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Having a great grilled chicken marinade in your back pocket is essential for summer grilling. This delicious chicken marinade packs a flavor punch without being overpowering, and it’s great with any kind of chicken, especially these grilled chicken thighs!

Food just tastes better when it’s been cooked outside. You can throw just about anything on the grill, from steak and potatoes to veggies and even bread. How about turning this chicken marinade into a delicious Grilled Chicken Sandwich?

grilled chicken marinade recipe - grilled chicken thighs, potatoes and lemon on a plate.
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GRILLED CHICKEN MARINADE RECIPE

Grilling season is in full swing and I am always looking for something new to throw on the grill. However there are some things that are just meant for the grill and just scream summer, like the perfect Grilled Chicken Marinade.

I have tried different flavor combinations for grilling chicken over the years, but this is the one that’s stuck. It’s uncomplicated and unpretentious, super simple to whip up and tastes absolutely amazing on grilled chicken thighs, chicken breast, drums…even pork!

grilled chicken marinade - grilled chicken thighs on a plate

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST GRILLED CHICKEN MARINADE

A good marinade can be what takes your chicken from ho-hum to OMG in a 30 minutes. So what is a good seasoning for grilled chicken? The key to a good chicken marinade is to have a combination of ingredients:

  1. Salt – salt has flavor, as we all know. Just don’t get too heavy handed with the salt as it can actually dry out the meat.
  2. Acid – Acids, like lemon juice, vinegar and mustard, help to tenderize the meat. Leave them on too long though, and they can break down the meats and dry them out, similar to salt.
  3. Fat – Fats, like olive oil and canola oil carry flavor and help to infuse the marinade into the meat.
  4. Flavor – This may be the most important of all! Add flavor to your grilled chicken marinade with potent, high-flavor ingredients like garlic, herbs and spices to really pack a punch to your chicken.
grilled chicken on a plate

HOW LONG DO YOU MARINATE CHICKEN FOR?

Once the marinade is combined, place the chicken in the marinade for at least 1 hour. If you plan to marinate for longer than 2 hours, wait to add the acids (in our case, the lemon juice and balsamic vinegar) until the last hour or so.

PRO TIP: Don not reuse leftover marinade. If you’d like to baste the chicken in the marinade as it cooks (not always necessary, but can add flavor and juiciness), be sure to reserve some of the marinating liquid BEFORE adding the meat. Any marinade that is leftover from the meat should be discarded.

HOW LONG DO YOU COOK CHICKEN ON THE GRILL?

The answer to this question actually depends on the type of chicken, and the thickness. One thing to remember with any type of chicken is just like a good steak, you want to set the chicken on the grill, then leave it to cook and get those beautiful grill marks. Chicken breasts should register 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer, and chicken thighs and drumsticks should be at 180 degrees.

  1. Boneless grilled chicken thighs or breasts take about 4-5 minutes per side.
  2. Bone-in grilled chicken thighs or drumsticks take at least double the time as boneless. Watch for flare-ups, and move the chicken off of the direct heat to finish cooking if necessary.

PRO TIP: If your grill has a thermometer gauge, use it. You want your grill to be between 350-400 degrees F when closed (and you need to keep it closed when cooking!). Don’t just rely on the knobs for low-medium-high temps. My grill run pretty hot, so those settings are pretty much useless.

Looking for a great grilling utensils set? Try this grilling set that includes tongs, a spatula and a basting brush! (aff).

grilled chicken dinner plate

WHAT IS A GOOD SIDE DISH FOR CHICKEN?

The great thing about chicken is that it is complimented by so many different sides. We love a good Homemade Mac and Cheese or Macaroni Salad. But my favorites side dishes to grill with are things that actually go on the grill with the chicken! Current faves are Grilled Zucchini and Grilled Potatoes. So much flavor!

