As a healthy habits expert and lover of FLAVORFUL food, I’ll tell you the absolute simplest and most versatile way to add flavor & variety to chicken is to marinate it. So, whether you want to elevate an everyday chicken dinner, or to level up protein prep, here are my favorite simple chicken marinade recipes for grilling and oven baking.

White oval baking dish with raw chicken breasts covered in white marinade.

Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken

So ridiculously good, and producing the most juicy, hyper-flavorful chicken, this Greek Yogurt Chicken Marinade uses just 5 ingredients (Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and chicken) and can be grilled or oven baked.

Marinade Time: 30 minutes-8 hours

Serving Ideas: The BEST in Greek Chicken Bowls, or stuffed in pitas with cucumber, tomato, red onion, and a healthy drizzle of Yogurt Tahini Sauce.

Overhead shot of a plate of sliced grilled chicken topped with parsley and lemon wedges on an oval plate.

Lemon Chicken Marinade

This easy and vibrant Simple Lemon Chicken Marinade gives chicken a ton of fresh flavor thanks to just a few easy-to-find ingredients like lemon, garlic, parsley, and Dijon mustard and yields super juicy, flavorful chicken. Includes instructions for grilling, oven baked and air frying.

Marinade Time: 30-60 minutes

Serving Ideas: I love serving this lemon chicken chopped in a salad tossed with 3-Ingredient Pesto Dressing or with Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad.

Rectangular wooden cutting board with grilled chicken thighs. They are surrounded by lime wedges, cilantro leaves, and containers with a white sauce and more lime wedges.

Curry Marinated Chicken

This quick & easy Curry Chicken Marinade with Yogurt produces warmly spiced, tender and savory chicken with only 5 ingredients, including curry powder, lime juice, and protein-packed Greek yogurt! Grilled or baked in the oven, it’s one of my absolute favorite ways to take chicken from boring to brilliant.

Marinade Time: 30 minutes-4 hours.

Serving Ideas: Fantastic with garlic naan or rice, I love this chicken served with a simple salad of roughly chopped tomato, cucumber, red onion, and cilantro with a healthy squeeze of lime juice, olive oil, salt & pepper.

close up of grilled chicken breasts with sauce on top of a white plate

Honey Mustard Marinade

Made with simple pantry ingredients like honey, mustard, and apple cider vinegar, this Honey Mustard Marinade is a snap to prepare. The best part? It works with ANY mustard – basic yellow, spicy, Dijon, whole grain, you name it!

Marinade Time: 30 minutes-8 hours

Serving Ideas: Fantastic as a topper for a green salad tossed with Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette or with Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad.

Overhead shot of grilled chicken breast on an oval platter. The platter is surrounded by small containers with marinade, olive oil, herbs, and spices.

Favorite Balsamic Chicken Marinade

This delicious easy Balsamic Chicken Marinade requires just a few pantry ingredients, and yields super flavorful and juicy chicken breasts or chicken thighs every time. A short list of ingredients and quick marinade time makes it easy & doable enough for everyday, but tastes absolutely company-worthy!

Marinade Time: 30 minutes-4 hours.

Serving Ideas: This chicken is fantastic with a vegetable medley like this dreamy Slow Cooker Ratatouille or with cooked pasta tossed with a simple basil pesto or sun dried tomato pesto.

Overhead image of raw chicken breast with buffalo marinade.

Buffalo Chicken Marinade

Take basic chicken from boring to next level with this easy 4-Ingredient Buffalo Chicken Marinade that can be grilled or oven-baked. It produces perfectly tender, sweet and savory chicken in no time thanks to a short marinade time!

Marinade Time: 30 minutes-4 hours.

Serving Ideas: This chicken makes the best Buffalo chicken salad or wraps! Just dice or slice the cooked chicken, then serve atop greens with thinly sliced celery drizzled with blue cheese dressing, or wrap in a tortilla with lettuce and blue cheese dressing.

Overhead shot of raw chicken breast with a soy based marinade in a ceramic baking dish.

Honey Soy Marinade

Prepped in just 5 minutes, this Honey Soy Chicken Marinade is the perfect quick and easy marinade that can be used in so many ways. With just 4 ingredients, it’s sweet, salty, savory, and oh-so simple to throw together.

Marinade Time: 30 minutes-4 hours

Serving Ideas: Set aside some reserved marinade and drizzle it over the chicken in a rice bowl (brown or white) with some simple steamed broccoli or sugar snap peas.

