This grilled chicken marinade is sweet, tangy, garlicky, and made with simple pantry ingredients like apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, citrus, brown sugar, and olive oil. It helps keep chicken juicy on the grill and gives it the kind of flavor that works for cookouts, meal prep, or an easy summer dinner.
Why This Grilled Chicken Marinade Works
- Apple cider vinegar and citrus add tang and help brighten the flavor.
- Dijon mustard helps the marinade cling to the chicken.
- Brown sugar balances the acidity and helps with browning on the grill.
- Olive oil keeps the chicken moist.
- Garlic, salt, and pepper keep the flavor simple and savory.
Grilled Chicken Marinade Ingredients:
This marinade uses boneless chicken breasts, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Chicken thighs, drumsticks, or bone-in pieces can also work, but cooking time will vary.
How to Make Grilled Chicken with Marinade
Prepare the chicken. Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise, then pound them to an even thickness. This helps the chicken cook evenly on the grill.
Make the marinade. Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. If you want extra marinade for drizzling over the cooked chicken, set some aside in a clean container before adding the raw chicken.
Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken to the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Grill the chicken. Grill over medium-high heat until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
Important: Discard any marinade that has touched raw chicken.
How Long To Marinate Chicken
For boneless chicken breasts, marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Because this marinade has apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and lime juice, I would not marinate thin chicken breasts overnight. Too much time in an acidic marinade can make the texture soft or gummy.
If you are using thicker pieces, thighs, drumsticks, or bone-in chicken, you may be able to marinate a little longer, but 1–2 hours is the sweet spot for this recipe.
Storage and Freezing
Store leftover grilled chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It is great sliced for sandwiches, salads, wraps, or quick lunches the next day.
You can also freeze the cooked chicken for up to 2 months. Let it cool completely, then store it in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
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Best Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe
- Total Time: 50 min
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
A sweet, tangy grilled chicken marinade made with apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, citrus, garlic, brown sugar, and olive oil. Reserve a little before adding the chicken so you can drizzle it over the cooked chicken.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
Instructions
- Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, lime juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until the marinade is combined.
- Reserve ¼ cup of marinade in a separate clean container for serving. Do this before adding the raw chicken.
- Place the chicken in a glass dish or zip-top bag and pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Let the chicken sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes before grilling.
- Grill over medium-high heat, turning once, until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part.
- Rest for 5 minutes, then drizzle with the reserved clean marinade before serving.
Notes
- If you want extra marinade for serving, reserve it before adding the raw chicken. Discard any marinade that has touched raw chicken.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Marinate Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
Looking for some side dishes to go with your chicken:
- Our infamous Potato salad pairs beautifully with this chicken.
- How about a side dish of perfectly cooked Rice Pilaf?
- The flavors and freshness in this Four Bean Salad are amazing!
I'm going to try shrimp with this marinade and grill them....sound delicious! I loved the chicken.
Is it possible to use a different vinegar than cider vinegar for this recipe? Cider vinegar is literally the only one i don't have on hand right now. I have balsamic, red wine and white vinegars. lol
white vinegar will work fine Sheri
Going camping, you think okay to make up the marinade in advance....no chicken. Lol. I was thinking in a mason jar. I would think flavors would onky get better.
absolutely beth! As a matter of fact I have done just that only I threw all the chicken and the marinade in a big Ziploc bag and just let it marinate for a day or two. Turned out fantastic! Have fun
Made this tonight...whole family loved it, definite keeer, marinade is right balance of tangy and sweet! Thinking of trying on pork chops with some fresh rosemary tossed in. Thanks for sharing recipe, looking forward to trying more.
Made this tonight. Best grilled chicken we have ever had. Thank you for sharing, we absolutely loved this.
Can you make this on a George Foreman grill?
I don't see why not Angela! 😀
That's the way I'm about to do mine. Also I'm using thighs. I'm sure it will turn out perfect. The last time I done the recipe I marinaded the chicken overnite and found it to be alittle on the strong side. Can't wait to try this on the foreman.
I agree with you Ray. This marinade doesn't take long. I usually only do it for an hour or 2 while I am preparing other stuff. Overnight is too much.
I had to come back to let you know this was SO delicious. I'm sure I'll be making this again and again. Thanks for a great recipe.
Did you grill the chicken Mari or cook it inside? It's in the 60s here and I CANNOT wait to get the cover off my grill and start making this chicken again.
I have a cast iron grill pan which does an awesome job of giving the chicken a nice smoky flavor.
Making this right now. It says to pour part of the marinade over the chicken but it doesn't say what to do with the remainder. I'm going to assume it's for basting during grilling, is that right?
you are correct Mari. I save a little for basting and then I also save a little to pour over the chicken after it's been plated. If you do want to pour some over the chicken at the end just be sure it's not from the same marinade you're basting from due to cross contamination.
Got it! Thanks for replying so promptly...I appreciate it.
Has anyone baked this chicken? It is getting cold out and am looking to transition to baked chicken. If you think baking would work, any recommendations on temp. time, etc?
This sounds like it would be great for salmon as well 🙂
Hey I have everything but the lime... Do you think it will still be okay without it
Just wanted to say thank you! My husband told me he was so over chicken. Haha! I made this and we have now grilled with it twice. But when I say twice, each time we have grilled about ten pounds of chicken and then shred it up into little meal size portions and freeze them. When it is dinnertime I go grab a meal size bag out of the freezer and warm it up in the microwave. Then I use it on on quesadillas, Caesar salad, bbq chicken pizza, anything you can think of. You are the best. Thanks.
that's a terrific idea Megan!! I love freezing foods. As a matter of fact all this week and next week we are making a recipe a day, and enough of it that we can freeze half, so we will end up with 14 frozen meals once school starts! Take a look: https://happilyunprocessed.com/2015/08/21/14-back-to-school-freezer-meals-party/ Maybe the chicken recipe your husband loves so much will be one of them !! 😉
i have made this marinade twice now. Everyone in my family loves it! Thanks for sharing!
Thank YOU Maura for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed it! Deb
This might be a silly question but if I don't have a grill, would it still be fabulous if I pan seared it? Would there be anything to keep in mind when preparing it that way versus grilling? Looks great and can't wait to try it!
I have cooked this chicken inside Lory, but on one of those cast iron pans that have the grill like this one http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8SGP3-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Iron-10-5-inch/dp/B0000CF66W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438609297&sr=8-1&keywords=cast+iron+skillet+grill .
I really like this the only thing I did different is I zested the citrus before juicing it and used both in the marinade (seems a shame to waste the zest). I also split the marinade into two bags each with 1 leg quarters (there are only two of us) and will freeze on package with the marinade...should make for a quick meal later this month!
excellent dish!! I will be making this all summer long. thanks for sharing.
Found this recipe on Pinterest and tried it tonight! It's Amazing! I will definitely be trying out your other dishes as well 🙂 thanks!
Can I marinate this overnight? Im trying to get as much prep done ahead of time for a party!
ABSOLUTELY !!! I marinated this chicken overnight and brought it up north 5 hrs away packed in a cooler and my husband is STILL talking about it!
I don't wanna use any sugar so I was wondering if I could totally leave out any sugar or perhaps use some some liquid stivia?? I would prefer none but if you think it wouldn't turnout with no sweetness I would be willing to try stevia.
I hear your concerns about the sugar Amy. I don't know that I would omit it completely. Maybe an alternative like you suggested would work.
Has anyone tried this with bone in chicken legs?
I have and it's amazing !!! So much more flavor than breasts.