Our Balsamic Chicken Marinade is delicious on any cut of chicken! Tangy and sweet with fresh, vibrant herbs that flavor chicken wonderfully. But don’t stop with just chicken, you can also use this marinade recipe on turkey or pork, too!
Why We Love This Balsamic Chicken Marinade
This Balsamic Chicken Marinade is definitely a recipe to have in your back pocket. Fresh herbs and good quality balsamic vinegar with a touch of sweetness from brown sugar. If you’re looking for an easy to make chicken marinade that makes incredibly addicting chicken, this is the one to make!
- Power-house ingredients: When you’re using balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs and fresh garlic – you know the flavor is going to be on point. Even a couple of hours is going to really flavor the chicken well.
- Juicy chicken: The vinegar and oil in this marinade help to keep the chicken juicy.
- Versatile: If you don’t have balsamic vinegar, swap out red wine vinegar instead. Dried herbs can be used in place of fresh in a pinch.
Ingredients You Need
Because the ingredients for this marinade are so simple, make sure to use the best quality that you can. Fresh garlic, fresh herbs and good quality balsamic vinegar are a must.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Try using a balsamic vinegar from Modena, and one that’s aged at least 12 years. We like a balsamic vinegar that’s tart but sweet instead of more acidic.
- Olive Oil: It doesn’t have to be extra virgin, but extra virgin olive oil will impart more flavor.
- Fresh Rosemary: Rosemary is a very flavorful herb and gives this marinade a wonderful flavor. It has notes of lavendar, pine and citrus.
- Fresh Thyme: Thyme has an earthy, bright lemon flavor. It’s one of our most used herbs in many different recipes.
- Fresh Garlic: Again, fresh garlic is going to give this chicken marinade the best flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Just a tablespoon to add a slight sweetness to the marinade.
How Long Do You Have To Marinate The Chicken?
A solid 4 hours will do if that’s all the time you have, but up to 8 hours works best. However, even a couple of hours is better than nothing, especially with these flavorful ingredients.
You can even marinate this chicken overnight! Some recipes with an acid like fresh lemon juice will cause the chicken to break down if you marinate it too long, but this one is perfect for a long soak.
How To Make
Making this marinade is as easy as adding all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisking together. Pour the marinade into a plastic bag or a glass dish and then add the chicken.
You can cook your marinated chicken however you like. We often cook it on the grill, especially during grilling season, but the oven or stove top work as well. Make sure to dry most of the marinade off the chicken before grilling so the oil doesn’t cause a flare up.
Can You Freeze This Marinade?
You absolutely can. Not only can you make this balsamic chicken marinade ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready – or you can freeze it, too.
In the refrigerator, this marinade will keep for up to a week (alone without any chicken). If you haven’t used it within that time, transfer it to a resealable freezer bag and freeze it for up to 3 months. This is a great way to save some time on busy nights or planning ahead for a party or cook out.
Looking For More Marinade Recipes?
- Greek Chicken Marinade
- Teriyaki Marinade For Steak or Chicken
- Fiesta Steak Marinade (works for chicken also)
- Honey Chipotle Marinade
- Whiskey Steak Marinade
- Our Favorite Chicken Marinade
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Balsamic Chicken Marinade Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 8 hours for marinating:
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 3/4 cup marinade 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeOur Balsamic Chicken Marinade is delicious on any cut of chicken! Tangy and sweet with fresh, vibrant herbs flavor chicken wonderfully. But don’t stop there, you can also use this marinade recipe on turkey or pork, too!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped thyme
- 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for the marinade into a bowl and whisk together to combine.
- Add up to 2 pounds of chicken to a resealable bag. Pour the marinade into the bag and seal. Massage the chicken to make sure that it is completely coated in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. The more time the chicken is in the marinade the better the flavor will be!
- Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill, bake or air fry the chicken.
Recipe Notes
This marinade makes enough for approximately 2 pounds of chicken.
Store: You can make this marinade ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator for a week to 2 weeks. You can also freeze the marinade with or without the chicken for up to 3 months.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
