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The Best Ever Grilled Chicken Marinade

The best ever grilled chicken marinade for juicy, tender meat with balanced sweet, tangy, and savory flavors. Marinate for hours, then grill to 165°F for foolproof results and clean grill marks.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
marinating 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 2 lb chicken Any cut; adjust total weight to 2–3 lb.
Marinade base
  • 0.3333 cup olive oil
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 4 garlic Minced.
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried herbs Thyme, oregano, or Italian seasoning.

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Make the marinade
  1. Whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, brown sugar, black pepper, and dried herbs until evenly combined.
  2. Place chicken in a large zip-top bag and pour the marinade over the chicken, then seal the bag.
Marinate
  1. Refrigerate the sealed bag and marinate for 4-24 hours for best results, turning once halfway if convenient.
Grill and rest
  1. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
  2. Grill the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, timing varies by cut.
  3. Let the grilled chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to keep it juicy.

Notes

For the juiciest results, bring chicken close to room temperature while the grill preheats (about 15 minutes) after marinating, and discard any leftover marinade that touched raw chicken. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3-4 days; freeze cooked chicken up to 2-3 months. For a gluten-free option, use tamari instead of soy sauce.