This is the best lemon chicken marinade we’ve tried. Use our easy marinade for super tender, juicy and delicious chicken.You can use it on chicken pieces and in a variety of ways, including baking, grilling or pan-frying.
This super versatile lemon garlic chicken marinade is perfect for all kinds of chicken.We’ve been using this marinade for a long time (originally inspired by these delicious lemon chicken thighs). Although it is perfect for chicken, it is also delicious with pork, fish and vegetables.
We have used it in many of ours chicken recipesincluding these lemon garlic chicken breastjuicy grilled chickenand: Garlic Parmesan Wings. For more inspiration, try our Greek chicken marinadewhich adds plain Greek yogurt to make the chicken more tender and juicy.
Main ingredients:
- Lemon. I use fresh lemon juice and zest. The lemon juice forms the base of the marinade, while the zest adds extra lemon. I like to use a vegetable peeler to make slices of the zest.
- Olive oil. I love the flavor of the olive oil in this marinade, it makes the chicken taste better. If you intend to cook the chicken over high heat, consider replacing it with avocado oil.
- Dijon mustard. Mustard and lemon work beautifully together, so I always add a bit of Dijon to this marinade.
- Garlic. Crushed whole garlic cloves add just the right amount of fresh garlic flavor and balance the acidity of the lemon. Keeping them whole also prevents any garlic from burning later.
- Fresh herbs. These are optional, but I like to add fresh herbs to this chicken marinade.I use fresh parsley in the video, but dill, cilantro, and basil are great choices.
How long should the chicken marinate?
Making your marinade is easy, just mix all the ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and use within 2 hours.
Since this marinade contains lemon juice, do not marinate your chicken for more than 6 hours. The acidity of the lemon juice can break down the chicken proteins, resulting in a sticky texture if left in the marinade for too long. Always marinate your chicken in the refrigerator and discard leftover marinade to ensure food safety.
- Boneless chicken breast. I usually marinate the chicken breasts for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Chicken on the bone. Chicken thighs, bone-in chicken breasts and drumsticks can take a little longer. Marinate for up to 6 hours.
For more marinade recipes, see ours Greek chicken marinade, Easy Shrimp Marinadeor is this incredible? steak marinade!
Easy Lemon Chicken Marinade
We love this lemon garlic chicken marinade. This recipe makes enough marinade for 2 to 3 pounds of chicken. It works great for chicken, but you can also use it for turkey, pork, shrimp, and tofu. for
Feel free to use the marinade when cooking or grilling, just remember to set aside some of the marinade before adding your ingredients if you plan to baste.
Makes 1/2 cup
Check out We’re Making the Recipe!
You will need it
2 lemons
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional
Directions:
1:Use a vegetable peeler to peel 1 lemon, then squeeze the lemons so you have 1/4 cup (60 mL) juice.
2:In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper until the salt dissolves.
3:Stir in the garlic, lemon zest and parsley (if using).
4:Place the chicken in the marinade, then turn it a few times to coat it well. Refrigerate for up to 6 hours or 2 hours for boneless chicken breasts.
Advice from Adam and Joan
- Fresh herbs. I love parsley, but dill, cilantro, and basil are nice too.
- Marinating time: Due to the acidic nature of the lemon juice, we recommend marinating the chicken for no more than 6 hours.If you are marinating the fish, 30 minutes or less is sufficient.
- To turn into salad dressing. Add olive oil up to 1/4 cup and whisk until combined. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then remove garlic and lemon zest. Taste the seasoning and adjust with salt. Add sugar or a little honey to balance the acidity and mustard.
- The nutrition facts below are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
Serving size
1/4 cup
/
Calories
138:
/
Proteins
1 g
/
Carbohydrate
4 g
/
Dietary fiber
0 g
/
Total sugars
1 g
/
Total fat
14 g
/
Saturated fats
2 g
/
Cholesterol
0 mg
