Easy Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade

Easy lemon pepper chicken marinade you can make before making grilled chicken, baked, or in your Instant Pot! Simple fresh ingredients you will love.

Best Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade Recipe

Of course you can make moist chicken all day long, but I love a great sauce. With this you won’t need anything on top, it will soak it up before cooking. Oh yes.

With fresh lemons and herbs, it’s light and refreshing that’s perfect for the summertime for sure. Okay so we make it year round but who’s counting really. Make it with breasts, thighs, or our air fryer lemon pepper wings.

Why is lemon juice good for marinating chicken?

Lemon juice is rich in citric acid which helps break down the proteins in poultry, making it more tender. It also adds a fresh, zesty taste to the meat, complementing herbs, spices, and other marinade ingredients.

Can you marinate chicken in lemon overnight?

No, in fact it can only be done for a short time. Over-marinating with lemon juice for more than 2-4 hours can make the meat mushy as the acid can break down the proteins too much so set a timer. It needs to be kept in the fridge too or the meat will spoil.

Of course you can go ahead and just cook the whole thing as is with simple seasonings. Most people prefer to cut it into pieces, but the best ways to cook it whole are crispy as an Air fryer whole chicken, or you can even bake frozen whole chicken in the oven.

Instant Pot frozen whole chicken turns out great too but none of these would be able to be marinated because it’s rock solid.

• or if it’s defrosted follow our pressure cooker whole chicken recipe, it’s amazing
• White meat chicken breast is the most popular parts on the bird. You can cook it with with or without the ribs attached.
  • Breast fillet would be what it’s called if it’s skinless and boneless.

Bone-in with the skin is going to be the cheapest but will take more time to cook.

What parts of a chicken you should marinate?

Chicken legs are probably kid’s favorite part because they’re easy to eat. Some people call them drumsticks. You can just use soy sauce for an Asian flare, or this.

• The Chicken thighs are probably my pick when it comes to recipe creation. They’re so moist, cheap, and dark meat.
• Chicken wings are amazing with a dry rub or you can use this easy chicken marinade. Don’t leave them in long though, there isn’t much meat.

The neck and back are typically discarded unless you’re making homemade chicken broth.

It is harder to find some of these in the Winter time, at least where we live, so I like to have dry herbs at all times.

How long do you marinate chicken?

It depends on what pieces you are cooking really. Wings and legs could marinate for 30 minutes and soak up enough garlic and lemon flavors in that time. A whole chicken or thick breasts would take longer. 2 to 4 hours is typical, overnight isn’t recommended with a lemon based mixture like this.

Is it better to marinate chicken in the fridge?

Yes…always!! Do not leave poultry at room temperature ever or it will increase the growth of bacteria. Put into a freezer bag with your ingredients, or in a baking dish covered with plastic wrap.

How long does chicken take to cook?

Cooking times vary widely depending on how thick your meat is. The mode of cooking makes a big difference too. That is why you MUST have a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. You can find handy guides on line like this one for how long to cook chicken.

Tips for cooking moist chicken

• A preheated grill always makes it cook quicker and more evenly.
  • same goes for making chicken in an air fryer
• You’ll want to make grilled chicken over indirect heat so it doesn’t get too brown on the outside, and still raw inside.
• For baked chicken, use the middle rack in your oven.
• If cooking on your stovetop, do so over medium high heat with a lid on to maintain the moisture.
• Once it’s done, allow meat to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Printable instructions and nutritional information provided below. Omit or add what you wish but this is what comes out great every time for us.