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The Best Ever Grilled Chicken Marinade

The best marinade for juicy chicken—balanced with olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, and Dijon for tender, flavorful grilled results. This foolproof recipe includes clear marinating time and grilling to 165°F for consistent doneness and visible grill marks.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
marinating 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken marinade
  • 2 lb chicken Any cut; use up to 3 lb total.
  • 0.3333333333 cup olive oil
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 4 garlic cloves Minced.
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried herbs Thyme, oregano, or Italian seasoning.

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Make the marinade
  1. Whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, brown sugar, black pepper, and dried herbs until smooth and combined; the mixture should look uniformly blended.
  2. Place chicken in a large zip-top bag and pour the marinade over the chicken, then seal the bag and press gently to coat.
  3. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours, turning the bag once halfway through if possible, so the chicken stays fully coated and evenly flavored.
Grill the chicken
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, aiming for steady heat before cooking so you get defined grill marks.
  2. Remove the chicken from the bag and grill until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, timing varying by cut; flip as needed for even browning and grill marks.
  3. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before serving, keeping it juicy as the juices redistribute.

Notes

For best flavor, marinate closer to 24 hours (up to 24). Refrigerate leftover cooked chicken in a covered container for up to 4 days; freeze cooked chicken for up to 3 months. To make this more keto-friendly, replace brown sugar with an equal amount of a low-carb brown-sugar substitute.