No one really likes bland, dry chicken, which is why marinades are a great option for infusing flavor and moisture. One of the easiest ways to make a great marinade is to start with a base of fat, acid, and salt. Using this technique, you can create healthy and easy marinades that pump up any chicken dish.
Each marinade makes approximately ½ cup of liquid to cover four chicken breasts or six chicken thighs. Make sure to marinate your chicken in a sealed container. Ziplock baggies and sealable tupperware are great options. Chicken should be marinated for at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours.
Honey Sriracha
- 3 Tablespoons Sriracha
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
Teriyaki
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce (or Tamari for GF)
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Chipotle
- Sauce from one can of chipotles in adobo
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Lemon Garlic
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon (approximately 2–3 Tablespoons)
- 4 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Italian Herb
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper