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    Published: May 21, 2020 · Modified: Jun 12, 2020 by Danielle · This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.

    The Best Ever Grilled Chicken Marinade

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    Pieces of Best Ever Grilled Chicken on platter with text overlay.
    Juicy chicken breasts piled on a plate with graphic overlay.

    The Best Ever Grilled Chicken Marinade creates a juicy, tender, and immensely flavorful chicken breast. It’s a balsamic vinegar marinade that uses Worcestershire, soy, and brown sugar along with some garlic and herbs to create a main dish that goes with a large variety of sides. Plus tips are included for how to grill a juicy chicken breast every time!

    Full platter of grilled chicken with rosemary sprigs.
    Grilled chicken breast soaked in a flavorful balsamic marinade then grilled to perfection makes it perfect for any night of the week.
    Skip to:
    • 🥇 Why it’s great!
    • 🐓 Ingredients
    • 🥣 Marinade Instructions
    • 🔥How to grill juicy chicken breasts
    • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦  For a crowd
    • 🙋 Questions & Answers
    • 📖 What to serve with grilled chicken breasts
    • 👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks
    • 👋🏻 Connect with us!
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    This marinade is the bomb! By the time this post is done I hope you are convinced to grab some chicken, let it marinate in this magic liquid, and then fire up your grill for tomorrow night’s dinner.

    I originally found this on Mom on Timeout. It was delicious although a bit sweet for us. We lowered the sugar and added some freshness by swapping our dried herbs and garlic for fresh. What a difference! Now it’s over the top.

    Another easy one is this 4-Ingredient Chicken Marinade with Italian Dressing. Or if you need a great grilled chicken recipe but don't have time for a marinade, try this easy Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken!

    🥇 Why it’s great!

    • It's amazingly delicious! Like everyone stops and comments on how good the chicken is!
    • It pairs well with a variety of sides. Rice or potatoes. Grilled veggies or roasted veggies. Frozen veggies or fresh veggies. Which makes it so easy to serve.
    • The leftovers make the most amazing salads for lunch.
    • It is freezer friendly. My go-to method for keeping dinner easy is to freeze packets of chicken in marinade.
    • It is so easy to serve a large group.
    Grilled chicken close-up on tray.
    Try the leftovers of this grilled chicken on a salad for lunch. It's so easy and so delicious!

    🐓 Ingredients

    Extra virgin olive oil: Sometimes using a neutral flavored oil is fine, but we want the flavor from the EVOO.
    Balsamic vinegar: High quality balsamic is not necessary. The standard grocery store bottle will do. If you want a lighter flavor try white balsamic instead.
    Soy sauce: Regular or low-sodium.
    Worcestershire sauce: Essential for deep flavor.
    Brown sugar: Either light or dark.
    Stone ground mustard: Can be substituted with Dijon or Spicy Brown.
    Herbs: Dried rosemary is easiest, but feel free to substitute fresh.
    Salt & pepper: Essential to rounding out the flavors.
    Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is perfect here. I love the already minced stuff from the grocery store. 🤫

    Chicken and Best Ever Chicken Grilled Chicken Marinade in zipbag.
    Be sure to move around the chicken breasts in the marinade gets in between the pieces.

    🥣 Marinade Instructions

    This is a very simple process. Place all the ingredients into a bowl or jar and mix thoroughly until the sugar is dissolved.

    There are a couple tips for ensuring the tenderness of the chicken. If the breast is any larger than the palm of your hand be sure to slice it in half horizontally. Once you place the breasts in a zip baggie or bowl for marinating, be sure to move them all around so that the marinade gets in between all the pieces.

    🔥How to grill juicy chicken breasts

    In my home I am the main griller. My oldest son has taken on the role of grilling hamburgers, but I do everything else. We grill multiple times a week, mainly chicken breasts. 

    Essentially, the trick with chicken breasts is keeping the heat hot enough to create a good crust, but not so hot that the outside is incinerated before the inside is finished.

    The best way to accomplish this is to heat half of the grill to medium-high heat, leaving the other side turned off. Grill the first side of the chicken for 5-6 minutes over the heat until the edges begin to dry out and change color. Flip them over and grill for another 4-6 minutes depending on their size. If they begin to brown too much on the heated side, transfer them to the unheated side, close the lid, and cook until done.

