Easy Chicken Marinade + Grilling Tips

Grilling season is just around the corner! Now is the time that you need to have a great Chicken Marinade in your recipe box. This recipe for Easy Chicken Marinade only takes a few minutes to throw together. It is full of easy to find ingredients and is flavored by herbs and spices, a lot of lemon, and garlic.

This is no wimpy marinade! It will seep into the center of your chicken and flavor it all the way thru, end to end, not just the first couple bites.

Make this your new go-to Chicken Marinade recipe for grilling season.

How to Make Marinated Chicken for Grilling

Before you get started you will want to make sure you have 24 hours to let your chicken marinate in the fridge. This is the ideal amount of time to get the most flavor into your chicken.

In a glass baking dish, either 9×9 or 9×13, combine the olive oil, Italian Dressing Seasoning packet and all the juice of 2 lemons.

Crush the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife, do not chop or mince the garlic because the small pieces will burn on the grill and become bitter.

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By crushing the garlic you will release all the garlic flavor in the marinade and still be able to remove it before grilling.

Add the crushed garlic cloves, squeezed lemon halves, and chicken into the marinade. Stir it around so that the marinade coats the chicken completely on all sides.

Cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.  I like to flip the chicken in the pan at least one time while it is marinating to ensure the chicken is completely marinated thru.

Before grilling remove the garlic cloves and any lemon seeds that have stuck to the chicken.

Tips for Grilling Marinated Chicken Breasts

Whether you are using charcoal or gas, grilling is the tastiest way to prepare chicken.

Here are a few tips to ensure your chicken is grilled to perfection:

1.  If you are using a charcoal grill, try using a charcoal chimney like this one from Amazon. It helps you prepare your charcoal without using any lighter fluid or chemicals. You simply fill the top of the chimney with charcoal, light some paper in the bottom portion, and wait for the coals on the top to turn grey/white hot, about 15 minutes. Then you dump the charcoal out into your grill and you are ready to cook.
2. Spread your charcoal into a flat thick layer across the bottom of the grill, giving you an even medium heat.
3. Cook your chicken directly over the coals, using direct heat, with the lid off/open. I like to arrange my chicken so that all the ticker parts of the breasts are in the center of the grill, where the coals are a little hotter.
4. If you are cooking with gas, set your grill to medium heat, around 425°.
5. I like to cook my chicken for 7 minutes on the first side, then flip to the other side, and grill for an additional 6 minutes.

Make sure your chicken is cooked all the way thru at the thickest part. Using a meat thermometer test that the thickest part is 165°.

When your chicken is cooked thru remove it from the grill and let it rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes before slicing or eating. This will redistribute all the juices into the chicken.

Grilled Marinated Chicken for Dinner

Once you have grilled your marinated chicken the possibilities are endless. 101 grilled chicken dinners, anyone?!

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. This recipe for Grilled Chicken & Vegetables with a Horseradish Cream Sauce is a perfect match for this marinade recipe.
2. I will never turn down a grilled chicken sandwich! Grab some brioche buns, add a grilled marinated chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, and some mayo or the Horseradish Sauce recipe from above! Heaven!
3. Slice the grilled marinated chicken and add to a green salad. This Chicken Bacon and Avocado Salad from Cafe Delites would be a great salad for this grilled chicken recipe.

Share with Me

I absolutely love it when people tell me that they made my recipes! If you make Easy Chicken Marinade let me know by commenting below or dropping me a line.

If you share a pic on social media tag me @momsdinnerinsta on Instagram or @momsdinner on Facebook.

I hope you give this recipe for Easy Chicken Marinade a try in your kitchen.

Love- Susie

Easy Chicken Marinade Recipe

Easy Chicken Marinade

An easy recipe to marinate your chicken before grilling. It comes together in minutes with easy to find, inexpensive ingredients.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Marinating: 1 day

Servings: 4 chicken breasts

Author: Susie Weinrich

Ingredients

• ▢ 0.7 ounce Italian Dressing Seasoning Packet
• ▢ 3 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ Juice of 2 fresh lemons do not throw away the lemons, you will add them to the marinade
• ▢ 4 plump garlic cloves smashed
• ▢ 4 fresh chicken breasts
• ▢ black pepper to taste

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Instructions

• In a large 9x9 or 9x13 glass baking dish add the Italian Seasoning packet, olive oil, and all the juice of 2 lemons. Stir to combine
• Smash the garlic cloves with the side of a large knife, do not mince or chop the garlic, you will want to be able to remove the garlic before grilling.
• Add the garlic, whole lemons and chicken to the olive oil mixture. Stir to coat the chicken with the marinade.
• Cover the pan and refrigerate for 12-24 hours, turning the chicken once, about half way thru the marinating time.

Grilling

• Remove the chicken from the marinade, making sure to remove the whole garlic cloves and any lemon seeds that have stuck to the chicken. Grill the chicken over medium direct heat for 7 minutes on the first side and 6 minutes on the second side. Using a meat thermometer check that the chickens internal temp, at the thickest part, is 165 degrees. Let the chicken rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes before cutting or eating.

Notes:

You could also marinate your chicken in a large gallon size ziploc bag for easy clean up.

Did you try this recipe? Connect with me & let me know how it turned out by commenting below!

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If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.