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Marinated and grilled chicken on a white serving platter with limes in the background.
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5 from 4 votes

Easy 4-Ingredient Chicken Marinade (w/ Italian Dressing)

This easy 4-Ingredient Chicken Marinade is made with zesty Italian, fresh lime juice, sweet honey, and your chicken of choice. It comes together in just minutes and makes tender, flavorful chicken every time. Pair with any number of sides for a simple grilled chicken dinner on a busy night.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Marinate Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Grill
Servings: 8
Calories: 72kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts (about 3 lbs) trimmed and cut in half horizontally (or 3 lbs of chicken tenderloins)
  • 1 cup zesty Italian dressing
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions

  • Place prepped chicken in a zipper bag. Pour marinade ingredients directly into bag. Seal well and shake/agitate the bag to coat chicken thoroughly. Marinade for 8-24 hours.
    4 chicken breasts (about 3 lbs), 1 cup zesty Italian dressing, 2 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoon lime juice
  • 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.
    **For tenderloins, reduce the cooking time by 1-2 minutes per side as needed.
  • Remove from the grill and allow to rest for a few minutes, then serve.
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Notes

Tips & Tricks
  • Use fresh lime juice instead of pre-bottled juice. Fresh juice rounds out the flavor and adds a great tang! 
  • For the most flavor, marinate the chicken overnight (up to 24 hours) or freeze it in the marinade.
  • To ensure juicy chicken tenders or breasts, create a two zone fire when grilling. One side medium-high and the other on low. If the outside of the chicken is getting done too quickly move it over to the low side until it has finished cooking.
 
Freezing Instructions
Place prepped chicken in a zipper bag, add the marinade, and give the bag a thorough mix. Then lay bag on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Stack multiple bags on top of each other to make the most of available space.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 148mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg