Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade

overhead view of marinated grilled chicken on white plate with lemon slices

5 from 12 votes

Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade

This Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade is a flavorful way to dress up grilled chicken breast. The marinade helps tenderize the chicken, to yield juicy meat!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Chilling time2

Total Time2 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: servings

Calories: 181kcal

Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

Meat

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts about 3-4 large

For the marinade

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 lemons juice only
4 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon dried garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Pound chicken: Place 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts in heavy-duty bag or between two pieces of plastic wrap. Lightly pound using a rolling pin to 0.5-0.75 inch thickness.
Make marinade: Combine 4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, juice of 2 lemons, 4 cloves garlic (minced), 1 teaspoon dried garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper in small measuring jug.
Marinate chicken: Pour marinade over chicken in bag (if used plastic wrap, place chicken in a freezer bag and then add marinade). Close bag, removing as much air as possible. Lightly massage marinade into chicken, then place bag in a dish to catch accidental spills and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
To cook: Remove chicken from fridge 15 minutes before cooking. Remove from marinade, shaking off any excess. Discard marinade. Cook chicken your preferred way until juices run clear and the internal temperature has reached 165°F. Allow chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Ingredient notes

Chicken: Use any chicken cut you like with this recipe. I mostly use boneless, skinless chicken breast. But chicken thighs are a close second favorite!
Lemon juice: I used fresh lemon juice, but you can use ¼ cup – ⅓ cup bottled lemon juice instead.
Olive oil: Vegetable oil can be used in place of the olive oil if that’s what you prefer.

Recipe tips

Pounding: Don’t overdo the pounding, or you may break the bag.
Color: The chicken will change color in the marinade, that’s completely normal!
Resting: Make sure to rest the chicken for 5-10 minutes, on a plate tented with foil, before slicing/serving. This helps the meat to relax after cooking, making it juicier.

Storage

Leftovers: Store cooked leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezer: The raw chicken breast can be frozen in the marinade:

Make sure you label the bag with the name of the dish and the use-by date
Freeze for up to 3 months
To thaw, simply place in the fridge overnight in a dish to catch any spills. Cook as if fresh.

Please note: Nutrition was calculated using 10% of marinade, as marinade retention on chicken is very difficult to gauge.

Nutrition