No more dry or boring chicken dinners! With just a few minutes of prep, these 10 flavorful and healthy chicken marinade recipes will turn basic cuts into something you’ll crave. Perfect for summer grilling and meal prep! {Gluten-free-friendly}
The secret to the juiciest chicken – marinate it!
Many of us live off of chicken breast since it is so high in protein, but its low fat content means it can easily end up dry and flavorless.
If you’re tired of chewing on dry, overcooked chicken, you need these recipes. Marinating chicken infuses flavor – and moisture – so you get delicious, juicy, restaurant-worthy chicken every time.
Fortunately, these marinades couldn’t be much easier. They’re all made with simple ingredients, like soy sauce, fresh herbs, yogurt, spices, and more.
Make them all at once for meal prep or choose just one for an easy weeknight meal. Either way, you can’t go wrong!
Below, I’ll share everything you need to know about making marinades, storing, and cooking the chicken. If you’re ready for the recipes, simply click here to view them all right away.
For more tasty marinade recipes, you’ll also want to check out these easy steak marinades!
Why We Love These Low Calorie Chicken Marinades
- Lots of variety: I’ve included 10 different variations below so you’ll never get tired of eating the same ol’ thing ever again!
- A dream for meal prep: Prep one, a few or all of the chicken marinades at once. You can freeze the chicken right in the marinade so all you have to do is thaw it out and cook!
- Easy: Each of the marinades requires 10 or less simple ingredients and can be prepped in less than 5 minutes. I meal prepped all 10 of these recipes in just under 1 1/2 hours. Plus, the leftovers are perfect for easy dinners and lunches!
Best Types of Chicken to Marinate
These marinades are really versatile, so you can use them to marinate a variety of different cuts of chicken.
Try them with:
- Chicken breasts
- Chicken thighs
- Chicken tenders
- Chicken wings
- Chicken drumsticks
NOTE: Cooking times may vary if you use a different cut of chicken other than chicken breasts.
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How to Marinate Chicken
There are 10 different recipes below. Although the ingredients vary, the method stays the same. To make your healthy chicken marinade, simply:
To prepare:
- Mix all of the ingredients for each marinade together in a bowl or mason jar. You can either make just one at a time, a few or all if you’re looking to do some meal prep to get organized!
- Place chicken breasts or chicken thighs in a large plastic Ziploc bag or bowl. Add the marinade and massage it into the chicken to ensure that it’s evenly distributed.
- Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 24-48 hours, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Expert tips: Pound the chicken breasts with a mallet before adding to the marinade to help them cook more evenly. Additionally, use a fork to pierce some random holes into the meat.
How to Make Healthy Chicken Marinades
1. Honey Garlic Marinade
Slightly sweet and savory with umami soaked into every bite. Great for serving with green beans and roasted potatoes.
- 1-1.5 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
2. Cilantro Lime Marinade
If you’re into bright, herbaceous flavors, this one is for you! The combination of fresh cilantro and lime juice is ideal for a range of cuisines, including Mexican and Thai.
- 1-1.5 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
3. Jerk Chicken Marinade
The combination of spices and seasonings give this marinade an Island flair. I love to grill jerk chicken for sandwiches, salads, wraps, and more.
- 1-1.5 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4. Curry Chicken Marinade
Yogurt is a phenomenal ingredient in marinades since it helps tenderize the chicken while adding a mild tanginess. I love it with a little curry powder and honey for a subtle sweetness and layer after layer of flavor.
- 1-1.5 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
5. Chili Garlic Marinade
This one is all about sweet heat. It’s savory and rich but with a bright warmth ideal for spooning over a bed of rice next to your favorite veggies.
- 1-1.5 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
6. Lemon Ginger Marinade
Bright, cleansing, and aromatic chicken ideal for salads, stir-fries, grilling and more.
- 1-1.5 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Dash of salt and pepper
7. Pesto Chicken Marinade
This one truly couldn’t get any easier. The basil pesto and tangy vinegar infuse flavor and moisture into every single bite.