Overhead shot of a white plate with grilled chicken breasts covered in red sauce and fresh cilantro. Plate is surrounded by bowls of sour cream, lime wedges, and red sauce, lime half, cilantro sprigs, and corn tortillas.

Taco Chicken Marinade

Prepped in just 5 minutes, this simple Taco Chicken Marinade uses flavors of lime, garlic, and taco-inspired spices to produce the juiciest and most flavorful chicken, perfect for chicken street tacos, bowls, or burritos. Use it with chicken breasts or chicken thighs for grilling, baking, or air frying.

Marinade Time: 30 minutes-4 hours.

Serving Ideas: Fantastic in burrito bowls, tacos, or burritos, whip up a batch of One-Pot Beans & Rice and some Cilantro Lime Slaw and you’ve got yourself a filling and delicious meal!

Overhead image of white oval platter with two forks, sliced chicken breasts with green sauce, lime wedges, and fresh cilantro. Platter is surrounded by bowls of fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and green sauce.

Cilantro Lime Marinade

Take your chicken dinner from ordinary to extraordinary with this quick & oh-so-easy 5-ingredient Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade for grilling or baking. Fresh lime juice and cilantro, zesty garlic, and avocado oil are quickly blended into a marinade that produces juicy, flavorful chicken breasts or thighs every time.

Marinade Time: 30-60 minutes.

Serving Ideas: Serve with Easy Rice & Beans and a Mexican-Inspired Slaw for a full meal.

Overhead shot of a square baking dish with raw chicken slices in a red sauce.

Chicken Fajita Marinade

Prep it in just 5-minutes with 6-ingredients, this Chicken Fajita Marinade infuses so much zesty flavor into basic chicken and veggies you’ll swear you ordered takeout. 

Marinade Time: 30 minutes-6 hours.

Serving Ideas: The recipe includes fajita veggies (onion and peppers) so all you need is some quick 4-Ingredient Guacamole and Fresh Tomato Salsa and you have a restaurant quality fajita meal in no time!

Side angle close up shot of spooning brown sauce on top of sliced, grilled chicken topped with sliced green onions on top of white rice in a large white bowl.

Teriyaki Chicken Marinade

Simplify dinners with this salty, sweet & sticky Teriyaki Chicken Marinade that’s made with just 4 ingredients and works equally well with chicken breasts and chicken thighs.

Marinade Time: 30-60 minutes.

Serving Suggestions: This chicken is fantastic with white or brown sticky rice, a sprinkle of green onions, and a simple steamed or roasted green veggie on the side, like broccoli or sugar snap peas.

Close up side angle shot of spooning sauce onto sliced grilled chicken on a white platter.

Italian Chicken Marinade

This easy homemade Italian Chicken Marinade is a low effort recipe that’s perfect for grilling or baking in the oven, takes 5 minutes of hands-on prep, and requires just a few pantry staples. With the best herby and garlicky flavor, it’s the perfect meal prep protein or easy dinner idea with chicken breasts or thighs.

Marinade Time: 30-60 Minutes

Serving Suggestions: I love serving this chicken with grilled veggies and a simple pasta salad, like this one featuring tomatoes and basil.

Overhead shot of a white platter with sliced, grilled chicken; a serving fork; fresh herbs; and orange and lime slices. Platter is surrounded by small bowls of lime and orange slices and chopped herbs, a striped towel, and jars of a yellow sauce and honey.

Citrus Chicken Mariande

This Citrus Chicken Marinade produces the juiciest chicken–either breasts or thighs– and is oh-so delicious and simple to whip up! Made with a double-citrus blend of fresh lime and orange juice, it’s bursting with bright, zesty flavors and makes for tender chicken that can be grilled or baked.

Marinade Time: 30-60 Minutes

Serving Suggestions: This one screams for a light veggie side like this crunchy slaw and rice or crusty bread.

Close-up overhead shot of a white serving platter with sliced grilled chicken topped with green sauce, a serving fork, lemon wedges, and fresh basil.

3-Ingredient Pesto Chicken Mariande

This garlicky, herby pesto chicken marinade is a brilliantly simple, incredibly versatile, and basically solves the “what’s for dinner” question once and for all. The secret? We’re using store-bought pesto (homemade works, too), to make a 3-ingredient marinade that adds so much brightness, freshness, and flavor to chicken breasts or thighs. Bake, grill or air-fry–this is one to make on repeat!

Marinade Time: 30-60 minutes.

Serve With: If you’ve got pesto on hand for this recipe, have it pull double duty by making some orzo pesto salad to go alongside.

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