Pesto Chicken Marinade (for Grilling or Baking)

This 3-ingredient pesto chicken marinade uses store-bought pesto for juicy, flavorful chicken. Ready to grill, bake, or air fry in just 30 minutes.

Course dinner, Dressings & Sauces, Main Course, Marinade

Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean

Diet Gluten Free, Low Fat

Keyword basil pesto, chicken, chicken marinade, grilled, marinade, pesto, pesto chicken marinade, pesto marinade, quick

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Marinade Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 159

Add the pesto, lemon juice, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Set aside 2 tablespoons of the marinade.
Pour the remaining of the marinade along with 2 tablespoons of water into a 1-gallon zip-top bag or baking dish.
Add the chicken and toss 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 6 hours minutes, flipping occasionally.

Heat a gas or charcoal 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, about 4-5 minutes per side.
Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice against the grain into ½ inch slices, or dice into pieces (if using for taco), serve, drizzled with marinade that was set aside, and serve.

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Add the chicken and the remaining marinade into a small baking dish. 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 set aside marinade.

Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. If using chicken breasts, slice in half the long way.
Shake off any excess marinade, then add the chicken to the tray. Air fry for 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 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 set aside marinade.

A note about the nutrition information on this recipe, since we discard the marinade before grilling or baking it can be a little difficult to calculate.