    Chicken on grill.
    Start grilling the chicken over medium-high heat. If begins to overcook move it to the side of the grill that is turned off to finish cooking through.

    👨‍👩‍👧‍👦  For a crowd

    Absolutely! Make up as many pounds as you need ahead of time, and then just grill off the day of. Serving is especially easy if you have a helper and if you plan side dishes that require very little hands-on time while you are grilling.

    👇🏻 Look below for hands-free sides ideas if you are serving a crowd.

    🙋 Questions & Answers

    Can I prep this ahead?

    This is one of my go-to freezer prep marinades. After slicing the chicken breasts in half horizontally and placing in a gallon size bag, pour in the marinade and agitate the bag to get the marinade in between all the pieces. Then lay the bag down on a cookie sheet and freeze until it’s solid. Stack multiple bags on top of each other to make the most of available space.

    How long can I leave chicken breasts in balsamic vinegar marinade?

    The chicken breast shouldn't be left in the marinade longer than overnight. If they are left too long they will develop a mealy texture. If you want to make ahead I recommend freezing them. Instructiona are listed above.

    Overhead view of grilled chicken on platter.
    Freezing the chicken breasts in the Best Ever Marinade is a lifesaver when you don't know what to make for dinner.

    📖 What to serve with grilled chicken breasts

    • Pan Roasted Frozen Corn is a quick and delicious side dish that everyone can agree on. Bonus: It uses frozen corn!
    • The Best Brown Butter Rice Pilaf can be made before going out to the grill and will wait patiently on the stove (or in the Instant Pot!) while the chicken is grilling.
    • If you want something supremely delicious yet hands-off while you grill, make this Twice Baked Potato Bake. YUM!
    • This Autumn Chopped Salad is AMAZING! Are you getting hungry yet?
    Pieces of best ever grilled chicken layered on serving tray.
    Try serving your favorite sides with these tender and juicy grilled balsamic marinated chicken breasts for a family favorite meal.

    👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks

    • Dissolve the sugar completely by stirring before adding the chicken breasts.
    • Before marinating the chicken breasts cut in half horizontally.
    • Make sure all parts of the chicken come in contact with the marinade. Sometimes they like to stick together.

    👋🏻 Connect with us!

    If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating to let us know how it is! We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag @borrowedbites or hashtag #borrowedbites to show us your food!

    📋 Recipe

    Balsamic brown sugar marinated chicken breasts, grilled and placed on serving platter.

    The Best Ever Grilled Chicken Marinade

    Looking for the little black dress of chicken marinades? This is it! This Best Ever Grilled Chicken Marinade can be dressed up or down. It holds its own at a dinner party or a casual family dinner any night of the week.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Save Saved! Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Grill
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Marinade Time: 8 hours hours
    Total Time: 8 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 cups
    Calories: 330kcal
    Author: Borrowed Bites

    Ingredients

    • 4 chicken breasts sliced in half horizontally
    • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
    • ¼ cup soy sauce
    • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoon stone ground mustard substitute dijon or spicy brown
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
    • 2 teaspoon dried rosemary may substitute with fresh
    • 2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon pepper
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Stir all ingredients together until sugar is dissolved. Marinade chicken for 8-24 hours. * See notes. Store unused marinade in fridge for up to 2 weeks.
    • Heat grill to medium-high heat (leave half the grill unheated). Grill first side of chicken for 5-6 minutes until edges begin to dry and change color. Flip and grill for 4-6 minutes longer.
      *If chicken begins to brown too much, move chicken to unheated side of grill. Close lid and allow to finish cooking.

    Notes

    Tips & Tricks
    • Stir the marinade until the sugar is dissolved.
    • Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally before marinating them.
    • Make sure all parts of the chicken come in contact with the marinade. Sometimes they like to stick together.
    Note:
    • In our experience this marinades 10 chicken breasts cut in half which is approximately 5 pounds. 

    Add Your Own Notes

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    Nutrition

    Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1252mg | Potassium: 551mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 46IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

    All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.

    Tried this recipe?Leave a rating or pin it for later!

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