Grilled Chicken Marinade recipe - chicken on a plate with grilled potatoes and zucchini and lemon

Want some more delicious Grilled Chicken recipes and more for the grill? Try these:

Grilled Chicken Thighs Recipe:

Recipe
Close up of grilled chicken

Grilled Chicken Marinade

4.79 from 32 votes
Having a great grilled chicken marinade in your back pocket is essential for summer grilling. This delicious marinade packs a flavor punch without being overpowering, and it’s great with any kind of chicken!
 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients in a large ziploc bag. Press as much air out of the bag as possible when you seal it. *Tip – if using breasts, lightly pound them out to an even thickness for even cooking.
  • Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. (If marinating longer than 2 hours, wait to add the lemon juice during the last hour or so).
  • To cook: Heat grill to medium heat (about 350-400 degrees). Cook chicken for 4-6 minutes per side or until cooked through. Internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F. (Time will depend on the thickness of the chicken).
  • Transfer to a plate and tent with foil. Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.
  • If desired, garnish with fresh chopped parsley before serving.

Notes

I’ve used both chicken breasts and thighs for this marinade, and both are tasty. My family definitely prefers thighs. 

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 45gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 215mgSodium: 1235mgPotassium: 603mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 54IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 2mg
Keyword grilled chicken, grilled chicken marinade
A great grilled chicken marinade collage
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Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.

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Comments

  1. Jumping to the end, the chicken was really good.

    The marinade smelled like Chex mix awesome. I followed the directions as written. Marinated thighs and drum sticks, 90 minutes.

    I used a Weber charcoal grill, set up for indirect heat, but grilled over the hot side with a lid temp of 350F.

    The only thing I would change on my system would be to turn more often and extend the cooking time. Yes, I did not take a temperature reading as I should have, but it was a hectic day.

    Bar-none, this is an in my back pocket, in the recipe file, and in my farm truck’s glove box kind of recipe. Thank you.

  2. This was so good!! Honestly best grilled chicken we’ve ever had, and we grill A LOT! I subbed a few things, did coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, coconut sugar instead of brown sugar (was out of brown sugar), and pineapple juice instead of lemon juice. YUM!! My 18 month old loved it too! We only had time to let it marinate for a few hours and that was plenty! The marinade creates like a glaze over the chicken, so yum!!

  3. This is hands down the best chicken thigh marinade ever! This will be a summer staple in my fridge, for sure. Thank you for sharing:)

  4. Kristin, Thank you for such a wonderful recipe. This is my first time trying out the Recipe for my Family and my mother’s 90th birthday party picnic. It couldn’t be that easy, but the ingredients sound delicious , putting them all together.

  5. Amazing! Perfect for bone-in chicken thighs. Think this will be our new summer standard. We served with spinach salad and grilled corn on the cob. Numerous compliments!!

  6. OUTSTANDING! DELICIOUS!! SIMPLE!!! WE USED REAL GARLIC AND SOME HERBS (ROSEMARY AND THYME). THIS IS A FANTASTIC, TASTY RECIPE. (SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS LOCK PROBLEM) A NEW FAVORITE!!!!!!

  7. Marinade is delicious. I added some fresh ginger and garlic. Skipped the lemon juice. Substituted salt for fish sauce. And finally used palm sugar (coconut sugar) in place of brown sugar. Will also add some green onion to the marinade next time as I made an extra batch and stored in an airtight container in my fridge. I think this would be good on some pork ribs!

  8. Omg. I have the most picky husband but trying this marinade i finally found something he loves this will be on our grilling rotation permanently. Thank you very much.

  9. This was awesome! The only problem was there was not any left overs for me!!! Will use this recipe again and again and again! Thanks!!

  10. Amazing marinade!! My picky family loved it, I used Worcestershire sauce in place of soy sauce and added more lemon juice and garlic powder to it. I made twice the amount that I usually would and had no leftovers at all

  11. Grilling chicken thighs tonight and this marinade sounds spot on! They’ve been soaking in a brine for a couple of hours, now I am going to throw this yummy marinade together and let those puppies soak it up for a couple of hours!

    Will pop back in to give my star rating, how it was, if I tweaked it at all, etc.

  12. Great marinade! Used on bone-in, skin on chicken thighs. Didn’t have garlic powder so I added 3 fresh minced cloves of garlic. Only had time to marinate a little over an hour in the fridge but turned out awesome!

  13. I made these last night and they were delish. I am a cook and they are perfect as is. The marinade took seconds to put together, has the perfect combination of sweet, salt and tang, and does not use too much oil. I grilled boneless, skinless thighs for 6 minutes per side and they were melt in your mouth juicy. I will keep this as my “go to” chicken marinade from now on.