22 Marinated Chicken Recipes That Are Worth The Extra Step
No dried-out chicken on our watch.
Looking for an easy way to add extra flavor to your chicken dinners? Take it from us—you've gotta start marinating your chicken. With meat this tender, we know you won't even mind the added time to marinate it (and you won't have any leftovers). Short on time? Just 20 minutes of marinating is enough for any cut of chicken to soak up all the bright, bold flavors in these foolproof recipes, whether you opt for simple grilled chicken breasts, spectacular Japanese fried chicken (karaage), or spicy Jamaican curry chicken.
What is a marinade anyway? Marinades ensure a boost of flavor and an increase of moisture in a cooked piece of protein, whether it be chicken, seafood, or even tofu. They're normally made with an acid (such as citrus juice, yogurt, or vinegar), a fat (such as a type of oil), salt (any type works, but we're partial to kosher), and seasonings (herbs, spices, seeds, sugars, etc.). If you want to really make your dinner shine, try building a marinade around our homemade taco seasoning or homemade Cajun seasoning.
Marinades also tenderize the meat as they infuse it with flavor, a true win-win situation. Acidic ingredients, like buttermilk and yogurt, are key to this step, and it's why tandoori chicken and fried chicken are beyond tender. Adding a bit of sweetener to a marinade will also help to caramelize your protein as it cooks. Whip up our BBQ chicken marinade or our chili garlic chicken wing marinade, and you'll be so glad you did.
Can't get enough chicken? Check out our top baked chicken recipes, our best creamy chicken recipes, and our favorite shortcut dinners to make with a rotisserie chicken too.
Ginger-Soy Chicken Marinade
Are you unclear on what exactly a marinade is and how to use them? No worries! We have been there, and this sweet and spicy Asian-inspired marinade is the perfect place to start.
Get the Ginger-Soy Chicken Marinade recipe.
Crispy Fried Chicken
To complete the journey to fried chicken nirvana, we went through 5 whole chickens, 3 gallons of peanut oil, and over 20 iterations of this recipe. The final result is a simple formula: a seasoned buttermilk brine + a dip in batter + a shake in flour + a dunk into a pot of hot oil = the only fried chicken recipe you'll ever need.
Get the Crispy Fried Chicken recipe.
Spicy Coconut Grilled Chicken
Get these spicy coconut chicken thighs on the grill ASAP; you won’t regret it. They're super-tender thanks to a tasty duo of coconut milk and tenderizing pineapple juice in the marinade. Hot tip: Boil the marinade down into a sauce to drizzle on top for extra flavor.
Get the Spicy Coconut Grilled Chicken recipe.
Chicken Marbella
The most signature part of this dish has to be the complex, sweet-briny marinade that flavors our chicken. With prunes, olives, capers, and herbs, this marinade might seem surprising, but trust us—the result is a flavor-packed dish you won't be able to get enough of.
Get the Chicken Marbella recipe.
BBQ Chicken Marinade
Marinating the chicken in BBQ sauce before grilling infuses every bite with flavor. This recipe calls for fancying up a bottle of ready-made sauce, but if you want to make your own, there are many directions to go in. You can take the classic Kansas-city style BBQ sauce or the Carolina BBQ sauce routes, or go wild with a can of soda for a Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce.
Get the BBQ Chicken Marinade recipe.
Chipotle Chicken
Juicy, slightly spicy, and packed full of flavor, this copycat recipe just might rival the real deal thanks to an extra-flavorful marinade and super-tender chicken. If you've been searching for that perfect Chipotle recipe—this is it.
Get the Chipotle Chicken recipe.
Chicken Fajita Marinade
A fajita marinade is the best way to transform plain chicken breasts into juicy, flavorful strips that are perfect for folding into flour tortillas. This bright, spicy chicken fajita marinade infuses the meat with flavor and helps it cook more evenly.
Get the Chicken Fajita Marinade recipe.
Tandoori Chicken
Tandoori chicken is a tender, delicious chicken dish that’s a staple in Indian cuisine. The real stand-out in this timeless recipe is the use of a masala-yogurt marinade that coats the chicken throughout the cooking process, making it exceedingly juicy.
