Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade
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My friends and family always ask me to make this lemon garlic chicken marinade. It’s simple and delicious. I’ve made the recipe easy to follow, but it’s hard to forget!
If I were to name one thing I’m known for in my circle of friends, it’s a tasty, comforting dinner that’s easy to make yet full of flavor. This is exactly the kind of recipe that helps me keep that reputation.
This lemon garlic chicken marinade creates a tangy, savory dinner with plenty of depth and a fresh herb finish. It’s simple, reliable, and the kind of recipe you’ll want to keep on repeat. Let me show you how it’s done.
Key ingredients you’ll need
This lemon marinade for chicken uses basic kitchen staples. You won’t find any fussy ingredients here. And the great thing about this recipe is that when you marinate chicken with lemon, the lemon helps to tenderize the meat and makes tender and juicy chicken.
Chicken: This marinade is delicious on chicken breast, chicken thighs (boneless and bone-in), wings, and chicken tenders.
Olive oil: Use a basic cooking olive oil for this recipe. No need to pull out your best drizzling olive oil.
Herbs: I love fresh herbs, but dried ones work well, too. You can also substitute my Italian seasoning.
Garlic: Fresh is best and I like to mince it very small (or even grate it on a Microplane) to avoid any garlic chunks and make the flavor more pronounced.
What to serve with lemon garlic marinated chicken
My favorite sides are my creamy cucumber salad (pictured below) and my creamy celery salad; both go really well with the lemon garlic chicken. Complete the meal with some crispy roasted potatoes or some garlic butter rice.
Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- ¼ cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed for the best flavor)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano (or sub 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning for all of the fresh herbs)
- 2 tablespoons minced thyme
- 2 tablespoons minced rosemary
- 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 lb chicken thighs or breast
Instructions
- Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic into a small bowl.¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano, 2 tablespoons minced thyme, 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons minced rosemary
- Place the chicken in a shallow bowl or baking dish and pour the marinade over the top. Mix it around a little so that all the pieces are coated in the marinade. Cover the bowl then put it into your fridge to marinate for 30 minutes – 24 hours.2 lb chicken thighs or breast
Cook the chicken
- Bake: Put the chicken and all of the marinade into a shallow baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit, uncovered, for 15 minutes for boneless thighs, 20-25 minutes for breast, and 35-40 minutes for bone-in thighs.
- Grill: Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill over medium heat for 10 minutes for boneless thighs, 18-22 minutes for breast, and 30-35 minutes (over indirect heat) for bone-in thighs.
Optional: freeze the chicken
- Put the raw chicken into freezer bags (these are my favorite freezer bags), then pour the marinade over the top. Squish the bag around a little so that the chicken is coated in the marinade, then seal the bag and put it into your freezer.
Last step:
- After you make this recipe, take a picture with your phone and share it in the comments section below. I love seeing it when you make my recipes!
Equipment
Video
Nutrition
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I think this recipe was wonderful! I’m not a big fan of thyme, so I used only a 1/4 of what the recipe instructed. I think next time I may leave it out completely and use basil instead. That’s my preference, though. After cooking I added Parmesan cheese (I think feta would be lovely, too). It’s delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 😊 Adjusting the thyme to suit your taste is exactly the right move, and basil sounds like a lovely swap for next time. I love the addition of Parmesan at the end, too — and you’re right, feta would be delicious here. Thanks so much for sharing your tweaks! 💛
This is a hit with everyone I have made it for. I used Italian seasoning and garlic powder in place of the fresh spices and was surprised it was so amazing even with dried herbs. Will be making again and again, both delicious and easy. Thank you!!
I’m so glad it’s been such a hit! 😊 Italian seasoning and garlic powder are great swaps — I love hearing that it still turned out amazing with dried herbs. Thanks so much for making it and sharing your tweaks. It means a lot!
Wow! My wife called it exquisite, moist and wonderfully tasty.
I served it with Italian garlic potato wedges and a feta salad. Added a little Caesar dressing to the salad after the pic and some garlic mayo with the wedges. Thank you so much for this one amazing recipe.
Garry x
Wow — *exquisite* is such a compliment! 😊 I love hearing how you served it, too — those Italian garlic potato wedges and the feta salad sound like perfect pairings. Thanks so much to you (and your wife!) for the kind words and for taking the time to share — it really means a lot.
Followed recipe exactly and marinated chicken breasts for 2 hours. Delicious flavor and tender chicken. Served as a grilled ckicken salad.
That sounds perfect! I’m so glad the flavor and tenderness came through, and serving it as a grilled chicken salad is such a fresh, delicious idea.
can i bake this chicken with rice?
Great question! Yes, you can bake the chicken with rice, but you’ll need to adjust a few things. Use a baking dish with enough liquid (like broth or water) so the rice cooks properly—about 1 ½ cups of liquid for every 1 cup of uncooked basmati rice. Nestle the chicken on top and cover the dish with foil. Bake at 375°F for about 40–50 minutes for bone in thighs, or until the rice is tender and the chicken is fully cooked. It makes for a super convenient one-pan meal! 🍗🍚