The BEST Chicken Marinades We Use Week After Week

The right marinade for chicken guarantees two things: flavor and juiciness. Marinades are always some combination of an acid (think: lemon juice), some fat, and some sweetness. This lemony chicken marinade is guaranteed to leave you with juicy chicken hot off the grill.

This super-flavorful marinade is the perfect balance of savory and sweet! Plus it’s made with simple pantry staples that you might already have in your kitchen.

This easy marinade is made with orange and lime juices, canned chipotle peppers, onion, and garlic. Feel free to play around with different types of citrus, or just use one.

With a marinade made from pantry staples like dried oregano and garlic, it comes together in minutes! Because the marinade has lemon juice in it, this is one of those moments where it’s actually imperative to not let the chicken sit for too long. Just an hour or two is all you need to maximize those flavors.

This marinade calls for just a few basic ingredients, and even a short marinade gives you intensely flavorful, juicy chicken for an easy weeknight dinner.

Sizzling chicken fajitas are exactly what your weeknight needs. This fajita marinade is made with freshly squeezed lime juice, sliced onion and bell pepper, and flavor-packed dried spices.

It’s tangy, sweet, and savory! The lemongrass and ginger add tons of flavor, and ground annatto gives the chicken its golden color. Soy sauce adds umami and a bit of saltiness to round out the marinade.

Buffalo sauce is used to marinate the chicken, which infuses it with a ton of flavor while the grill heats up. Honey adds a touch of sweetness and encourages caramelization, and freshly grated garlic amps up the flavor. Thanks to the acid in the sauce, the chicken remains moist and tender!

This easy, tangy blender marinade is made with tamarind paste, yogurt, garam masala, shallot, and garlic.

Marinated in herbs, lime juice, and achiote, this Mexican grilled chicken will be the star of your next summer barbecue.

Marinate boneless chicken thighs in a sweet, savory, and spicy marinade made with soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, and gochujang, a flavorful Korean chile paste.

For the easiest marinade, reach for the rolling pin! To keep the mess contained, use a single zip-top bag and crush the garlic, smash the jalapeños, and extract juice the juice and oils from the limes with a rolling pin. For the most impact, marinate the chicken in the bag overnight — it’s a make-ahead winner!

Add tangy, peppery Alabama white barbecue sauce for the most juicy and delicious grilled chicken thighs. Rub chicken thighs with this mayo-based sauce to protect the spices from burning on the hot grill. It also locks in the moisture so that every bite is tender and juicy.

Store-bought Chinese char siu sauce makes a delicious marinade for this easy grilled chicken. Served over steamed jasmine rice with a side of stir-fried bok choy, it’s the perfect easy dinner. 

This versatile marinade is made with lemongrass, fresh ginger, chile garlic sauce, shallots, and lime juice.

This tangy, sweet, and salty marinade makes a delicious, weeknight-friendly chicken dish. What makes this marinade unique is the use of lemon-lime soda! The carbonation from the soda tenderizes the chicken while adding a nice zing. The chicken gets baked in the oven for this recipe, but you can also grill it for that delicious char.

Popularized by the famous South African chicken chain, Nando’s, this easy peri peri sauce marinade delivers the most flavorful chicken.

Yogurt is the secret to super-tender chicken! Plain, whole-milk yogurt works its magic here. First, it evenly distributes the spices and seasonings in the marinade. Second, the lactic acid that gives yogurt its signature tang breaks down the protein in the chicken, making it juicy and ultra-tender.

The bright, citrusy note of lemongrass adds so much flavor to the chicken along with fish sauce, garlic, and scallion. This recipe is just as good for entertaining as it is for an easy weeknight dinner.

This sweet and salty marinade is perfect for grilled chicken, but it can also be used on beef short ribs, extra-firm tofu, or even vegetables.

Bring Hawaii to your home with this juicy and flavorful grilled chicken! All you need is ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, a lemon, sriracha sauce, and dry sherry.

This salty-sweet-sour marinade, which is directly inspired by the Vietnamese sauce nuoc cham, is perfect for grilled or roasted chicken.

Yogurt makes boneless, skinless chicken infinitely more tender, and a yogurt marinade is as easy as one-two-three: one cup of yogurt, two citrus fruits, and three garlic cloves.

This versatile vinaigrette, inspired by Caesar dressing, is packed with anchovy, garlic, and lemon. Use it as a marinade for chicken breast or grilled fish.

Garlic, honey, and balsamic vinegar are mixed with jerk seasoning to make the easiest marinade. To make sure the chicken absorbs the flavor, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or stick it in the fridge overnight.