Get the Tandoori Chicken recipe.
Peach Balsamic Grilled Chicken
Grilling fruit brings out all its juicy sweetness, and while you can always go the sweet route with your grilled peaches, they're just as good paired with this sweet and tangy balsamic chicken.
Chicken Souvlaki
A classic Greek street food, souvlaki consists of tender pieces of marinated meat that have been skewered (in Greece “souvla” means skewer) and cooked on a grill. The secret to making it? It's ALL in the garlicky-lemon marinade.
Get the Chicken Souvlaki recipe.
Best Grilled Chicken Breast
Grilled chicken breasts can be the epitome of boring—too often they're dried out or rubbery. But when soaked in a super-quick marinade with balsamic, brown sugar, and dried thyme, you're guaranteed deliciousness.
Get the Best Grilled Chicken Breast recipe.
Garlicky Greek Chicken
If you're looking for a simple—but super-satisfying—way to switch up your weeknight chicken dinner rotation, this is it. All it takes is a few basic ingredients (that you most likely already have on hand) to transform chicken thighs into an herby, garlicky dream.
Get the Garlicky Greek Chicken recipe.
Grilled Pineapple Chicken
We love how the acidity from the pineapple marinade tenderizes the chicken breast while the sugar works to caramelize the meat while grilling. Want to take this recipe to the next level? Slice the chicken and throw it into a tortilla with pickled red onion and a bright red cabbage slaw.
Get the Grilled Pineapple Chicken recipe.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Serve this Jamaican jerk chicken with traditional callaloo and rice & peas, or up the sweet factor with some coconut rice or sweet plantains.
Get the Jamaican Jerk Chicken recipe.
Chili Garlic Chicken Wings
A good marinade can make your chicken wings absolutely impossible to put down. This sauce is spicy, sweet, and garlicky. It's the perfect combination to keep you reaching for more. The best part, though, is how caramelized and sticky they get in the oven.
Get the Chili Garlic Chicken Wings recipe.
Air-Fryer Spicy Chicken Thighs
Turns out the absolute best way to achieve the crispiest skin on chicken thighs is using your air fryer! The quick cook time achieves the crispiest, juiciest chicken that we devoured in mere minutes. The marinade doubles as a sticky glaze that is *just* spicy enough. Add it to your rotation of easy chicken recipes ASAP.
Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)
Japanese chicken karaage is basically fried chicken with the main difference being that it's seasoned and marinated before it's coated with flour. You can serve these with Kewpie mayo as appetizers or a snack, or alongside some veggies (chili smashed cucumbers, maybe?) and rice for dinner.
Air-Fryer Drumsticks
This dish is loosely inspired by two Chinese dishes: fragrant, umami-filled Cantonese soy sauce chicken and Coca-Cola wings. Instead of the traditional method of poaching, we get the soy-marinated chicken slightly crispy and perfectly tender in the air fryer. Then use the reserved marinade, along with some Coca-Cola, to make a sticky, sweetish sauce you'll love.
Get the Air-Fryer Drumsticks recipe.
Jamaican Curry Chicken
Only a few dishes reaaally hit the spot in the dead of winter—chicken curry is for sure one of them! The best part? This recipe is super hands off once you get it going and the marinade is killer, with ginger beer, curry, and scotch bonnets delivering that delicious bit of heat. Serve with some easy white or coconut rice, and wham, you’ll have a whole new spice for life.
Get the Jamaican Curry Chicken recipe.
Chicken Satay
Satay is a popular Southeast Asian street food that usually involves a marinated meat being skewered and grilled, then served with a simple saucy dip. Whatever way you go, the peanut sauce is absolutely essential to the eating experience. It's the ultimate wingman to satay, containing all the fragrant notes of lemongrass, coconut, fish sauce, and fresh lime zest in the marinade.
Get the Chicken Satay recipe.
Mackenzie Filson is a food writer and contributing digital food producer at Delish. Her favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate-pine. If wine was an astrological sign she'd be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. She's never met a bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos she didn't eat in one sitting.
