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    Home » Recipes » Chicken Recipes

    Best Chicken Marinade

    April 8, 2022 Updated: April 19, 2022 By Katie Crenshaw 12 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    This sweet and tangy flavors of honey, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar, combined with apple cider vinegar, lime juice, and olive oil creates the best chicken marinade. The chicken comes out juicy, tender, and flavorful! The marinade is also delicious on pork and flank steak!
    This sweet and tangy flavors of honey, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar, combined with apple cider vinegar, lime juice, and olive oil creates the best chicken marinade. The chicken comes out juicy, tender, and flavorful! The marinade is also delicious on pork and flank steak!
    This sweet and tangy flavors of honey, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar, combined with apple cider vinegar, lime juice, and olive oil creates the best chicken marinade. The chicken comes out juicy, tender, and flavorful! The marinade is also delicious on pork and flank steak!
    4 chicken breasts on a white plate garnished with limes and parsley with a side of marinade in a jar to the side

    The sweet and tangy flavors of honey, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar, combined with apple cider vinegar, lime juice, and olive oil creates the best chicken marinade.

    The chicken comes out juicy, tender, and flavorful!

    The marinade is also delicious on pork and flank steak!

    4 chicken breasts on a plate with dishes of rice and vegetables to the side

    I often make a double batch and use the extra marinade to marinate vegetables with also.

    Best chicken marinade video tutorial

    The marinade would also make a delicious salad dressing on arugula or mixed garden greens.

    If you like this recipe, also check out my Greek chicken marinade! It is another fantastic marinade recipe!

    ingredients for best chicken marinade- apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, honey, limes, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and brown sugar

    Ingredients

    You will need the following ingredients to make the best chicken marinade:

    • apple cider vinegar-Adds flavor and tenderizes the meat. Do not substitute with a different vinegar.
    • garlic powder- I like powder for the marinade because it breaks down quicker and fresh garlic can sometimes burn on the meat. However, you can use fresh crushed garlic if you choose.
    • honey
    • limes- I like fresh squeezed for this recipe. If you substitute with concentrate, make sure it is real lime juice.
    • olive oil- You can substitute with vegetable oil.
    • brown sugar- Do not substitute with white sugar. You can substitute with coconut palm sugar.
    • Dijon mustard- Do not substitute with regular mustard! Dijon mustard is best, however, if you do not have Dijon mustard on hand, honey mustard would make a nice substitute.
    • salt
    steps to make the best chicken marinade

    Steps to make grilled chicken marinade

    Follow these easy steps to make the best grilled chicken marinade:

    1. In a food processor or blender, add apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, honey, lime juice, brown sugar, and salt.
    2. Process until marinade is emulsified and smooth.
    3. Set aside ¼ cup of marinade and use the remaining marinade to marinate chicken for 30 minutes to 6 hours in a sealed container or Ziploc bag. Refrigerate while marinating.
    4. Remove the chicken from marinade. Discard any used marinade. Grill chicken until completely cooked. Top with the remaining marinade for additional flavor.

    Notes

    Note: You can use this marinade on baked chicken too. If you choose to bake the chicken, use a shallow baking dish, and baste while cooking.

    Note: Leftover chicken is great served cold in sandwiches and salads!

    4 chicken breasts on a white plate garnished with limes and parsley with a side of marinade in a jar to the side

    How long should you marinate chicken?

    You should marinate any cuts of chicken for at least 30 minutes.

    The length of time to marinate chicken will depend on the fat content.

    Two to 4 hours is a good amount of time for marinating lean cuts of chicken such as breasts and tenders.

    Because they do not have much fat, they marinate quicker and marinating them too long can cause the texture to become rubbery once cooked.

    However, chicken pieces with skin or bone, it is better to marinate up to 6 hours.

    You do not want to marinate any chicken pieces longer than 24 hours.

    What to serve with grilled chicken?

    Looking for tasty sides that will go great with grilled chicken? Try any of these and you will have a fantastic meal!

    • Rice Cooker Coconut Rice with Lime and Cilantro
    • Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
    • Dill Cucumber Salad
    • Summer Corn Salad
    • Oven Roasted Broccoli
    • Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
    • Sriracha Grilled Zucchini
    • Hash Brown Casserole
    • Southern Hoppin John
    Worth and Alecia Paschal toasting a beer

    About the recipe

    My friend Worth Paschal shared this recipe with me.