- 1-1.5 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/2 cup pesto, store-bought or homemade
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
8. Greek Chicken Marinade
We’re opting for herbaceous Mediterranean flavors, like dried herbs, lemon, and red wine vinegar. This is my favorite way to season chicken for Greek salads (like this Greek Avocado Salad or Greek Quinoa Salad Recipe)!
- 1-1.5 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
9. Mexican Chicken Marinade
Whether you’re into fajitas, quesadillas, or tacos, the Mexican spices make this chicken ideal for anything.
- 1-1.5 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of one lime
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
10. BBQ Chicken Marinade
Once the chicken soaks up the BBQ sauce and spices, it’s ideal for grilling or slow cooking for pulled chicken sandwiches.
- 1-1.5 pounds raw boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, store-bought or homemade
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
How to Cook Marinated Chicken {6 Ways}
Once you’ve marinated the chicken, you can then cook it using any of the following methods:
Stovetop
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken breast and marinade.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes then flip over and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
Oven Bake
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Take marinated chicken out of the refrigerator and place in a baking dish or on a sheet pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer place in the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F. The cooking time will depend on the thickness and type of chicken you’re cooking.
- Once the chicken is cooked, transfer the chicken to a clean plate, and loosely tent the plate with aluminum foil. Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes.
Crock Pot or Slow Cooker
- Place the chicken in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
Instant Pot
- Set the Instant Pot to “sauté” setting and spray with cooking spray. When the Instant Pot becomes hot, place the marinated chicken on the bottom of the pot and sear for 1 minute on each side or until golden brown.
- Remove chicken from Instant Pot and pour a bit of chicken broth or water in the bottom of the pot to deglaze it, scraping any browned bits off the bottom if necessary. Cancel the saute function.
- Place trivet in the bottom of the pot over the broth or water. Set instant pot to “Manual” and set to high pressure for 6 minutes. If cooking larger chicken breasts you may want to increase this time by 2-3 minutes.
- Do a natural release for 5 minutes before switching to quick release. Allow chicken to rest 3-4 minutes before slicing.
Grilling
- Heat your grill to between 425 and 450°F for chicken breasts.
- Grill chicken breasts for about 5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. The cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the chicken that you’re cooking.
You can also cube the chicken and skewer the pieces to make them into chicken kabobs to grill as well.
Air Fryer
- Lightly coat the inside of the air fryer tray or basket with olive oil or cooking spray. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken breasts and cook for 10 minutes. Flip and cook for another 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through.
Meal Prep Tips for Marinating Chicken
- Look for chicken on sale: If you plan to meal prep these chicken marinades and make them up all at once to freeze, look for chicken that’s on sale since you’ll require quite a bit of chicken. Check your grocery store’s weekly sales brochure for deals.
- Label the bags: In order to stay organized, I recommend lining up all of your bowls/jars to mix the marinade ingredients in and labelled bags next to them on a clean counter. That way, you can quickly mix the ingredients in the bowls, dump into the bags and easily keep track of which marinade is in which bag.
- Use bag clips: If you choose to prep the chicken in large freezer bags, I highly recommend using bag clips since you can attach the bags to the clips, dump the chicken and marinade in without fumbling around trying to keep the bags open.
- Use a system: Since many of the marinades require similar ingredients, I like to work strategically and measure out the olive oil first, then mince the garlic and add, then move onto the lemon juice, and so on. It goes a lot quicker if you set up a system for meal prep.
- Use short cuts: If I’m meal prepping a large batch of recipes, I often like to use short cuts like purchasing pre-peeled garlic to save time. You can also use lemon juice or lime juice in a bottle rather than freshly squeezed to be more efficient during meal prep.
- Don’t reuse the marinade: Although tempting, don’t try to reuse the marinades for your next batch of chicken. The marinade has been exposed to the raw chicken, and is therefore contaminated and not safe to reuse.
