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My Grilled Chicken Breast Marinade is an easy sauce recipe highlighting simple ingredients and coming together in just under 10 minutes! Learn how to make the most delicious marinade for grilled chicken, perfect for summertime. This is the best grilled chicken marinade for salads, flatbreads, sandwiches, and crispy lettuce wraps!
Jump to:
- Best Marinade for Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Marinade FAQs
- Grilled Chicken Marinade Ingredients
- Seasoning for Grilled Chicken
- How to Make Grilled Chicken Marinade
- Marinating Chicken Tips
- Can I marinate chicken too long?
- What to Serve with Marinated Grilled Chicken
- Other Uses for Grilled Chicken Marinade
- More Easy Sauce Recipes
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- 📖 Recipe
Best Marinade for Chicken
My family loves grilling season. It’s great to spend time together with good weather and even better food! Grilled chicken is so versatile, and my grilled chicken marinade makes it so tender, juicy, and moist- you won’t be able to resist!
I love whipping up a simple marinade to maximize flavor when it comes to grilled chicken. Seriously, it could not be any easier! Simply mix the ingredients, toss it with the chicken, and let the marinade do the rest!
The secret to my marinade for grilled chicken is the dill pickle juice. The vinegar in the juice is the perfect acid to help break down the chicken, all while adding a ton of savory flavor! Inspired by Chick-fil-A grilled chicken, I guarantee this is a recipe you will enjoy making!
Grilled Chicken Marinade FAQs
Every recipe for marinade is a little different from the next. My recipe for grilled chicken marinade is a combination of whole milk and dill pickle juice. This gives it a unique, tangy flavor, similar to Chick-fil-A chicken!
After a marinade has been made, it can last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days as long as there is no protein added to it. Once a protein has been added, it is recommended to only keep the marinade for up to 2 days.
As it is written, my recipe for grilled chicken marinade is a naturally gluten and grain free recipe. As always, be sure to check each ingredient for specific food allergy and handling instructions.
Marinades are a combination of liquids and spices used to soak foods (usually meat) before cooking them. Marinades make meat tender by breaking down the tough outer protein, all while adding flavor!
Grilled Chicken Marinade Ingredients
- Dill Pickle Juice
- Whole milk
Seasoning for Grilled Chicken
Along with my marinade for grilled chicken, I recommend seasoning your chicken with the following seasoning mixture for best flavor:
- powdered sugar
- sea salt
- black pepper
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- paprika
- lemon zest
How to Make Grilled Chicken Marinade
- Combine whole milk and strained dill pickle juice in a measuring cup or bowl. Pour the marinade into the chicken breast bag and seal it.
- Massage the marinade into the chicken breast, then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours. After marinating, allow your chicken breasts to come to room temperature by letting them rest for 30 minutes before grilling them.
- For best results, mix together powdered sugar, sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and lemon zest, and use this mixture to season your chicken. Enjoy the best grilled chicken you've ever had!
Marinating Chicken Tips
- Make sure to use dill pickle juice as the brining agent for this marinade. A sweeter pickle variety will add too much sweetener.
- It is not recommended to use any milk substitutions for this recipe, you need the full-fat content of whole milk to marinate the chicken.
- If you do not want to use the grill to cook your protein, feel free to use this as a marinade for baked chicken by cooking it in the oven!
Can I marinate chicken too long?
When a protein is left in a marinade for too long it can begin to change the texture of the meat. This can happen frequently with chicken and seafood.
It is always recommended with marinades to allow your protein to rest in the marinade for a minimum of 2 hours, and with this type of marinade I would suggest a maximum time of 24 hours.
What to Serve with Marinated Grilled Chicken
I love to grill up a big batch of chicken to feed my hungry guests during a summer cookout. I pile the chicken breasts on a large serving platter and place it on the middle of the table for everyone to enjoy!
This grilled chicken marinade makes the perfect chicken for a variety of dishes. Here are a few ways I like to serve my grilled marinated chicken:
- Grilled Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch Sandwiches
- Chick-fil-A Lemon Kale Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken
- Homemade Buffalo Chicken Wraps with Blue Cheese Dressing
- BBQ Chicken Flatbreads
- Savory Grilled Chicken Salad
Other Uses for Grilled Chicken Marinade
I like to take chicken directly from a marinade and place it on a hot grill, but this is such a versatile marinade recipe with so many uses.
If you do not want to use a grill, feel free to use this is a marinade for baked chicken by cooking it in the oven.
Besides chicken breasts, I also like to use this marinade for:
- Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
- Shrimp and Red Pepper Skewers
- Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Roasted Pork Chops
- Baked Salmon
More Easy Sauce Recipes
- Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
- Carne Asada Marinade
- Buttermilk Marinade for Chicken
- Homemade Buffalo Sauce
- Dijon Mustard Sauce
- Asian Marinade
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Easy Grilled Chicken Breast Marinade
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 plastic bag or container
- measuring spoon
- Measuring cup
Ingredients
Grilled Chicken Marinade
- ½ cup dill pickle juice strained
- ½ cup whole milk
Recommended Seasoning for Chicken (not counted in nutrition)
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Combine whole milk and strained dill pickle juice in a measuring cup or bowl. Pour the marinade into the chicken breast bag and seal it.½ cup dill pickle juice strained, ½ cup whole milk
- Massage the marinade into the chicken breast, then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours. After marinating, allow your chicken breasts to come to room temperature by letting them rest for 30 minutes before grilling them.
- For best results, mix together powdered sugar, sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and lemon zest, and use this mixture to season your chicken. Enjoy the best grilled chicken you've ever had! For more info, see our grilled chicken recipe.2 Tablespoons powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, 3 Tablespoons olive oil
Video
Notes
- Make sure to use dill pickle juice as the brining agent for this marinade. A sweeter pickle variety will add too much sweetener.
- It is not recommended to use any milk substitutions for this recipe, you need the full-fat content of whole milk to marinate the chicken.
- If you do not want to use the grill to cook your protein, feel free to use this as a marinade for baked chicken by cooking it in the oven!
- Please note, the seasoning ingredients are not calculated in the nutrition.
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