This grilled chicken marinade has been my go-to marinade for at least 15 years. It always produces the most flavorful and moist chicken, every time. Just be sure to set some to the side to dip your chicken in!
I’m going to let you in a little secret. I’ve been asked for this grilled chicken recipe more times than I can count. I have always kept it very close to the vest. It is sweet, tangy and ridiculously delicious!
This is my grilling GO TO recipe, every time, and always will be. I wait all winter for summer to come just so I can fire up the barbecue and get this chicken on the grill!
Grilled Chicken
We love marinades! They impart such flavor into an otherwise very bland piece of meat. Take this Huli Huli Chicken for example. Never have I tasted such an explosion of flavors until I had this chicken in Hawaii.
Grilled Chicken Marinade Ingredients:
- Chicken – I use boneless, but you can certainly use bone in breasts, drumsticks or chicken thighs
- Olive oil – use a quality oil
- Apple Cider vinegar – this gives a great punch and tang
- Dijon mustard, Brown Sugar – this helps balance out the acidity in the AVC with a little sweetness.
- Lemon Juice & Lime Juice– adds a burst of brightness!
- Spices – Garlic, salt and pepper
How the Make the best grilled chicken
- Slice the chicken in half lengthwise and pound the chicken into an even thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. This is very important, otherwise the chicken will be over cooked on one side and undercooked on the other.
- Whisk the marinade in a small dish – reserving a little for dipping or pouring over the cooked chicken or side veggies.
- Refrigerate the marinated chicken in the refrigerator for 30 min – 2 hours. Keep in mind acids break down protein. Marinating over 2 hours can result in the chicken becoming gummy or just having a weird texture.
- Grill the chicken over medium high heat on a preheated grill. Check the chicken using a meat thermometer and remove once it hits an internal temperature of 165° F.
Make Ahead and Storage:
- Make Ahead: This recipe is best as soon as it’s cooked. However, any leftover chicken make the most amazing sandwiches the next day!
- How to Store: Store and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This can be placed in the freezer either in the marinade itself and cooked later, or cooked for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge for 1 day before cooking or reheating.
Looking for some side dishes to go with your chicken:
- Our infamous Potato salad pairs beautifully with this chicken.
- How about a side dish of perfectly cooked Rice Pilaf?
- The flavors and freshness in this Four Bean Salad are amazing!
Best Grilled Chicken Marinade
Description
Simply the best basic chicken marinade out there! Be sure to reserve at least ¼ cup to pour over the cooked chicken.
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup Apple Cider vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Lime, juiced
- ½ Lemon, juiced
- ¼ Cup Brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons Sea Salt
- Ground Black pepper to taste
- ¼ Cup Extra Virgin olive oil
- 3 Chicken Breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl except the olive oil.
- Drizzle in the oil very slowly while whisking very quickly until emulsified. Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade for dipping or drizzling over cooked chicken.
- Put the chicken in glass baking dish or bowl and pour the marinade over. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- Let the chicken rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Grill chicken over med/high heat turning over when the chicken looks ¾ of the way cooked through to get nice grill marks. Flip and cook until juices run clear.
- Pour remaining marinade on top before serving.
Loved it as well. Sweet but tangy. Made the chicken flavorful and tender in 1 1/2 hours marinating.
Always a family favorite!
I have been making this since 2015 and lost my printed copy. I was panicking and found it again! Hooray!!!
I’m so glad you found it again! If that ever happens, just shoot me an email and I’d be happy to help.
I just wanted to say that I’ve been using this recipe for years now. It is pretty much the only chicken marinade I use now. I’ve just never left a comment and wanted to tell you Debi that your recipes are amazing! Thank you!
This recipe is DELICIOUS! I cooked chicken using this recipe and was so proud of it.
So so so good!! Great recipe I followed it to a T almost I added onion powder to the marinade and more garlic… because I love garlic.. This turned out perfect I think the longer you marinade the better!
Thank you!! Great recipe!!
I only marinated it for 6 hours but it had great flavor.
Just made this. Why do you not pour all the marinade on chicken.? It didn’t say, so I put it all in. Im assuming the left over is for brushing on while grilling. Hopefully it will be ok without doing that..
