The BEST Chicken Marinade (Healthy!)

Use this healthy chicken marinade to turn your regular chicken into something special!

Are you ready to transform your boring boneless, skinless chicken breasts into something amazing? I’ve got the best chicken marinade recipe for you! You can’t have too many healthy chicken recipes in your back pocket and this one will become a go-to for you all year round.

This chicken marinade is healthy, flavorful, and super simple to make. It’s the perfect way to spice up your weeknight chicken dinner! A good marinade can be the basis for a number of healthy, easy dinners.

What is a marinade?

A marinade is a seasoned liquid used to flavor and tenderize meat. You can create different flavor profiles based on the ingredients you choose.

Generally speaking, the acid or enzyme in the marinade helps to break down the chicken’s muscle fibers, making it more tender and flavorful.

For a number of reasons, salt is a key ingredient in any marinade and saltier marinades tend to produce better results. Therefore, soy sauce (or coconut aminos) are popular ingredients in marinades. Using bold flavors is also important to to create maximum flavor.

My favorite chicken marinades use a combination of oil, vinegar like balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice, and spices. This chicken marinade recipe uses olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, thyme, and salt. It’s simple, but give us absolutely delicious results!

How long should I marinate chicken?

How long you should marinate chicken depends a lot on the type of recipe you’re using. As a general rule, marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours. It’s hard to believe, but even just 30 minutes using the right chicken marinade will make a big difference!

A lot of chicken marinades use an acid such as lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar. According to The Science of Good Cooking, if you marinate with too much acid, or marinate with an acidic marinade too long, it can break down the meat’s proteins too much. This can leave the outer layer of the meat mushy, while the inside can become tough and dry. For this reason, for best results this particular chicken marinade should only be used for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This is not one you’ll want to marinate overnight!

Recipe Ingredients–What You Need

Here are the simple ingredients you’ll need to make a healthy and flavorful marinade.

1/4 cup olive oil

Oil Olive oil is a flavorful oil, but avocado oil can be used as well. Extra virgin olive oil or regular olive oil both work here.

1/4 cup lemon juice

Fresh lemon juice is best.

zest from 1 large lemon

Lemon zest adds incredible citrus flavor to this marinade

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Worcestershire sauce adds extra salt and flavor to this healthy chicken marinade.

2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 5 cloves)

The garlic adds bold flavor to the recipe.

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Fresh herbs work well in marinades and parsley is an easy-to-find, inexpensive one to use.

2 teaspoons dried thyme

I use a mix of fresh herbs and dried herbs in this recipe. The dried thyme adds great flavor.

2 teaspoons salt

Remember, salt is a very important component of any marinade. Don’t leave it out!

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Black pepper adds a balance of heat to the recipe.

How to Make a Healthy Chicken Marinade

Healthy marinades are really easy to make and can give you the best, juicy chicken of your life. I think you’re ready to go!

1. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a bowl or jar, and mix well.
2. Transfer the marinade to a large resealable bag and then add the chicken. Seal the bag, pressing down on the bag to remove any air, and make sure the chicken is well coated in the marinade.If you prefer to not use plastic (I understand–this is the one time I do!) you can also use a glass container to marinate the raw chicken.
3. Allow the chicken to marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, and no longer than 1 hour.
4. Discard the marinade and cook the marinated chicken using your desired method, either grilling, baking, air frying, or pan frying until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. The cooking time will depend on the method used.

Can I use different cuts of chicken?

Yes, this marinade can be used for chicken thighs, chicken tenders, and it’s even a great way to marinate a whole chicken. The recipe will yield enough marinate for three pounds of chicken.

What to Serve with Marinated Chicken Breasts

You’re going to need something to serve with your delicious marinated chicken! Here are some ideas for you! Add a side or two and you’ll be all set for easy weeknight dinners.

Garlic Green Beans –green beans go so well with any chicken dish!

Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan–one of my most popular recipes, everyone loves this.

Baked Asparagus with Lemon and Parmesan or Air Fryer Asparagus–if your family loves asparagus, either of these recipes will be a hit!

Maple Brussels Sprouts Recipe–this one will become a family favorite!

Watermelon Salad –if you’re grilling the chicken, this is a perfect side to go with it!

Pesto Pasta Salad–this is the easiest pasta salad you’ll ever make and it’s a great side dish for marinated chicken.

Greek Cucumber Salad–this is a simple salad that takes minutes to put together but it’s full of flavor! This is perfect if you’re making the chicken in the summer!

Bean Salad–This Bean Salad with fresh corn is a perfect make-ahead dish to serve with your chicken!

Jennifer Aniston Salad-Jennifer’s famous salad is a perfect accompaniment to your chicken that’s been marinated.

If you make this healthy chicken marinade or any of my other healthy recipes, please share it on Instagram  and I’ll feature you! Also, if you try it, please leave a comment with a star rating below! Those star ratings are so helpful in helping my recipes get discovered. I appreciate you!

Love healthy chicken recipes? Try this Dairy-Free Tuscan Chicken! It’s incredible!

Chicken Marinade (Healthy!)

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4.3 from 6 reviews

• Author: Maryea Flaherty of Happy Healthy Mama
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Use this healthy chicken marinade to create a number of healthy weeknight dinners! It’s easy and delicious.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• zest from 1 large lemon
• 2 tablespoons Worsherire sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

1. Simply combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl or jar, and mix well.
2. Transfer the marinade to a large resealable bag and then add the chicken. Seal the bag, pressing down on the bag to remove any air, and make sure the chicken is well coated in the marinade.If you prefer to not use plastic (I understand–this is the one time I do!) you can also use a glass container to marinate the raw chicken.
3. Allow the chicken to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes at room temperature. Can be marinated up to one hour in the fridge, but pull it out to get the chill off of the chicken for 15-30 minutes before cooking.
4. Discard the marinade and cook the marinated chicken using your desired method, either grilling, baking, air frying, or pan frying until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. The cooking time will depend on the method used.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: dinner recipes
• Method: marinating
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 chicken breast
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 0.1 grams
• Fat: 15.3 grams
• Saturated Fat: 3.6 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0.9 grams
• Fiber: 0.2 grams
• Protein: 51.2 grams