Go Back

The Best Ever Grilled Chicken Marinade

The best marinade for juicy chicken with balanced flavor—made with olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, and herbs. Marinate for hours, then grill to 165°F for tender, well-seasoned results and clear grill marks.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Marinating 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken marinade
  • 2 lb chicken Any cut; 2–3 lb total.
  • 0.33 cup olive oil
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup lemon juice Fresh or bottled.
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 4 clove garlic Minced.
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried herbs Thyme, oregano, or Italian seasoning.

Equipment

  • 1 grill
  • 1 zip-top bag

Method
 

Make the marinade
  1. Whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, brown sugar, black pepper, and dried herbs until well combined and uniform in color.
  2. Place chicken in a large zip-top bag and pour the marinade over it, ensuring the chicken is coated.
Marinate
  1. Refrigerate the bagged chicken for 4–24 hours, turning once if convenient so the flavor develops evenly.
Grill
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and let it fully come up to temperature before cooking.
  2. Grill the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, with cook time varying by cut thickness and size.
  3. Rest the grilled chicken for 5–10 minutes before serving to help juices redistribute for tender bites.

Notes

For best results, aim for the longer end of the marinating window (around 4–24 hours). Refrigerate in the sealed bag up to 3 days; don’t freeze raw marinated chicken unless you plan to cook it straight from frozen (flavor may shift slightly). For a lighter option, use low-sodium soy sauce and reduce the brown sugar to 1 tbsp.