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The best chicken marinade

The best chicken marinade

Name: The best chicken marinade
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 400g chicken
Ingredients: 1 garlic clove crushed; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 hanful of fresh herbs such as parsley, basil or coriander finely chopped

Lulu Grimes

Published: May 7, 2026 at 1:13 PM

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400g chicken

Easy

Prep: 5 mins

A star rating of 5 out of 5.6 ratingsRate

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Learn how to marinate chicken with this easy four-ingredient recipe

Dairy-free

Egg-free

Low sugar

Nut-free

Vegan

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Alternatives

Complete the dish

Depending on what marinades are made of, they can be used both to add flavour to the outside of the chicken and to tenderise it. If a marinade includes sugar or salt it will tenderise the chicken a little, but if there is an acid such as lemon juice or vinegar, buttermilk or yogurt, then the marinade will transform the texture of the outside of the chicken over time.

If you leave an acidic marinade on for too long, the cooked chicken will be dry, so don’t leave it marinating any longer than overnight. Give it 5-6 hours for the best flavour and texture – if you don't have that long, even 10 minutes of marinating will give flavour to the outside of chicken. Marinades without acid can be left longer but won’t make them work any better, so stick to 24 hours as a maximum.

How marinades work

Contrary to popular belief, marinades never work their way far into a piece of chicken – they will always be surface flavours. Oil and fat won’t penetrate flesh at all, but salt will get a little way in if used in large enough quantities (1½ tbsp salt per 250ml liquid), as it loosens the muscle fibres.

Lulu's tips for making the most of your marinade

Slash your chicken joints with a sharp knife, as this creates more surface area for the marinade to work on
Cook your chicken quickly – the longer you cook it, the drier it will become
Marinades give mostly surface flavours, so choose how to cook your chicken to make the best of them
High heat will caramelise sugars, so barbecuing, grilling, pan-frying and roasting will transform a marinade into a delicious crust

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

1 garlic clove

crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 hanful of fresh herbs such as parsley, basil or coriander

finely chopped

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Nutrition: per serving (4)

kcal52
fat6g
saturates1g
carbs0.3g
sugars0.1g

low
fibre0.1g
protein0.1g
salt0g

low

Method

step 1

Mix the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and herbs in a large bowl and season well.
step 2

Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hr, or overnight

Other classic chicken marinades to try

Mediterranean marinade: ingredients include olive oil, garlic, lemon zest/juice, oregano, pepper, dried red chilli
Tandoori marinade: ingredients include yogurt, ginger, garlic, chilli, turmeric, garam masala
Jerk marinade: ingredients include garlic, chilli, ginger, thyme, brown sugar, soy sauce, allspice
Teriyaki marinade: ingredients include honey or sugar, mirin, soy sauce
Barbecue marinade: ingredients include garlic, brown sugar, wine vinegar, paprika

Looking for more chicken marinade recipes? Try our Asian-inspired roast spatchcock chicken with lemongrass, honey & fish sauce, Thai-inspired chilli-lime chicken salad, spicy one-pan piri piri chicken dinner, tapas-style smoky chicken skewers or perfect-for-entertaining hot wings next.

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