- Marinating time: I like to marinate the chicken overnight (or longer) to get the maximum flavor before cooking. However, if I need to get a meal on the table ASAP, I’ll usually just marinate the chicken for 30 minutes to an hour.
Recipe FAQs
Each of the recipes makes enough to marinate the equivalent of about one to one and a half pounds of chicken.
If you require more marinade, you can also double or triple the recipe that you intend to use.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, you can safely leave marinated chicken in the refrigerator for up to 2 days (source). However, keep in mind that depending on the ingredients, some marinade recipes are created to work in a matter of hours — not days.
Yes! You can absolutely freeze marinated chicken. Just try to use it within 2-3 months.
I like to freeze the chicken in a freezer-safe bag. I just pop them on this handy tool to make it super easy to get that chicken and marinade in the bag…and not all over the counter.
Once it’s all packaged up and frozen, simply pull the chicken and marinade out of the freezer when desired, defrost and cook!
How to Defrost Marinated Chicken
To defrost: Place the marinated chicken breasts or thighs in the fridge in a bowl or on a tray for about 24-48 hours before you’re ready to cook and serve to allow it to adequately thaw.
You can also place it in a bowl of shallow water in the fridge. This will help to speed up the defrosting process.
What to Serve with Marinated Chicken
No matter which recipe you choose, they can all be served in a variety of different ways:
- On a salad (or alongside your favorite salads)
- Over a bed of quinoa or rice
- With roasted potatoes, fries, or potato salad
- Loaded up with roasted veggies, sauteed green beans, or steamed broccoli
- In a wrap, tortilla, or bread
Substitutions & Variations:
- To make gluten-free: Any recipe that calls for soy sauce can be substituted with tamari sauce or coconut aminos to make it gluten-free.
- To make vegetarian: You can also try these marinades with a firm tofu instead of chicken.
- Switch up the sweetener: For any recipe that calls for a sweetener, you can use honey, maple syrup, agave or sub in desired sweetener.
- Use a different oil: I typically use olive oil because that’s what I have on hand, but you can also use avocado oil, canola, or sesame oil in the more Asian-inspired marinades.
- Citrus juice: Swap lemon juice for lime juice and vise versa.
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More Recipes You’ll Love
- Healthy Steak Marinade
- Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
- Best Healthy Stir Fry Sauce
- Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs
- Chili Lime Shrimp
Tried one of these marinades? Leave a review and tag me with your delicious results. I’d love to see which one’s your favorite!
10 Healthy Chicken Marinade Ideas {Low Calorie + High Protein}
Video
Ingredients
Honey Garlic Marinade
- 1-1.5 pounds raw chicken breasts or thighs
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
Cilantro Lime Marinade
Jerk Chicken Marinade
- 1-1.5 pounds raw chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Curry Chicken Marinade
Chili Garlic Marinade
- 1-1.5 pounds raw chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon Ginger Marinade
- 1-1.5 pounds raw chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Dash of salt and pepper
Pesto Chicken Marinade
- 1-1.5 pounds raw chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/2 cup pesto homemade or store-bought
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Greek Chicken Marinade
- 1-1.5 pounds raw chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Mexican Chicken Marinade
- 1-1.5 pounds raw chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of one lime
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
BBQ Chicken Marinade
- 1-1.5 pounds raw chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, store-bought or homemade
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts or thighs in a large ziplock bag, bowl or container.
- In a small bowl or jar, mix together the marinade ingredients. Pour over the chicken. Toss chicken in marinade until well coated.
- Allow chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24-48 hours in the fridge. Alternatively, you can store the marinated chicken in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Use bag clips: If you choose to prep the chicken in large freezer bags, I highly recommend using bag clips since you can attach the bags to the clips, dump the chicken and marinade in without fumbling around trying to keep the bags open.
- Don’t reuse the marinade: Although tempting, don’t try to reuse the marinades for your next batch of chicken. The marinade has been exposed to the raw chicken, and is therefore contaminated and not safe to reuse.
