Zesty Chicken Marinade
A bright, lemony marinade that infuses boneless chicken with garlic, herbs, and a touch of heat.
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients
- 3–4 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced zest and juice combined (about 1/4 cup juice used in marinade)
- 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 and set it on the counter.
- In the dish, whisk together 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, the juice of the lemons (about 1/4 cup used in the marinade), the lemon zest (about 2 teaspoons), minced garlic, chopped parsley, dried oregano, salt, dried thyme, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper if using.
- Add the chicken pieces to the dish and turn them to coat thoroughly in the marinade.
- Cover the baking 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). When hot, 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, arrange the chicken pieces so they do not touch, and bake 15–20 minutes or until the thickest piece is cooked through.
Equipment
- 9 x 13-inch baking dish
- Whisk or fork
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Plastic Wrap
- Grill or Oven
- Rimmed baking sheet (if baking)
- Parchment paper (if baking)
Notes
- You can use this marinade on bone-in chicken; grill bone-in chicken about 40 minutes, flipping once.
- The marinade (unused) will keep up to one week refrigerated.
- Do not marinate the chicken for more than 4 hours.
- Discard marinade after removing raw chicken.
- Keep cooked leftovers refrigerated and use within 3 days.