Italian Chicken Marinade is quick to make and full of fresh, bright flavors. Even a little time in the marinade makes the chicken delicious!
Plus, over 43 grams of protein per serving!
If you like simple chicken marinades, check out my all-purpose grilled chicken marinade or chicken taco marinade next.
This Italian Chicken Marinade is part of my Back-To-School Lifesavers. These recipes are easy, with hardly any veggie cutting, quick prep, about 10 or fewer ingredients (not counting things you already have in your pantry), and use kid-friendly ingredients. Click here to see all the recipes in the series!
An Easy Italian Chicken Marinade
Marinating usually takes a while and isn’t typically great for a last-minute dinner, but with this recipe even a short marinating time makes the chicken taste great.
The marinade is easy to prepare with just a few ingredients and doesn’t require any veggie chopping! It’s a great weeknight meal!
I recommend slicing the chicken in half before marinating it. This helps it soak up the flavors faster and cook quickly—under 10 minutes on a hot grill. You can also make the marinade one or two days ahead. When it’s time for dinner, just put the chicken in the marinade for a little while, then grill it!
Ingredients
- Chicken: Choose breasts if you prefer lean meat or thighs if you like it juicier.
- Lemons: Zest the lemon with a microplane and then juicing it with a citrus juicer. It’s easier to zest it first!
- Honey: If the honey is hard, soften it by warming it gently. Place the honey container in warm water or microwave it for short bursts, stirring in between.
- Dijon: Use a good dijon mustard — not to be confused with yellow mustard!
- Red wine vinegar: The acidity helps tenderize the chicken. But don’t marinate for too long, or the chicken may become tough.
- Dried herbs: These add the Italian flavors. Adjust the amount or skip any herb as you like. If you have fresh herbs, you can use those instead!
- Olive oil: It mixes everything together smoothly, keeps the chicken moist, and prevents sticking on the grill.
How To Make Italian Marinade For Chicken
This Italian marinade for chicken is easy — you’ll be amazed how quickly it comes together!
Whisk together the ingredients and pour part of the mixture over the prepared chicken. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to fire up the grill.
Lemon Italian Chicken Marinade Grilling Tips:
- Knead the marinade into chicken. Once you’ve combined marinade and chicken, seal the bag without air and knead the mixture to evenly coat every bit of chicken.
- Flip chicken while marinating. Remember to flip the bag of chicken while it marinates to make sure both sides get flavorful.
- Generously oil your grill grates. I do this by rolling up some paper towels, soaking them in oil (like canola or vegetable), and then using tongs to rub the oily paper towels on the grill grates. This helps the chicken cook nicely without sticking or tearing when you flip it.
- Let the chicken rest. Cover the chicken with foil and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting. This helps the juices spread inside the chicken, making it juicier!
Quick Tip
If you cook a lot of chicken breasts, it might be worth the investment in a meat mallet; I use it every-time I prepare chicken breasts!
Variations
Italian Chicken Marinade Variations
- Create a Spicy Italian Chicken Marinade by adding 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the marinade
- Prepare an Italian Marinade for Chicken Thighs by using boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe.
- Make it a creamy Italian Chicken marinade by adding in 2 tablespoons of mayo into the marinade for a creamier texture and milder flavor.
How Long To Marinade Chicken In Italian Dressing
Since this recipe has vinegar, which is acidic, don’t marinate the chicken for more than 6 hours. The best time is about 4 hours, but even 30 minutes works great.
Quick Tip
If you’re marinating the chicken for a short time, poke a few holes in the breasts or thighs with a fork. This helps the marinade soak into the meat faster.
Serve This Italian Chicken Alongside
This chicken pairs nicely with so many different sides; here are some of our favorites:
- A big garden salad: Olive Garden Salad, Garden Salad, or this quick Everyday Salad Recipe.
- Roasted veggies: Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Green Beans, or Roasted Cauliflower.
- A cooked grain like quinoa, brown rice, white rice, cauliflower rice, couscous, etc.
Storage
- Storage: Store grilled chicken in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze grilled chicken in a airtight container or a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before you use it.
More Easy Chicken Recipes:
- Our jackpot of favorites: 60 Best Chicken Recipes
- Chicken And Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan cheese
- Chicken Orzo made in one pot!
- Salsa Verde Chicken Soup made in the slow cooker
- Applebee’s Chicken Salad with a sweet creamy dressing
Italian Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 large lemon (2 tbsp juice; 1 tsp zest)
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon each: dried oregano, dried parsley, & garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, optional
- 1/3 cup good olive oil
- 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- PREP: Trim the chicken breasts of fat and slice them evenly in half widthwise. Pound pieces to an even thickness (with a meat mallet or the bottom of a frying pan) to ensure even grilling. Place the prepared chicken in a large resealable bag and set aside. For thighs, trim excess fat and place in a large resealable bag.
- MARINADE: Add everything else to a wide-mouth mason jar. Seal and shake until well combined.
- COAT CHICKEN: Pour 6 tablespoons marinade over prepared chicken. Seal the bag and then knead with your hands to ensure all of the chicken is well coated. Pop in fridge and marinate for at least 30 minutes up to 4 hours. Don't marinate too much longer (acid from vinegar starts to dry out chicken).
- GRILL: Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (about 450 degrees F.) Generously oil the grill (I drench a rolled-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rub it over the grill grates.)
- GRILL CONT.: Using tongs, pick up chicken from the bag, allowing excess marinade to drip off. Place chicken flat on the grill. Grill the chicken, turning only once halfway through grilling, about 3-5 minutes per side (until the thickest part of the chicken registers 165 degrees F. and the meat is nicely charred). When the chicken is ready to flip, it should come up off the grill grates easily. (I use a sharp metal turner to scrape up and flip the chicken to the other side.)
- REST & ENJOY: Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Allow the chicken to rest 5-10 minutes so the juices can re-distribute. Taste and add more salt if needed. Thinly slice or chop. Drizzle or use a pastry brush to brush extra marinade on top of chicken and enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So delicious!
Thanks so much Kellie! 🙂
What salad is in the photo with the grilled marinated chicken breast? it looks delicious!
It’s this salad: https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/jennifer-aniston-salad/. Enjoy! 🙂
Thank you!!!
You bet!
Tr