7 Best Chicken Marinades

These 7 well-tested, easy chicken marinades will transform boneless chicken breasts into several tasty, healthy meals. We’ll show you 4 different methods for cooking your marinated chicken, plus how to make them into freezer meals for later.

7 Best Chicken MarinadesPhoto byThriving Home

5 Reasons to Love These Marinade Recipes

1. Marinating chicken helps to infuse flavor throughout and adds moisture to a cut of chicken that can be notoriously bland and dry.
2. We’ve developed and meticulously tested 7 delicious combos of marinade ingredients so you never get bored again! I seriously love every single one of these.
3. We’ll show you how to cook your marinated chicken 4 different ways–grilled, baked, slow cooked, or pressure cooked. You have options!
4. You can prep these in bulk and freeze them. So dinner is always ready to go!
5. Bonus: We’ll show you how to repurpose your marinade into a safe-to-eat, flavorful sauce to drizzle over your cooked chicken. It can be done!

7 Chicken Marinade Recipes

There is a marinade for everyone in our collection!

Learn how to make 7 delicious chicken marinades that you can prep and freeze for later.

1. Asian Chicken Marinade

With just a few key Asian-inspired ingredients, you can create some seriously tasty marinated chicken. Serve it in wraps, on salads, or over rice. Perfect side dishes are Asian Slaw and Brown Rice (or Cilantro Lime Rice)…yum!

2. Honey Mustard Chicken Marinade

You had me at 5 ingredients! That’s right. This recipe only requires 5 pantry staple ingredients for a perfect sweet and tangy result. This chicken is delicious on top of salad with our Honey Dijon Dressing or serve it like we do in our Honey Dijon Chicken Sandwiches.

3. Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade

Thanks to fresh lemon, garlic, thyme and more, this bright and flavorful marinade completely transforms any cut of chicken. Pairs perfectly with our Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, and Strawberry Fields Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette.

4. Balsamic Chicken Marinade

Fresh herbs and pantry staples combine to create this complex marinade. Grill or bake the chicken, then enjoy on its own or atop a salad. Side dish ideas include Simple Boiled Baby Potatoes or No Boil Corn on the Cob. The one pictured below is served over cous cous with a simple Caprese Salad (cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, and fresh basil with balsamic glaze).

5. Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade

Cilantro, lime, garlic, and more marry together to create this fresh, citrusy marinade. Serve the cooked chicken a la cart over Cilantro Lime Rice, on tacos, in quesadillas, or shredded on top of nachos, like these Instant Pot Chicken Nachos.

6. The BEST Savory Chicken Marinade

This marinade packs a flavor punch! In fact, I think it’s the BEST savory one you’ll find. With just a few pantry staple ingredients, boring chicken is taken to a whole new flavor level! Enjoy a la carte with Instant Pot Mashed potatoes, on top of our Favorite Cobb Salad, on a sandwich, or in a wrap.

7. Southwest Chicken Marinade

Of all the marinades in the world, THIS is the one I make the most. Hands down. My kids love it. All adults love it. It can be served any way you dream up–a la carte, in tacos, quesadillas, Southwest Chicken Burrito Bowls, Southwest Chicken and Bacon Wraps or Southwest Chicken Salad