Italian Chicken Marinade

At a glance

What stands out: Italian chicken marinade makes juicy, flavorful chicken every time! The marinade is straightforward, zesty, and packed with herby flavor. Reliable for grilling, baking, or air frying!

How long it takes: 10 minutes prep, 1 to 8 hours marinating time
Equipment you’ll need: small bowl, ziptop bag or shallow dish to marinate chicken in
Servings: makes enough marinade for 2 pounds of meat

Worth the Extra Two Minutes

Why make your own Italian chicken marinade? Why not buy a bottle of dressing or a packet of dried dressing mix? We can hear you all thinking that. Take it from us (and you all know how much we like straightforward cooking), making your own marinade is seriously straightforward and just so much better.

We bet you have everything you need on hand already! Vinegar, oil, herbs and spices come together to infuse so much flavor into chicken.

What makes it special:

• Versatile cooking methods. Cook the chicken on the grill, bake it, or air fry it. (This chicken thigh marinade and Greek chicken marinade work well for any cooking method too.)
• Works beyond chicken. Try this Italian-inspired marinade with pork, steak, or even vegetables. It’s great for grilled chicken kabobs with veggies too!

What goes in

• Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts work great here. If they’re large, consider cutting them in half lengthwise for more even cooking. Other cuts of chicken work well, too.
• Olive Oil: Really, you can use any mild-flavored oil you like. Canola, avocado, or grapeseed oils are good choices, too.
• Red or White Wine Vinegar: Sweet and tangy wine vinegar adds flavor and tenderizes the chicken. We've used both red or white, and either work just fine.
• Honey or Sugar: We like to add just a touch of sweetness to temper the tanginess of the vinegar. In addition, sugar caramelizes on the chicken as it cooks and gives it a little “bark.”
• Dried Oregano, Basil, Parsley: Use dry herbs from your pantry, or if you have herbs in your garden, use fresh herbs. Generally, the rule of thumb for substituting fresh herbs for dry is a ratio of 3:1, so if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of dried, substitute 3 teaspoons of fresh. To be honest, we usually use dried herbs because it’s easier!
• Garlic Powder, Salt, Red Pepper Flakes: These simple seasonings add a lot of zest!

How it comes together

Mix the marinade. In a small bowl or jar, combine the oil, vinegar, honey (or sugar), garlic powder, herbs, salt, and red pepper flakes. Whisk or shake until everything is well combined.

Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken in a resealable bag or shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure all the surfaces of the chicken are evenly coated. If you’re using a shallow dish, cover it with plastic wrap. If you’re using a bag, seal the bag and place it in a dish just in case of leaks. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

Cook the chicken. After the chicken has marinated the desired amount of time, remove the chicken from the marinade, letting any excess drip off. Discard the marinade.

Cook using your preferred method:

• Grill: Cook over medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, flipping once.
• Bake: Bake at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Air fry: Cook at 375°F for about 16 to 18 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of the chicken pieces, and also which cut you’re using. Generally, bone-in chicken takes longer than boneless. Always cook chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Ways to change it

• Zesty Italian marinade: If you enjoy more spicy heat, increase red pepper flakes to half a teaspoon.
• Lemony Italian marinade: Substitute lemon juice for the vinegar. Add the zest of one lemon for even more lemon flavor (or try our lemon pepper chicken marinade).
• Make kabobs. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, marinate, and grill on skewers. If you want, alternate vegetables between the chicken pieces. Good choices are sweet onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini or summer squash, or cherry tomatoes.
• Use different meat. If you prefer dark meat, this marinade will work great for chicken thighs or drumsticks, whatever you like best. You can also use it to marinate pork chops, pork tenderloin, or flank steak. Sometimes, we use it to marinate vegetables before grilling or roasting them.

Ways to serve it

• Salads. For a complete meal, serve Italian grilled chicken with panzanella salad, caprese pasta salad, or this grilled vegetable salad with zucchini and summer squash. Lately, we’ve been loving this spring orzo salad with arugula, asparagus, and pine nuts. Make a main course salad with romaine lettuce, sliced grilled chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, and a drizzle of from-scratch Italian dressing. If you want, add from-scratch croutons, too!
• Veggie sides. Roasted green beans with Parmesan and basil, or straightforward grilled zucchini go great with this chicken. If you like tomatoes, dress the chicken up with these tasty marinated tomatoes.
• Starchy sides. Instant Pot polenta is a comfort food favorite, or try nutty Instant Pot basmati rice. You can’t go wrong with roasted potatoes either!

Keeping leftovers

Make ahead: You can make this Italian chicken marinade a day or two in advance. Store it in a jar or covered container. The chicken can be marinated overnight and grilled the next day.

Refrigerate/Freeze: Store cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can freeze it for up to 4 months. We usually slice the chicken before freezing it so it thaws quickly for a speedy meal. It’s reliable for meal bowls!

Reheat: Leftover chicken can be enjoyed cold or gently warmed up. Use your microwave (don’t overdo it though!) or heat it in a skillet until heated through.

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 20 minutes
• Total: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (see note)
• ¼ cup oil (olive, canola, or grapeseed oil)
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar (red wine vinegar works well, too)
• 2 teaspoons honey or granulated sugar (or granulated sugar)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if desired)

Method

1. Combine oil, vinegar, honey, and seasonings in small jar or bowl, shake or whisk to combine.
2. Place chicken in a resealable bag and pour marinade over it, making sure the marinade covers all surfaces of the chicken. Seal the bag tightly, and place it in a dish to contain any possible leaks. (You can also marinate the chicken in a shallow covered dish.) Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight. The longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will be.
3. When ready to cook, remove chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off. Discard marinade. Let the chicken warm up slightly while you preheat the grill, oven, or air fryer. It will cook more evenly.
4. To grill: Preheat grill to medium heat. Grill chicken 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.
5. 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.
6. 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. TIP: we find that smaller pieces of chicken cook more evenly in the air fryer so we often cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Check frequently near the end of the cooking time so they don’t get overdone.
7. Cook chicken (all methods) until internal temperature reads 165°F on an instant read thermometer. Do not overcook.

Notes

Serving suggestions: Italian chicken is rich served as a main course but it can also be sliced or cubed, and used in pasta dishes, salads, meal bowls, or on sandwiches.

Marinate other meats: Italian marinade is also reliable for chicken thighs or drumsticks, pork, or steak. Use Italian marinade for veggies: You can marinate zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, mushrooms, or red onion, and grill the marinated veggies on skewers or in a grill basket.

Variations: For a lemony Italian marinade, substitute lemon juice for the vinegar. Add the zest of one lemon for even more lemon flavor. If you like zesty Italian, increase red pepper flakes to half a teaspoon.

Storage: Refrigerate cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can freeze it for up to 4 months. We usually slice the chicken before freezing it so it thaws quickly. It’s reliable for meal bowls or salads!