Missy 1964, just wanted to tell you that, if pour all the marinade on the raw chicken, you can get Campylobacter bacteria ! Please reserve some for brushing or boil the marinade after you chicken is on the grill! Either way is better for you!
This was a great marinade. Everyone at dinner commented on how delicious the chicken was!
I found this recipe last year the name says it it is the best I have done chicken thin pork chops and shrimp with this it is my go to marinade love it
When you say cider vinegar, do you mean apple cider vinegar?
Yes
Whole family loved this
We made this marinade this weekend and it was GREAT!! The taste was perfect and I am looking forward to the leftovers!! Thank you for posting it.
I had everything but the lime and it turned out great! My picky eater loved it as well as the rest of the family. Thanks for posting!
My new go to chicken marinade. I used thighs and they were delicious.
Used this marinade yesterday for my first time grilling…everyone LOVED IT!!
THE BEST MARINADE IN THE WORLD !!! I didn’t even marinade it that long b/c I didn’t have time and it still came out full of flavor.
Awesome marinade. I couldn’t wait the full two hours but didn’t need to. The meat was so tender and the flavor was delicious.
You know if you forget to save out some marinade you can always boil some of the marinade that was on the chicken. It’ll be just as good and safe
I’m going to try shrimp with this marinade and grill them….sound delicious! I loved the chicken.
Is it possible to use a different vinegar than cider vinegar for this recipe? Cider vinegar is literally the only one i don’t have on hand right now. I have balsamic, red wine and white vinegars. lol
white vinegar will work fine Sheri
Going camping, you think okay to make up the marinade in advance….no chicken. Lol. I was thinking in a mason jar. I would think flavors would onky get better.
absolutely beth! As a matter of fact I have done just that only I threw all the chicken and the marinade in a big Ziploc bag and just let it marinate for a day or two. Turned out fantastic! Have fun
Made this tonight…whole family loved it, definite keeer, marinade is right balance of tangy and sweet! Thinking of trying on pork chops with some fresh rosemary tossed in. Thanks for sharing recipe, looking forward to trying more.
Made this tonight. Best grilled chicken we have ever had. Thank you for sharing, we absolutely loved this.
Can you make this on a George Foreman grill?
I don’t see why not Angela! 😀
That’s the way I’m about to do mine. Also I’m using thighs. I’m sure it will turn out perfect. The last time I done the recipe I marinaded the chicken overnite and found it to be alittle on the strong side. Can’t wait to try this on the foreman.
I agree with you Ray. This marinade doesn’t take long. I usually only do it for an hour or 2 while I am preparing other stuff. Overnight is too much.
I had to come back to let you know this was SO delicious. I’m sure I’ll be making this again and again. Thanks for a great recipe.
Did you grill the chicken Mari or cook it inside? It’s in the 60s here and I CANNOT wait to get the cover off my grill and start making this chicken again.
I have a cast iron grill pan which does an awesome job of giving the chicken a nice smoky flavor.
Making this right now. It says to pour part of the marinade over the chicken but it doesn’t say what to do with the remainder. I’m going to assume it’s for basting during grilling, is that right?
you are correct Mari. I save a little for basting and then I also save a little to pour over the chicken after it’s been plated. If you do want to pour some over the chicken at the end just be sure it’s not from the same marinade you’re basting from due to cross contamination.
Got it! Thanks for replying so promptly…I appreciate it.
Has anyone baked this chicken? It is getting cold out and am looking to transition to baked chicken. If you think baking would work, any recommendations on temp. time, etc?
This sounds like it would be great for salmon as well 🙂
Hey I have everything but the lime… Do you think it will still be okay without it
Just wanted to say thank you! My husband told me he was so over chicken. Haha! I made this and we have now grilled with it twice. But when I say twice, each time we have grilled about ten pounds of chicken and then shred it up into little meal size portions and freeze them. When it is dinnertime I go grab a meal size bag out of the freezer and warm it up in the microwave. Then I use it on on quesadillas, Caesar salad, bbq chicken pizza, anything you can think of. You are the best. Thanks.
that’s a terrific idea Megan!! I love freezing foods. As a matter of fact all this week and next week we are making a recipe a day, and enough of it that we can freeze half, so we will end up with 14 frozen meals once school starts! Take a look: https://happilyunprocessed.com/2015/08/21/14-back-to-school-freezer-meals-party/ Maybe the chicken recipe your husband loves so much will be one of them !! 😉
i have made this marinade twice now. Everyone in my family loves it! Thanks for sharing!
