Chicken Marinade

By Lidey Heuck

Published January 10, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
10 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Rating
5(1,822)
Comments
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Introducing your new go-to chicken marinade. Made from just a handful of pantry ingredients, this simple marinade adds serious flavor to grilled, seared or baked chicken. The acid in the lemon juice and Dijon help tenderize the chicken, the soy sauce adds a salty, savory note and the honey lends a bit of sweetness and encourages the chicken to brown. When using a marinade for chicken, aim for several hours in the refrigerator — too long, and it will begin to break down the meat, resulting in a rubbery texture. For this recipe, anywhere from 2 to 8 hours of marinating is ideal.

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Ingredients

Yield:⅔ cup (enough for 2 pounds of chicken)

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 large lemon, zested and juiced

  • 1 tablespoon honey or light brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 large garlic clove, minced or grated 

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano, rosemary or thyme, or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh 

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) 

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper 

  • 2 pounds chicken pieces, bone-in or boneless, skin-on or skinless

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

3 grams carbs; 85 milligrams cholesterol; 316 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 24 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 324 milligrams sodium; 22 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, Dijon, soy sauce, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add chicken to the bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Bring the chicken in the marinade to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Remove the chicken and brush off any excess marinade before cooking.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,822 user ratings
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Comments

JD Marino

With marinades like this, a combo of wet and dry ingredients, I have started keeping them separate. I combine the dry ingredients (even substituting granulated garlic for fresh) and coat the chicken with it. Then I put the coated chicken in a zip-top bag with the wet ingredients, squeeze out the air, and let marinate. The result is that when you withdraw the meat for cooking, the flavorful ingredients stay with the meat and not with the marinade.

JPnyc

With some exceptions for trace minerals that add color, salt is salt: NaCl. There s a significant difference betw Morton's and Diamond Crystal, but it's not salinity, it's crystal size, which affects measurement. Check this out, from 177MilkStreet.com: "Diamond Crystal granules are large, crystalline and delicate, whereas Morton's are smaller, denser and crunchier. And size matters — 1 teaspoon of Morton's contains 4.8 grams of salt, whereas 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal has just 2.8 grams."

Jonathan

And when they say "such as Diamond Crystal" they don't mean "such as". There isn't any other salt with the same salinity as Diamond Crystal kosher salt. They mean, "use Diamond Crystal salt, or half as much salt if you use any other brand."

G

Whole family, even the pickiest kid, LOVED it. “The best grilled chicken ever.” Definitely a keeper. No notes.

valerie

Wonderful marinade in terms of tenderness and taste but I will omit the honey next time because the chicken burned while searing. I had to use a second pan after searing to salvage the sauce.

Zizi

What is the best way to cook the chicken after it’s been sitting in the marinade for several hours? I don’t see any steps beyond step one. Can the chicken be made in an air fryer or is it recommended to bake it? Thank you.

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