    His grilled chicken is his family's most requested favorite dish and it has also become one of mine.

    His two kids really love his grilled chicken tenders, and it is refreshing to see kids excited about a home cooked meal over fast food.

    He usually uses the marinade on chicken tenders and serves it with rice and roasted vegetables.

    Please leave me a comment below if you make this chicken marinade and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.

    Also post your picture of your marinade on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!

    chicken breasts on a plate with a side of marinade in a jar to the side

    Best Chicken Marinade

    The sweet and tangy flavors of honey, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar, combined with apple cider vinegar, lime juice, and olive oil creates the best chicken marinade. The chicken comes out juicy, tender, and flavorful! The marinade is also delicious on pork and flank steak!
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Save Recipe Saved! Rate
    Course: Sauce
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Marinating Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 164kcal
    Author: Katie Crenshaw

    Equipment

    • 1 food processor or blender

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
    • ⅔ cup olive oil
    • 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 2 limes juiced
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    • In a food processor or blender, add ½ cup apple cider vinegar, ⅔ cup olive oil, 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 juiced limes, ½ cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt.
    • Process until marinade is emulsified and smooth.
    • Set aside ¼ cup of marinade and use the remaining marinade to marinate chicken for 30 minutes to 6 hours in a sealed container or Ziploc bag. Refrigerate while marinating.
    • Remove the chicken from marinade. Discard any used marinade. Grill chicken until completely cooked. Top with the remaining unused marinade for additional flavor.

    Video

    Notes

    Notes:
    This recipe makes enough marinade for up to 3 lbs of chicken.
    Marinate chicken at least 30 minutes. It is best to marinate 2 to 6 hours.

    Nutrition- Nutrition info is based on estimation only.

    Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? I want to see it!Mention @aForksTale or tag #aForksTale!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chenée

      May 16, 2022 at 7:35 am

      5 stars
      This marinade is incredible! I'll be using it all summer for grilling chicken!

    2. Marie

      May 15, 2022 at 8:41 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a versatile marinade! It combines all of my favorite flavors: citrus, honey, Dijon mustard, and garlic. I made the marinade with lemons and substituted fresh garlic for the powder because I had some on hand. The chicken kebabs I used the marinade with were so juicy and delicious! I'll be making this marinade all summer long.

    3. Freya

      May 13, 2022 at 6:22 am

      5 stars
      The perfect marinade and it was soooo good in tofu and veg as well!

    4. Annie

      May 12, 2022 at 5:24 pm

      5 stars
      This marinade is so simple but really is the best! The addition of the lime juice really sets it apart from other honey mustard marinades.

    5. Heather

      May 11, 2022 at 8:10 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect marinade for grilling chicken this summer! And so smart to also use on veggies!

    6. Jacqueline Debono

      May 11, 2022 at 4:31 pm

      5 stars
      These chicken breasts look so good. I've used honey and Dijon on lamb but never chicken. We'll soon be starting our outdoor grilling season and I'm looking forward to trying this marinade!

    7. Mikayla

      May 10, 2022 at 6:40 pm

      5 stars
      Not at all sorry we tried this, very good on the chicken and as a little added moisture for the left over chicken sandwich. This will be added to my 'pantry staple' list.

    8. Colleen

      May 10, 2022 at 4:28 pm

      5 stars
      This marinade was delicious on the chicken I grilled last night. I will definitely make it again and will try it on pork chops next.

    9. Marta

      May 10, 2022 at 1:19 am

      5 stars
      I used this marinade for my grilled chicken thighs and you weren't lying! The best I've ever tasted.

    10. Nancy

      May 09, 2022 at 11:57 pm

      5 stars
      Your marinade was amazing on tofu! Just saved it so I can make it over and over again.

    11. Chris David

      May 03, 2022 at 6:15 am

      Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It's really awesome. Will surely try this.

    12. Ann

      April 14, 2022 at 11:02 am

      5 stars
      I made this chicken marinade last night, and the chicken was delicious! Everyone loved it - no leftovers! I saved the recipe to make again! Thanks for the share!

    Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

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