Thank YOU Maura for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed it! Deb
This might be a silly question but if I don’t have a grill, would it still be fabulous if I pan seared it? Would there be anything to keep in mind when preparing it that way versus grilling? Looks great and can’t wait to try it!
I have cooked this chicken inside Lory, but on one of those cast iron pans that have the grill like this one http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8SGP3-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-10-5-inch/dp/B0000CF66W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438609297&sr=8-1&keywords=cast+iron+skillet+grill .
I really like this the only thing I did different is I zested the citrus before juicing it and used both in the marinade (seems a shame to waste the zest). I also split the marinade into two bags each with 1 leg quarters (there are only two of us) and will freeze on package with the marinade…should make for a quick meal later this month!
excellent dish!! I will be making this all summer long. thanks for sharing.
Found this recipe on Pinterest and tried it tonight! It’s Amazing! I will definitely be trying out your other dishes as well 🙂 thanks!
Can I marinate this overnight? Im trying to get as much prep done ahead of time for a party!
ABSOLUTELY !!! I marinated this chicken overnight and brought it up north 5 hrs away packed in a cooler and my husband is STILL talking about it!
I don’t wanna use any sugar so I was wondering if I could totally leave out any sugar or perhaps use some some liquid stivia?? I would prefer none but if you think it wouldn’t turnout with no sweetness I would be willing to try stevia.
I hear your concerns about the sugar Amy. I don’t know that I would omit it completely. Maybe an alternative like you suggested would work.
Has anyone tried this with bone in chicken legs?
I have and it’s amazing !!! So much more flavor than breasts.
Have you tried baking this?
I have not Susan but I’m sure it would be delicious!
I made a triple batch of this chicken yesterday, and it was a hit with our extended family! I’d say that this is the best grilled chicken marinade we’ve ever tried. I pounded this chicken first — not thin, just to even up the thickness — and marinated it for about five hours. Also reserved some of the marinade to put on the finished chicken. It was great!
so happy you and the family enjoyed the chicken Susan. We just made a batch over the weekend ourselves and it was a hit as usual!
Hi there. This recipe looks delicious, and easy! But I was wondering about the sugar – I try not to eat it if I can help it. Has anyone made it without or substituted honey? Or maybe use less?
I appreciate any feedback.
Thanks so much!
Debi,
You mention “the intoxicating smell of HONEY chicken on the bbq”. Is there supposed to be honey in this recipe? Thanks!
Tammy you are like the 3rd or 4th person to tell me this! I finally found the sentence. 😀 I think I originally put honey in it but changed it. I’m going to try it with the honey again b/c I think I really liked it. Stay tuned!
So what is your final verdict on this? Getting ready to make it for guests. I’ve made it twice already, and loved it! But may go the honey route today…
my final verdict – no honey! I receive constant compliments on this chicken so i’m keeping it as is. 😀
Also, is apple cider vinegar with the mother going to work for the cider vinegar?
that is the only kind of cider vinegar I use, and I’ve used it before on (different) marinade recipes with no problems!
Have you ever frozen the chicken in the marinade and then thawed to grill?
I have not Savannah
I do that with other chicken marinades and I think that it works best that way!
I served this to the people I cook for, and they raved. Said it was the best chicken they ever ate. I did flatten the chicken breasts first so they grilled evenly.
I want to make this for dinner tonight but I don’t have a fresh lemon, I do however have a bottle of “Real Lemon” has anyone used it a substitute?
The real lemon should work just fine.
I, many times, will use left over marinates my raw meats have marinated in by boiling it slowly in a pot. It will usually thicken up a bit and make for a tasty sauce to serve with the cooked meat and is safe to eat.
This was the most amazing chicken recipe we have ever made. My husband and I devoured it! We will be making this recipe for the rest of our lives! This will definitely be our “go to” grilled chicken recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it with the world! ♥
Whitney you made me laugh – thanks so much for your enthusiastic compliment!
