This is the best chicken marinade you can make before grilling your breasts, legs thighs or wings! Using simple fresh ingredients it brings a pop of citrus to your mouth with every bite.
Jump To
- Why is lemon juice good for marinating chicken?
- Can you marinate frozen chicken?
- Ingredient Notes
- How long do you marinate chicken?
- Can you marinate chicken in lemon overnight?
- Is it better to marinate chicken in the fridge?
- What parts of a chicken you should marinate?
- How long does marinated chicken take to cook?
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade Recipe
- Tips for cooking moist chicken
Ready to drag out that barbecue or smoker this year but want to ensure that your poultry has the best flavor possible first? Soaked for just a little bit, you can get each piece to over the top delicious with this!
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. From larger cuts to bite size lemon pepper chicken wings it is a great way to impress your guests.
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.
Of course you can go ahead and just cook Air fryer whole chicken or Instant Pot whole chicken as is but to get the deepest flavors most people prefer to cut it into pieces.
Can you marinate frozen chicken?
Not really but you could use it as a sort of sauce when done. You would need to follow directions in our frozen whole chicken in the oven or Instant Pot frozen whole chicken first. Then when you slice the meat to serve you could drizzle a bit of this on top to soak in and pop it’s taste that way.
Remember that fresh is always best when it comes to lemons and herbs. If you cannot find one or several of them though, just use jarred/bottled y’all!
Ingredient Notes
Fresh lemons juiced + a bit of lemon zest is great too, or bottled lemon juice will work if you’re in a pinch.
Olive oil is best to coat the outside and keep it nice and moist. You could use avocado oil instead if you need an alternative.
Garlic should be freshly chopped or jarred and minced is an easier way to get those same flavors in there.
Worcestershire sauce creates a deep savory flavor to it that we love. If you didn’t have this the closest alternative would be soy sauce, but that would alter the taste.
As for the seasonings we like to add, they are; Salt and pepper to taste, Oregano, chopped Parsley is great, Basil dried or freeze dried is great to keep on hand too. 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.
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.
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.
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. air fryer 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.
How long does marinated chicken take to cook?
Cooking times vary widely depending on how thick your meat is but it doesn’t make a difference whether it has been marinated or not. 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.
Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh is always best
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp oregano, dried, or 2 tbsp minced fresh oregano
- 4 tsp parsley, dried, or 1/4 c diced fresh parsley
- 4 tsp basil, dried, or 1/4 c diced fresh basil
Instructions
- Dice all fresh herbs if you have fresh. Whisk together all liquid ingredients, then add herbs and stir together.
- Put chicken into a bowl (or freezer bag) and pour marinade over it. Use hands to massage in so each pieces is coated.
- Refrigerate at least 1 hours, but no longer than 4 hours.
- Remove and grill, bake, air fry or cook as desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tips for cooking moist chicken
Always start with 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.
Excellent
Made chicken legs withe the lemon marinade
Awesome!
I made this recipe tonight and my 2 kids and my wife said it was the best lemon pepper chicken they ever had. Trust me this marinade is worth 10 Stars. Thank you for sharing this recipe with the world. Love it!
Oh good!