Best Ever Chicken Marinade
This is hands down the best ever Chicken marinade. You can call off the search as this is the only recipe you will ever need.
In our family we love chicken. If the kids had a choice they would chose chicken over steak and so we have it weekly if not twice a week.
This chicken marinade has been my go to for some time now and it just works every time.
Why I love this chicken marinade recipe
First of all when you have three kids, are working 3 days a week, writing a monthly food column and trying to run a blog on top of that, time is very precious.
I love how quick and easy this marinade is to put together. If I have time I will prepare it the night before.
I have also used this recipe as an emergency dinner on loads of occasions without any time to let the chicken rest in the marinade and it still turned out really good.
This marinade will give you incredibly tender chicken which is full of flavour. (TICK)
The ingredients are simple and you would have most of the items already (TICK)
It makes for a healthy dinner in under 30 minutes (Tick)
Its all done in a zip lock bag so Its mess free (TICK)
The whole family is going to love it! and love you for making it (DOUBLE TICK)
What type of chicken can you use?
For this recipe I have used chicken thighs as they are my favourite cut of chicken. However, this recipe works well with any cut of chicken that you are either grilling, baking or BBQing.
How long should you marinate the chicken for?
The longer the chicken is left in the marinade the more tender it is going to be.
If you are in a rush do not fear! I have made this recipe countless times by cooking it straight away and I have still had tender, juicy chicken. Even 15 minutes can make a big difference.
If you have the time, prepare it the night before and leave the chicken to marinate overnight in the fridge.
For a rough guide anywhere from 2-8 hours is good.
What you will need to make the best ever chicken marinade
- Greek style natural yoghurt: If you have been reading my blog you will know that I love using yoghurt in cooking. Yoghurt is perfect for marinades. Many marinade recipes Iv’e tried in the past called for vinegars but I found when used for chicken it actually toughened the meat and left it dry. Yoghurt has the opposite affect.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Lemon: Just like the yoghurt, this works wonders to tenderise the chicken as it aids in breaking down the tough fibres in the chicken
- Oregano: because lemon and oregano are the perfect pair!
- crushed garlic
- Salt & freshly cracked pepper
How to make the best ever chicken marinade
Ready for the really hard part…There isn’t one because this is so super easy.
All you need to do is place all the ingredients in a bowl and give it a good mix.
Next transfer the marinate to a large zip lock bag, add the chicken and then once It’s zip locked gently massage the marinade into the chicken.
It’s literally that simple.
Grilling or Baking
In the recipe below I have placed the chicken onto a lined baking tray and placed it in a hot oven until cooked.
You can also use the same recipe and instead of baking, grill the chicken on either a griddle pan or a BBQ.
What can I do with the leftover chicken
Leftover chicken? well your in luck because it’s going to taste even better the next day!
I love to add the chicken to my favourite salads:
Its also pretty amazing in a wrap or sandwich!
I really hope you enjoy this delicious chicken marinade. You really must try it just once and I bet it will become your go to marinade!
If you have made this recipe be sure to leave me a comment below. I love hearing your feedback.
You may also like these easy recipes:
- Spaghetti and meatballs
- Tomato and basil bruschetta
- Authentic pad Thai
- Classic Pesto
- Singapore noodles
Best Ever Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 800 g Chicken thigh
- ⅓ cup Greek natural yoghurt
- 3 tbs Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 clove garlic crushed
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 2 tbs oregano
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- For the marinade, place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Transfer the marinade to a large zip lock bag. Add chicken and gently massage so the chicken is evenly coated. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight if possible.
- Preheat oven to 200°
- Line 2 oven trays with baking paper and place chicken on trays. Leave space so the pieces are not touching. Place in oven and cook for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
- Transfer to a plate and cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving with your favourite sides.
The recipe looks very tasty. I am already hungry. Will try this for my family. Thank you for sharing
The yogurt is an interesting addition to this marinade! I’m all about lemon right now and we grow our own fresh oregano so I need to try this out! Our neighbors grow the most delicious lemons. They’re more like oranges but with a slight lemon taste. Sooo good!
Iv’e used these lemons before too! great flavour and they would go great in the marinade as well 🙂
This recipe is unique and reminds me a lot of the Indian style butter chicken recipe. I am going to try this with plant-based chicken (my boyfriend and I are vegetarians) and see how it works out. Great blog post and wonderful blog.
Thank you so much Sarah. I would love to hear how it goes 🙂
Lovely! We eat chicken very often and I don’t always get the marinade right. Sometimes I don’t even bother with it, just put a bit of seasoning on top and in the oven. But I will surely try this marinade.
Thanks Cristina 🙂 definitely give it a try even marinating the chicken for 15 minutes will make a big impact on flavour!
I made this last night for dinner and it was an instant hit!
Love it!!! Love hearing these success stories!!Thanks so much for sharing Alisa xx
This marinate was delicious and a hit with my family. It’s always great when you can find something new that the whole family enjoys. The best bit was that it was super easy. I prepared the chicken the night before and dinner was cooked nice and quick when I got home from work. Will make this again!!!
Thank-you so much for the wonderful feedback Sarah!! 🙂
Thanks looks very tasty I grow oregano and never know apart from pizza how to use it
Can’t wait to try your recipe
Thank you Colleen!!!It’s great to use in marinades as well as pasta sauce and in salad dressings!
thank you!!!
Is 200 degree oven correct? Seems like a very low temperature. Thank you!
Hi Joan yes its 200 degrees celsius 🙂