- Marinating time: I like to marinate the chicken overnight (or longer) to get the maximum flavor before cooking. However, if I need to get a meal on the table ASAP, I’ll usually just marinate the chicken for 30 minutes to an hour.
- For easy printing: Get all 10 marinades in an easy-to-print format here!
Cooked ( in air fryer) chicken thighs with Greek yoghurt marinade – delicious!
Do you have the nutritional values for it please?
So happy you enjoyed the marinade! I bet it was delicious cooked up in the air fryer! Unfortunately, I don’t have the nutritional values for the marinades. It’s a bit tricky to calculate accurate nutritional values for marinade since some of it is discarded before cooking. Sorry about that!
Hi may I ask if I wish to use wings or drumsticks, how long do I need to bake them for and at what temperature? Thank you
So sorry for the delay! To bake chicken wings until they are cooked through and crispy, you’ll typically bake them for 30 to 45 minutes, flipping them halfway through, at a temperature of 400-450°F. To bake chicken drumsticks, you’ll generally need to bake them for about 30-40 minutes at 400°F. Hope that helps!
HOW TO COOK THE CHICKEN???????
If you scroll to the post above, you’ll see a section called “How to cook marinated chicken” in a mint colored box. You can also refer to the table of contents at the top of the page under the first image and click on that title in the TOC. You’ll see the cooking directions outlined in that box :)
Chili garlic marinade was great. I used Huy Fong, chili garlic sauce, and added two leftover, takeout packets of hot mustard, a little sesame oil, and a pinch sugar, to cut the acidity. Marinated for 8 hours. They came out looking like they were cooked on a grill. Perfect char, crisp, and taste.
Yum, I bet it was super good with those modifications! I’ll have to try it sometime :)
I tried the lemon and ginger marinade today, after having prepared it and frozen it. So quick and easy – not to mention delicious 🤤
Isn’t it delicious?! Love how you froze it in the marinade too – so convenient! I appreciate you returning to leave such a kind review :)
Thank you sooo much for posting this. I have done about 4 of the marinades and they have all been delicious. I do the cilantro-lime with chicken thighs in the crock pot to prep for quesadillas. I do the honey-garlic with chicken thighs in the crock pot for crock pot ramen (that’s been my favorite). I’m doing the Greek chicken with chicken thighs tonight in the crock pot to eat with tzatziki sauce! Can’t wait to try them all!!!
My pleasure! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the marinades that you’ve tried out so far! Thanks so much for sharing all of these serving ideas — these all sound SO good! I’m sure they’ll be helpful for others as well :)
Hi there, I’m excited to try some of these marinades and am curious about the chili garlic marinade. The recipe just says “chili garlic sauce”, is this a sauce you can simply buy at the store or am I supposed to make it? There aren’t any directions on how to make it so I just wanted to make sure! thank you😊
Yes, you can find chili garlic sauce usually in the Asian/international section of your grocery store. You could try making it as well, but for this marinade I usually buy it. Hope that helps! Enjoy the marinades if you try them out :)
Is it okay to add these to already Frozen chicken? I just came across these and I’d already frozen the chicken
Yes, I’ve definitely done this before! Just be sure to thaw out the marinated chicken in the fridge for about 24 hours before cooking to allow the marinade to infuse into the chicken :) Hope you enjoy the marinades!
So so helpful ! I love all of these marinades so much. I label the bags put them in the freezer except for the one I’m doing for the evening. Then all you have to make is your sides thank you so much it’s so great when you’re working mom and you can prep on Sundays and get it ready for the week!!
That’s amazing that you’ve been loving the marinades! As a working mom, I totally get it…such a relief to have that freezer stash ready to go! Thanks so much for returning to share your feedback on the recipes!
Good post, really helpful
So glad you found it helpful! :)
This is so helpful! So far I’ve made the curry, pesto and Greek chicken marinades and they’ve all been amazing!! Can’t wait to try the other ones too!
Ooh those are some of my favourites too! So glad you’ve been loving the marinades :)