Name: Simple Chicken Marinade
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs; 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce; 1/2 cup oil ((vegetable or canola oil)); 12 ounces sprite ((not diet)); 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon horseradish (, plain or horseradish sauce)

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Our easy Chicken Marinade recipe is made with 5 simple ingredients and delivers incredibly juicy, flavorful grilled chicken every time. We count on this one year-round–it's the only chicken marinade recipe you'll ever need.

This simple Chicken Marinade recipe delivers juicy, flavorful chicken every single time. It uses pantry staples and takes only 5 minutes to prep!

The 5-Minute Marinade That Turns Plain Chicken Into Wow

I've had this recipe memorized for decades and I use it every single time I'm grilling chicken– it instantly elevates it, and the flavor is amazing. The ingredient combo might surprise you (horseradish in a chicken marinade?! trust me on this!). The sprite is the secret ingredient to extra tender chicken. Once you try it, you'll completely understand why I had to share it.

Serve the chicken as the main dish with sides, or use it to meal prep or topping on salads or in pasta salads.

Don't miss my other grilling recipes, like Chicken Kabobs, Grilled Sweet Potatoes, Carne Asada Tacos, BBQ Chicken Drumsticks, Jerk Chicken Bowls, and French Onion Burgers!

How to make Chicken Marinade:

Make Marinade: Combine soy sauce, oil, sprite, garlic powder, and horseradish in a large ziplock bag. Add chicken and marinate it for 1-3 hours.

Grill Chicken: Heat grill to medium. Spray with cooking spray or rub the grill grates lightly with oil. Lay chicken on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, flipping only once, until cooked through. (I don't typically use a thermometer, but if you do, the chicken should be 165 degrees F at its thickest part).

Serve: Move chicken to a plate to rest for a few minutes before slicing. Enjoy with a side of Wild Rice Pilaf, Roasted Vegetables, or Potatoes Au Gratin. Toss it on a salad, or use it in a Hawaiian Bowl or Buddha Bowl.

This grilled chicken marinade recipe is easy to make with just five ingredients in a ziploc bag. It makes juicy, flavorful chicken that is versatile enough to serve with any side dishes!

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4.89 from 34 votes

Simple Chicken Marinade

Author: Lauren Allen

Our 5-ingredient Chicken Marinade recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that works perfectly for summer grilling or oven cooking any time of year. It yields the most tender, flavorful marinated chicken.

Prep: 5

Cook: 7

Total: 12

Servings:

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Ingredients

▢ 2 pounds chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs

Chicken Marinade:

▢ 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
▢ 1/2 cup oil, (vegetable or canola oil)
▢ 12 ounces sprite, (not diet)
▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ 1 teaspoon horseradish, , plain or horseradish sauce

Instructions

Make the marinade: Add soy sauce, oil, sprite, garlic powder and horseradish to a large ziplock bag. Add chicken and marinate for 1-3 hours.
2 pounds chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs, ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ½ cup oil, 12 ounces sprite, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon horseradish
Grill the Chicken: Heat grill to medium. Spray with cooking spray or rub the grill grates lightly with oil. Lay chicken on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, flipping only once, until cooked through. (I don't typically use a thermometer, but if you do, the chicken should be 165 degrees F at its thickest part).
Move to a plate to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

*For grilled chicken breasts: Cook about 7-8 minutes per side.

*For grilled chicken thighs: Cook about 6-7 minutes per side.

To cook on the stove: Grease your skillet or grill pan and heat it to medium high heat. Let excess marinade drip off chicken before placing in pan. Cook until chicken reaches 165°F , flipping once:

To cook in the oven: Place chicken in a shallow baking pan and bake at 400°F or until chicken reaches 165°F (about 15 minutes for tenders, 20-30 minutes for breasts, or 30-45 minutes for thighs)

Sprite: Adds sweetness and helps to tenderize the meat. 7-up would also work well.

Horseradish: It may sound like an interesting ingredient, but I promise it wont make the chicken “spicy” at all–it just adds depth of flavor that blends perfectly with the soy sauce and the tang of the sprite.

Make Ahead Instructions: Marinate chicken 3-6 hours ahead of time depending on the type of chicken you choose. Place marinating chicken in the refrigerator and remove 20 minutes prior to cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.

Freezing Instructions: Make marinade and add to a freezer safe resealable bag. Add chicken and place the bag laying flat in the freezer (it will be easier to store this way). Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcal, Protein: 13g, Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 503mg, Potassium: 242mg, Vitamin A: 20IU, Vitamin C: 0.8mg, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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I originally shared this recipe June 2017. Updated May 2020 and April 2026.

4.89 from 34 votes (24 ratings without comment)

24 Comments

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Liz

18 days ago

This is by far my favorite chicken marinade recipe i’ve found.

Nancy

29 days ago

Hi, can this be made without the horseradish and garlic. What would be good substitutes.
Thanks
nancy

Admin

Stacy Popham

Reply to Nancy

Hi Nancy! Yep, you can skip both. If you want a little of that tang the horseradish gives, add 1–2 tsp Dijon mustard or a splash of lemon juice. And the garlic powder can just be left out (or swap in a pinch of onion powder if you’ve got it).

golddome

I used this marinade last night for the first time. It’s AWESOME! So flavorful and moist. I took the chicken breasts off the grill when the temp was 160 F. This will be my go to marinade when grilling chicken.

Shelley

1 month ago

Try this using ginger ale! Great on boneless country ribs, too. Just add BBQ sauce at the end of grilling if you want. YUMMM!

Tina Welborn

2 years ago

This. 😙👌
We keep coming back to this marinade recipe. It does its job—tender, juicy, flavorful chicken every time! Our teen, who puts buffalo or ranch on everything, eats this chicken ‘plain’. That’s a statement!

Becky

I’ve made this recipe several times and it tastes delicious every time! I’d highly recommend it. I usually put more garlic powder into horseradish because I love garlic and horseradish. We grill it on our charcoal grill. Highly recommend doing it on the charcoal grill, tastes amazing!

Amy

4 years ago

I really wanted this chicken to be good. I hate leaving bad reviews. The marinade was made exactly according to the recipe. The chicken turned out bland and flavorless. I’m bummed

CindyLou

This sounds delicious! I am curious as to why you can not use diet soda? (I can not have sugar, so I was hoping to try it with diet) However I guess I can make for everyone else 😊. I’m a sucker for a great marinade!!

Author

Lauren Allen

Reply to CindyLou

You can if you want, but the sugar adds flavor that you wont get from aspartame, and it makes a huge difference when it caramelizes as it hits the hot grill, when grilling the meat.