Made this last night but used white sugar instead of brown (because I was out) and it was SO GOOD! I also used boneless chicken thighs instead (again, what I had on hand!) It was probably the best chicken I have had! And my whole family loved it!!!! My 10yr old and 5yr old both had seconds! Will make again for sure 🙂
so so happy you liked it Kierstien. I seem to always be disappointed when I try new marinades for chicken because this one spoiled us! 😉
We loved this! Used Splenda brown sugar blend – slightly better carb-wise but who cares! Won’t grill chicken any other way ever!
😀
Love this recipe! Trying it for the second time. Can I marinate this overnight?
you sure can Jillian – so happy you liked it! We make it all the time.
I found this on Pinterest and made it for my family tonight. They are not picky eaters, but will definitely tell me if they don’t like something. My son being the more vocal of the family. Well, just wanted to let you know that he told me that it was the best chicken he has ever eaten. After he told me that I had to take a bite for myself. I actually patted myself on the back for making it, therefore patting you on the back for posting it. Thank you so much. I will save this recipe and make it over and over again!
Thank you so much Julia! I really appreciate you taking the time to write such a lovely comment! Wait until you make it on the grill! 😀
We made this tonight & it was awesome. I was honestly impressed, I’ve tried so many chicken marinades & I have disappointed more often than not. I also used the reserved marinade as a dipping sauce (strained of the garlic), it really upped the flavor. This will definitely be used again. Thank you so much for sharing!
Okay I am trying this tonight have the chicken marinating in the fridge now but I did not put it in a ziplock bag ( too messy) but I have it poured over the chicken in a ceramic pan, cant wait to taste it I know it will be delish!!
Hi Debi-
This looks awesome and I love your focus on organic foods.
One question – you wrote about the smell of “the honey chicken on the bbq”….but I didn’t see honey in the recipe. Hoping to make tonight, pls share update if needed. Thanks again!
Yummmmmmmm! Made this tonight, LOVED it! Thank you so much.
Hi Debi , Your Best Grilled Chicken recipe looks delicious and moist I cant wait to try it. Just one question when you are describing it above the recipe you call it Honey Chicken. Is it supposed to have honey or just the brown sugar. Thank you
Marinade that raw chicken has been marinated in should be boiled prior to pouring it over the chicken that has been taken off the grill. Some people may not be aware of this and could make themselves, and other diners sick. this sounds like a great marinade, and I am looking forward to trying it, and making my neighbors hungry, lol. Thanks for sharing
The directions say to save some of the marinade and not add it all to the bag. The unused marinade that did not touch raw chicken that was left over is to be drizzled over after grilling. She did not say to use the marinade from the ziploc bag.
Thank you for mentioning that because I was about to advise NOT to use the same marinade that the raw chicken sat in – for when the chicken is cooked and you pour over top when done. Whew, glad it came up!
I would second what Cindy said. I understand exactly what is meant in the directions (and I think Cindy did also), but I think it could easily be misinterpreted. Not trying to diss the recipe at all, it looks great! I just feel that inexperienced cooks could misinterpret “leftover marinade” to mean what is leftover after the chicken is removed. Please understand this is not meant as criticism but instead as useful feedback.
Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely be trying it!
thanks everyone for your feedback. I’ll go ahead and change the wording. I wouldn’t want anyone to actually use ‘leftover’ marinade that raw chicken has been in. 😀
Hi!
I found you on topmommyblogs in the forums. I love your website. It is so clean, and organized and so easy to navigate! I have added you to my “mommyblogs” bookmark and am signing up for email updates as soon as I finish typing this message. Thanks for sharing such great recipes for moms and not buying processed foods!
Have a great day!
Lindsie
http://www.momsbistro.net
wow! Thanks Lindsie for the kind words !!!
I liked your recipes. I have tried 3 so far and all 3 were very good. We are trying to stay away from fast food, processed foods since i came down with food poisoning last night from mcdonalds. Im so glad your recipes are actually very good. I have tried many others online and they were horrible. Thank you for doing a great job.
Thanks so much for the rave review!!