Balsamic Chicken Marinade

At a glance

What stands out: This balsamic chicken marinade is made using ingredients you probably have on hand. It will become a favorite for grilling, air frying, or baking in the oven!

How long it takes: 5 minutes, plus marinating time
Equipment you’ll need: small bowl
Servings: makes enough marinade for 1 to 4 pounds of meat

One of Our Favorite Marinades

We love this balsamic chicken marinade. It’s straightforward to mix and adds so much flavor to plain chicken. Let’s face it: boneless skinless chicken breasts need a little help. They are a lighter source of protein but they can be kind of boring.

Recently we marinated a family pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts to serve to guests. Although one of our standbys is this zesty Italian chicken marinade, we were looking for something a little different to serve with our pasta and spicy tomato arrabbiata sauce. With garlic, Italian seasoning, and tangy balsamic vinegar, we knew this balsamic chicken marinade would go great with our pasta dish, plus we had everything we needed in our pantry which meant no last minute dashes to the grocery store.

The marinated chicken was such a big hit! (we were hoping there would be some chicken left over for us to eat for lunch the next day but there wasn’t.)

Balsamic Chicken Marinade

So simple! Not counting salt and pepper, there are just 4 ingredients: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. You probably have everything you need already in your pantry and the marinade recipe takes less than five minutes to stir up. (Our BBQ chicken marinade is straightforward and reliable for grilling, too.)

Better than bottled marinades. If you’ve been buying bottled marinades or those little packets of marinade mix, you may want to reconsider. It’s more economical and healthier to make your own. Commercial marinades are often loaded with extra salt and sugar, in addition to preservatives and “natural flavors” which aren’t natural at all.

Can be made ahead. This straightforward marinade is a great one to start out with and it may become the only marinade you ever use. It’s that good! You can even let the chicken marinate overnight so it’s seasoned and ready to go when you are.

Versatile (choose your preferred cooking method). Marinated chicken does not have to be grilled. If you don’t want to grill tonight, marinated chicken is great baked in the oven, air fried, or cooked in a grill pan too.

Lynnisha M. Said:

“we made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was a hit! We grilled the chicken and it was flavorful, tender, juicy & rich. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing!”

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We'll run through the basics here. The recipe card near the end of the post has measurements, instructions for making the marinade, and how to cook the chicken (grill, bake, or air fry).

What goes in

• Olive Oil: A key ingredient of marinades, olive oil helps keep boneless chicken breasts moist and tender. It also aids in browning.
• Balsamic Vinegar: Most of you are probably familiar with dark colored aged balsamic vinegar. It adds a rich tangy flavor to many dishes.
• Italian Seasoning: Combined with the balsamic vinegar, this blend of dry herbs adds just the right flavor notes. A popular brand contains: marjoram, basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory, and sage.
• Garlic Powder: This fine light golden powder adds a mild garlic flavor. It is pure dehydrated garlic that has been ground into a powder. If you prefer a bolder garlic flavor, mince a few cloves of fresh garlic to add instead.
• Chicken: This marinade will work for any cut of chicken. It’s written for boneless skinless chicken breasts but if you prefer dark meat, marinate boneless skinless chicken thighs instead. Bone-in cuts are fine, too, including drumsticks or wings. In fact, this marinade is great for pork tenderloin or steak, too.

How it comes together

In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients listed above (look at the recipe card below for measurements).

There are two good ways to marinate meat:

1. In a resealable bag: Simply place the chicken pieces inside the bag, pour in the marinade, seal the bag, and squish the marinade around so it completely coats the chicken. Put the bag in a baking dish to ensure that you don’t end up with leaks in the refrigerator which is nasty and a pain to clean up.
2. In a bowl: Place the chicken in a bowl, pour the marinade on it, and stir to make sure the chicken is coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

How To Cook Marinated Chicken

The chicken can be grilled, baked, air fried, or cooked on a stovetop grill pan. There are instructions for each method on the recipe card below. Cook chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Try not to overcook boneless skinless chicken breasts. They can become rather dry. Rely on the thermometer rather than the clock.

Ways to serve it

Pasta: Marinated chicken can be served as a main course with pasta and sauce. Garnish the chicken with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and a sprinkle of fresh parsley or oregano. Serve it with fresh tomato pasta, which features a no-cook sauce made with marinated tomatoes, creamy vodka pasta, or simple stovetop mac and cheese.

Vegetable sides: Grilled chicken and a simple cooked vegetable come together quickly for a light and. lighter dinner. We love air fryer cauliflower or air fryer green beans. Sautéed sugar snap peas are straightforward and cook quickly. Roasted asparagus is rich; try air fryer asparagus, too. Like corn on the cob? Try Instant Pot corn on the cob or air fryer corn on the cob; both recipes are so straightforward to mix! Cheese & pesto stuffed zucchini go well, too.

Salads: Lately, we’ve been loving this grilled peach salad with burrata. It’s topped with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and goes well with balsamic marinated grilled chicken. Another salad that goes well is this grilled vegetable salad. Add thinly sliced chicken to your favorite salad to make it a main course salad. Dress it with from-scratch balsamic vinaigrette.

Sandwiches & Bowls: Make a sandwich with sliced chicken or add it to your favorite meal bowl. Try this quinoa bowl with roasted tomatoes, ricotta and balsamic.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate/Freeze: Store leftover cooked chicken in the refrigerator or freezer. It will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Reheat: Chicken can be reheated in the microwave or in your air fryer.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at our Meal Plan #17. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let us do the planning for you this week!

Browse Meal Plans

Have Extra Balsamic Vinegar?

Here are a few more recipes you may want to try:

• Balsamic Chicken with Blistered Tomatoes
• Sheet Pan Honey Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables
• Honey Balsamic Chicken Thighs
• Roasted Mushrooms with balsamic, thyme, and Dijon mustard
• Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
• Bruschetta Chicken Recipe
• Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Balsamic Glaze
• Balsamic Vinaigrette

• Yield: 6
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Total: 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 ½ tablespoons Italian seasoning
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (see note)

Method

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
2. Place chicken in a bowl or a zip-top bag and pour marinade over chicken. Make sure all parts of the chicken are coated with marinade. Refrigerate and let marinate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours before cooking.
3. When ready to cook, remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Discard marinade.
4. Cook chicken using your preferred method until internal temperature reads 165°F on an instant read thermometer. Do not overcook.
5. To Grill: Grill chicken over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once, until cooked through. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of meat and exact grill temperature. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
6. To Bake: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken in greased baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Baking time depends on thickness of chicken pieces.
7. To Air Fry: Preheat air fryer at 375°F for five minutes. Place chicken in air fryer in a single layer and cook for 10 minutes. Flip, and continue to cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is done. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Meat: Makes enough marinade for 1 to 4 pounds of chicken. The recipe is written for boneless skinless chicken breasts but if you prefer dark meat, marinate boneless skinless chicken thighs instead. Bone-in cuts are fine, including drumsticks or wings. In fact, this marinade is great for pork tenderloin or steak, too.

Garlic: Garlic powder adds a mild garlic flavor. If you prefer a bolder garlic flavor, mince a few cloves of fresh garlic to add instead.

Meal prep/storage: The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours. Stir up the marinade the night before, pour it over the chicken, and refrigerate. If you like to food prep, cook up a big batch of marinated chicken and refrigerate or freeze it for future meals. It will keep in the refrigerator for 4 days, or in the freezer for 4 months.

Nutrition guesstimate: Nutritional information is a rough estimate, given that much of the marinade is thrown out. It also depends on which type of chicken (and how many pounds) you marinate.