Zesty Chicken Marinade
A bright, lemony marinade that tenderizes and seasons chicken for grilling or baking.
Equipment
- 9 x 13-inch baking dish or large bowl
- Whisk or fork
- Plastic Wrap
- Grill or Oven
- Rimmed baking sheet (if baking)
- Parchment paper (if baking)
Ingredients
- 3–4 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced zested and juiced (use about 1/4 cup juice)
- 4–5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
Instructions
- Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or a large bowl for the marinade.
- In the dish or bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, the juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup), the lemon zest, minced garlic, chopped parsley, dried oregano, salt, dried thyme, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper if using.
- Add the 3–4 pounds of boneless chicken breasts or thighs to the marinade and turn each piece to coat thoroughly.
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
- To grill: preheat the grill to medium (about 350–400°F). Grill the chicken 5 minutes per side or until cooked through.
- To bake: preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the chicken pieces so they do not touch. Bake 15–20 minutes, until the thickest piece is cooked through.
Notes
- You can use this marinade on bone-in chicken, which will take about 40 minutes on the grill, flipping once.
- The marinade (without raw chicken) keeps up to one week in the refrigerator.
- Marinate chicken for no more than 4 hours.
- Discard used marinade after removing raw chicken.
- Store cooked leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.