The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe

When I say this is the best chicken marinade recipe, I truly mean it. The chicken is always juicy, flavorful and delicious. Enjoy it over a salad or add your favorite sides for a healthy and yummy dinner or lunch.

I’ve had this dish for about 70% of my lunches this summer, and on most nights, also for dinner. It’s quick, easy, healthy and yummy! And when I say it’s the best chicken marinade recipe ever, I mean it. I’m sharing the recipe below, along with a very delicious Cabernet Sauvignon by Black Box Wines—crafted to be food-friendly and fruit-forward. Just how I like my vino!

It’s the summer, and no one wants to slave by the stove, so a lot of my meals are quick and easy. This best ever chicken marinade recipe is so quick, and literally every time Mau and I eat it for dinner, he asks where the chicken came from.

I don’t know if he believes me when I tell him I made the marinade! 

The Secret Ingredient

The secret ingredient though is definitely the balsamic reduction. It brings an acidic sweetness to the chicken and round out the other herbs perfectly. Definitely do not skip this to make your chicken. 

The first time, on a whim, and then from memory because it turned out that good! F also likes it, so I’ve pressed repeat on this delicious best ever chicken marinade recipe more times than I can count.

The Best Chicken Marinade

The very best chicken marinade

Bake or Grill With this Marinade?

Typically I grill the chicken for this marinade. I’m a sucker for those charred flavors of the grill. However, this chicken marinade would absolutely work for baked chicken as well. The best part is that you don’t have to marinade your chicken overnight to get the flavors. Just a few minutes of the best chicken marinade and you’re ready to cook!

For dinner, I like to enjoy it outside with a glass of Black Box Cabernet. Did you know that one box of Black Box Wines actually fits four 750mL bottles?

The recyclable packaging also helps keep the wine fresh for six weeks after opening, with vacuum-sealed bags that prevent oxidation, so you can enjoy a glass of wine at any time without committing to an entire bottle.

A friend came over the other day, and I offered her a glass of wine and then realized we didn’t have any.

How embarrassing.

Totally would not happen if I had Black Box Wines on the counter. Plus Black Box Wines has 50 Gold Medals for its quality and are 40% less than comparable bottled wines, and they stay fresh for up to 6 weeks.

By the way, Black Box Wines is the only wine brand to offer a loyalty program. You can earn points for everything from buying Black Box products to following along on social media. You can then redeem your points for an ever-changing lineup of premium rewards.

The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2-4 chicken breasts or 8 chicken tenders (I like using the tenders, personally.)
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 2 teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon of dried basil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of balsamic reduction or 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar (total game changer ingredient!)

Directions

  1. I like to start by tenderizing the chicken tender or breast. Pounding your chicken will make it juicier, tastier, and best of all, will help cook it faster! (If you’re using breasts, I would suggest you filet the breasts lengthwise, so you would end up with two halves.)
  2. Then salt and pepper generously and set aside.
  3. Typically, I also like to make quinoa and a salad. Before turning on the grill, start to cook your quinoa per the instructions of the package.
  4. For the marinade, mix all of the dry ingredients together, then add the balsamic reduction or vinegar and mix with the olive oil. Add your chicken and coat it in the mixture.
  5. You can let your chicken sit in the marinade for a little while, but honestly, I never have that luxury! The grill is hot, and we are always hungry!
  6. Grill your chicken for 6-8 minutes on each side, and then tell me it’s not the very best chicken marinade recipe you’ve ever had!
  7. To assemble, I like to mix some greens with one tablespoon of quinoa. It’s a great idea to have extra chicken and quinoa in the fridge for the week to repeat this meal for lunch or dinner.
  8. Add a tablespoon of feta cheese, red onion, tomatoes and olives to my bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil and lemon.

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best chicken marinade recipe

Grilled Chicken Marinade

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Ingredients
  

  • 2-4 chicken breasts or 8 chicken tenders (I like using the tenders, personally.)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil 
  • 1 tsp balsamic reduction or 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar (total game changer ingredient!)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • I like to start by tenderizing the chicken tender or breast. Pounding your chicken will make it juicier, tastier, and best of all, will help cook it faster! (If you’re using breasts, I would suggest you filet the breasts lengthwise, so you would end up with two halves.)Then salt and pepper generously and set aside.
  • Mix all of the dry ingredients together, then add the balsamic reduction or vinegar and mix with the olive oil.
  • Add your chicken and coat it in the mixture. You can let your chicken sit in the marinade for a little while.
  • Grill your chicken for 6-8 minutes on each side, and then tell me it’s not the very best chicken marinade recipe you’ve ever had!

Pin The Best Chicken Marinade For Later

best chicken marinade recipe

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... besos, ALINA

Alina Orozco is a freelance writer with a weakness for hot dogs, the beach, dinner parties and DIY projects. She lives in Orange County, California with her husband and their oversized Beagle named Benny.