe notes that have worked well for me – ginger ale or apple cider (not apple cider vinegar).
i ran out of olive oil, can i use regular vegetable oil? I have all the other ingredients. thanks
You can, Karen. Enjoy it! xo
ThIs was so good, my 9 year old raved about it to Grandma! I cook a lot so she’s not very picky but this chicken she loved. Used Founders Lager, and have a second dinner marinating now with ginger ale for tonight. Question, though, when you grill have you added BBQ sauce too? I didn’t but was wondering if it would be good or not? And, leftovers were dry, daughter didn’t like so I reserved some marinade this morning to use on leftovers heating.
Hi Denise,
I’m so happy you and your daughter enjoyed this! It’s one of our family favorites! I’ve not used it and added other bbq sauce just because we love the flavor the marinade gives it. Thanks so much! xo