This Easy Citrus Chicken Marinade Recipe is fresh, zesty, and bursting with the many happy flavors of summertime. Enjoy this delicious and easy Citrus Marinade Recipe with chicken breasts, thighs, and drumsticks.
Citrus recipes abound on TFS and include Avocado Citrus Chickpea Salad and Citrus Smoked Salmon Salad with Sweet Orange Mustard Vinaigrette.
(Originally posted August 25, 2015)
Fact- marinated grilled chicken is better than non-marinated grilled chicken. Actually, just kidding, I don’t know if this can actually be proven. But if my own taste buds count for anything, they tell me that marinated chicken is always better.
Several years ago, after finally purchasing a grill, I decided to start making my own marinades. This Citrus Chicken Marinade Recipe was my very first and it has since remained my summertime favorite. Bursting with ALL THE FLAVOR, I highly recommend eating this chicken on salads, wraps, sandwiches, or with a big fruit salad.
INGREDIENTS IN THIS CITRUS CHICKEN MARINADE
- Oranges- juice + zest
- Lemons- juice + zest
- Limes- juice + zest
- Garlic
- Oil
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Sugar
- Dried rosemary
- Dried parsley
- Dried basil
This humble, yet flavorful, chicken marinade is composed of three primary parts- the citrus, the garlic, and the dried herbs. In other words, a magic, winning combination.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE JUCIEST GRILLED CHICKEN
Of course, marinating chicken doesn’t guarantee that it will be juicy. However, there are a few tips and tricks for making the very best grilled chicken possible.
- Pound your chicken. In other words, pound it to be flat, and to an even thickness. No, not like a pancake. Chicken breasts are often super fat in the middle and thin on the outside, which makes them a terrible meat to place on a grill when prepared improperly.
- Don’t set the heat too high. Medium heat is the goal, aka between 300-450 degrees.
- Clean the grates before grilling.
- And lube them up a bit since, you know, chicken breasts have virtually no extra fat.
- Keep an eye on yo meat. Chicken cooks fast- somewhere between 3-6 minutes per side, depending on thickness. But into the chicken breasts or purchase a digital meat thermometer. Chicken breasts should read 160 degrees.
- Finally, don’t forget the citrus chicken marinade 😉
CHECK OUT THESE OTHER CHICKEN RECIPES
- Loaded Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad
- Easy Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bowls
- Chicken Molé with Homemade Molé Sauce
RECIPE CARD
Citrus Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts - or thighs
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice - approx. 2-3 limes
- 1 teaspoon lime zest - finely grated
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice - approx. 2-3 lemons
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest - finely grated
- ½ cup fresh orange juice - approx. 2 large oranges
- 8 cloves garlic - minced
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
Instructions
- First, zest one teaspoon of both the lime and lemon. Set aside in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the fresh lime, lemon and orange juice. In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients (yes everything) and pulse until a uniform puree forms.
- Pour marinade into a large plastic bag (I always double-up just in case of leaks!). Add chicken, seal bag, and turn to coat. Allow chicken to marinate for at least 20 minutes, or overnight (be sure to keep chilled in the refrigerator).
- Once ready, cook according to appropriate cooking time and method (this will vary between thighs and breast). In our case, we decided to cook our chicken breasts on the grill.
- For the grill- prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (350-450 degrees). Remove the chicken from the bag and discard remaining marinade. Grill over direct medium heat with the lid closed until the meat is no longer pink in the middle, 10-15 minutes, turning once (we have fairly thick chicken breasts, so cooking times may vary). Remove from the grill and allow 3 to 5 minutes for the chicken to rest and cool.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
Amazing! Cooked my peppers in the rest of the marinade and was so wonderful
I appreciate your amazing feedback, Summer 🙂
Is it okay to use fresh parsley? I don’t have the dried one
Yes, that’s fine 🙂
I thought I no longer liked chicken…but this recipe changed my mind. Loved it❤️👏🏻
Thank you for the lovely feedback, Abigail 😀
I am happy my recipe changed your mind.
If you like this, try my Greek Chicken!
Can you use this recipe if you bake it instead of grilling the chicken?
Yes you can Luz 🙂
Sounds great but I don’t have a grill. What are the baking instructions for boneless breast of chicken?
Preheat to 425F. Transfer the chicken to your prepared baking sheet. Cook chicken for approximately 20-22 minutes, or until internal temperature reads 160-165 degrees F with a digital thermometer. Time will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breast.
6 stars
also the hint to pound the chicken breasts is a keeper
This is now on our once per month summer list. The whole family looks forward to the day!
Thats awesome, Jesse, I am honored to be on the list 😀
When did you add the zest? I do not see that step in the marinade.
Great question Sean. See step 1:
”
In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients (yes everything) and pulse until a uniform puree forms.
”
The zest gets added with all the ingredients in the blender 🙂
This was awesome!!! All five of us loved it!
Thanks for the kind feedback Marie 🙂