This homemade Italian chicken marinade skips the bottled dressing and uses pantry staples: red wine vinegar, garlic, olive oil, and Italian seasoning for chicken that’s genuinely more flavorful in just 30 minutes of marinating time. It works for grilling or baking, makes a great meal prep protein, and comes together in 5 minutes flat.

Overhead shot of a white oval platter with a serving fork and sliced, grilled chicken topped with fresh parsley sprigs. Surrounding the platter are bowls of chopped parsley and black pepper, a jar of marinade, a bottle of olive oil, and a towel.

5 star review

“This marinade was a hit! Super easy to make and the chicken was so flavorful. 10 out of 10.”

– Nicole
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Homemade Italian Chicken Marinade for Grilling or Baking

To save time and make life easier as a healthy habits expert, I like to have marinated chicken as part of my arsenal of easy dinner ideas because there are so many flavor options to keep chicken for dinner actually interesting. Truly, it keeps meal planning easy, and you never get bored! I wanted to create this red wine vinegar chicken recipe using whole-food ingredients rather than bottled dressing, and let me tell you, the flavor is SO much better, but still just as simple.

This simple (yet so delicious) Italian chicken marinade is a pantry-friendly version of my easy lemon chicken marinade and features olive oil, fresh garlic, Italian seasonings, red wine vinegar, salt, sugar, and black pepper. Both are phenomenal recipes, it just depends on what you have on hand and what flavors you’re craving. With minimal ingredients no chopping, 5 minutes of prep time, and 30 minutes of marinade time, this Italian grilled chicken is perfect for when you’re low on groceries but still want to zhuzh up chicken.

Once the short marinade time is done, you can grill or bake the chicken, slice, and serve or save for meals throughout the week (this chicken is so good for protein meal prep!). And if you’re using this chicken for an Italian-inspired dinner, my Mediterranean pasta salad makes a natural side dish that comes together just as fast. And for a different flavor direction that uses the same quick-marinade method, my balsamic chicken marinade is another pantry-friendly option worth keeping on rotation.

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Italian Marinade for Chicken

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Overhead shot of the following ingredients: olive oil, salt, garlic cloves, red wine vinegar, black pepper, sugar, dried herbs, and raw chicken breasts.
Gather ingredients.
Overhead shot of whisking oil and herbs in a glass bowl.
Whisk marinade ingredients.
Overhead shot of a white baking dish with a marinade. A glass bowl of marinade is in the corner.
Reserve half the marinade.
Overhead shot of pouring water into a white baking dish filled with a marinade. A bowl of marinade is in the corner.
Add water to half of marinade.
Overhead shot of a white baking dish with raw chicken covered in a marinade. A glass bowl of marinade is in the corner.
Add chicken & coat with marinade.
Overhead shot of a wooden cutting board with a jar of marinade and grilled chicken. The cutting board is surrounded by bowls of black pepper and chopped parsley, garlic cloves, and a bottle of oil.
Grill or bake chicken and allow to rest.
Overhead shot of a wooden cutting board with a knife, a jar of marinade and sliced, grilled chicken. Bowls of black pepper and chopped parsley are in the corner.
Slice chicken.
Close up side angle shot of spooning sauce onto sliced grilled chicken on a white platter.
Serve with reserved marinade.
Close-up overhead shot of an oval white platter with a serving fork, grilled chicken breasts, and fresh sprigs of parsley. The platter is surrounded by bowls of chopped parsley and black pepper, a jar of marinade, a bottle of olive oil, and a towel.

Testing Tips for Juicy Italian Chicken

  • Olive Oil: The quintessential Italian ingredient, olive oil offers a light, buttery flavor to this marinade. You can also use any other neutral flavored oil in its place like avocado, vegetable or canola oil, but I do prefer olive oil if you have it.
  • Red Wine Vinegar: Another classic Italian flavor. I wouldn’t recommend using another vinegar as it give this marinade the classic Italian dressing taste.
  • Fresh Garlic: Fresh minced garlic definitely elevates this simple recipe, but if you’re very short on time or don’t have any on hand, 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic powder can be substituted. Feel free to increase or decrease the amount of garlic based on your preference.
  • Sugar: The sugar helps tenderize the chicken, so I don’t recommend skipping it (but you can if you need to).
Close up side angle shot of a white platter with sliced grilled chicken topped with sprigs of fresh parsley.
Overhead shot of a white oval platter with a serving fork and sliced, grilled chicken topped with fresh parsley sprigs. Surrounding the platter are bowls of chopped parsley and black pepper, a jar of marinade, a bottle of olive oil, and a towel.
5 stars (2 ratings)

Italian Chicken Marinade (Homemade)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Marinade Time: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
This homemade Italian chicken marinade uses red wine vinegar, garlic, and Italian seasoning for juicy grilled or baked chicken in just 30 minutes.
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Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon no-salt added dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs

Equipment

Instructions 

Make the Marinade

  • Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
  • Pour half of the marinade along with 2 tablespoons of water into a 1-gallon zip-top bag or baking dish. Set the remaining half of the marinade aside.
  • Toss the chicken to coat, then press as much air out of the bag (if using) as possible, or cover with plastic wrap (if using a baking dish). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 60 minutes, flipping every 15 minutes.

Grilling Instructions

  • When ready to grill, heat a gas grill to medium high. Allow to preheat for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shake off any excess, and discard any remaining marinade from the bag or dish.
  • Grill, with the cover down, until chicken thighs register 170F or chicken breasts register 165F.
  • Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice against the grain into ½ inch slices, and serve drizzled with reserved marinade.

Baking Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 425°F. Set aside half of the marinade, then add the chicken and the remaining marinade into a small baking dish.
  • Set the remaining marinade aside for drizzling after the chicken is cooked. If you have a large baking dish or rimmed sheet pan, omit the marinade as it will spread and possibly burn.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until or until chicken thighs register 170F or chicken breasts register 165F.
  • Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice against the grain into ½ inch slices, and serve, drizzled with reserved marinade.
Course: dinner, Main Course, Marinade
Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 8), Calories: 194kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 469mg, Potassium: 430mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 39IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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