The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
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.
Excellent marinade! Well seasoned, juicy, tender chicken every time.
Thanks, Deb!
Can I use cilantro instead of parsley?
You can use cilantro if you prefer, Marijoy. Hope you enjoy!
How long do I bake it for?
Cory, this recipe is just for the marinade for the chicken. You will need to follow whatever recipe you are using for your chicken. The chicken legs photos featured in this recipe and post are for my Grilled Chicken Legs Recipe. Hope this helps!
I this sweet? I don’t care for sweet sauces on my meat? Looking at the recipe, I don’t think that ginger ale would add to much sweetness. Have any who have used this marinade found it to be noticeably sweet?
I used beer. Very skeptical as we don’t like the taste of alcohol in our food but it was delicious! I think the liquid is simply to tenderize and help to keep meat moist and it was very tender, moist and full of flavor.
The beer does just tenderize the meat and you can’t taste the alcohol. Glad you liked it!
So good and usually have all this stuff on hand in the fridge!! Thank you!
Thanks, Stephanie.
Hi there, this recipe looks amazing. Would ginger beer work?
I’m sorry, Sarah, but I haven’t tried this recipe with ginger beer so I’m not sure.
I used Ginger Beer. Admittedly I didn’t eat the chicken bc I’m vegetarian, however, ALL my family loved the grilled chicken legs on the grill, and that is normally not the case!
Thanks, Dawn. I’m happy all your family loved it even if you couldn’t have it.
Hi Robyn
I would like to try this but can I make it for just say 2lbs of meat. ? Only want to do on half of the meat to see if the picky eaters will like it !
Thanks
Sue
I would divide the recipe in half if you are only using that amount of meat, Sue.
Hi! Would onion powder work instead of fresh onions? Thanks!
Lester, I use a chopped onion, but you can absolutely substitute with minced onion or onion powder if you like.
I made this recipe and marinade the chicken with ginger ale for 1 day and baked it for about 35 mins, let me tell you, this is the best tasting chicken I have ever had. The chicken I used had some skin so it was crispy outside and juicy and flavorful inside. Will definitely make this again and have my bf try this! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!
Thanks, Chris. I’m so happy you liked this.
Definitely gonna try this with either a home brew Wee Heavy Scotch Ale or Hefeweizen, not sure which yet
I don’t usually comment on my pins but this lil recipe was delicious. Everyone loved it, I cooked mine on the plancha(stainless steel flat grill) and used the left over marinade to pour over the chicken after the first flip. Also used my beer of choice Pacifico for just 2 hours in the fridge before cooking. Very good 👏 thank you.
Thanks, Gabriel! I’m so glad you liked this.
I do not grill. Can you get tasty results from baking?
Rosanna, I use the marinade on chicken that I bake in the oven. It is delicious. Hope you enjoy!
What temperature should I bake in the oven and for how long?
This recipe is just for the marinade for the chicken. You will need to follow whatever recipe you are using for your chicken. The chicken legs photos featured in this recipe and post are for my Grilled Chicken Legs Recipe.
I haven’t got a bag to put it all in, does it matter if it’s just in a covered bowl?
You can use a covered bowl, Alison. Hope you enjoy!
This recipe is a keeper!!! My family LOVES this on boneless skinless chicken thighs, grilled on the bbq!! I make/marinate about 12-14 thighs per recipe. I use the can of ginger ale. I usually marinate about 2 hours. The flavor is just perfect!! Thanks for the recipe!!
So glad you and your family love this recipe, Jennifer. Thanks
I was looking for something to marinate my skinless breasts. I’m so glad I tried this one. The flavors were so balanced and delicious, not too acidly as many recipes are. We are trying to cut fat in our diet so I did have legs or thighs, just the skinless breasts so I went for it, and glad I did.
I’m happy this marinade worked so well for you, Debbie. Thanks!