Chicken Marinade

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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.

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.

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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 minutes mins

Cook: 7 minutes mins

Total: 12 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

0.5x1x2x?

• ▢ 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.