Unlock Flavor: 3 Easy Chicken Marinades for Irresistible Grilling and Juicy Results

Elevate your summer grilling experience with these 3 incredibly easy chicken marinades, bursting with flavor and guaranteed to make your chicken tender and juicy. Perfect for any backyard gathering or a simple weeknight meal, each marinade is crafted with fresh, simple ingredients, adding remarkable depth to your chicken thighs.

The Secret to Juicy, Flavorful Chicken: Marinades

There’s nothing quite like the aroma of sizzling chicken on a grill, especially during the warmer months. As summer approaches and holidays like the 4th of July beckon for outdoor celebrations, I often find myself planning backyard get-togethers. This year, my celebrations will be extra special, as my parents have recently moved back to Ohio, bringing them within a convenient 25-minute drive after years of living many hours away. Sharing meals with loved ones, especially with family finally close by, makes every dish taste even better.

When hosting, my priority is always to serve delicious, healthy, and easy-to-prepare food that my guests will adore. Grilling chicken is consistently my top choice, and using Just BARE®chicken ensures quality and flavor. Today’s collection of 3 Easy Chicken Marinades provides the perfect foundation for creating meals that are not only simple and healthy but also incredibly delicious. The magic of a good marinade lies in its ability to tenderize the meat, lock in moisture, and infuse every bite with an unforgettable depth of flavor, resulting in perfectly juicy grilled chicken every time.

Explore Three Distinct Chicken Marinade Flavors

The three marinades I’m sharing today offer a diverse palate of flavors, catering to various tastes. If you’re hosting a large gathering, consider preparing batches of chicken with each marinade. This thoughtful approach provides your guests with an exciting array of choices, ensuring everyone finds a flavor they’ll love. From bright and herbaceous to rich and aromatic, these marinades promise a culinary adventure.

What Ingredients Do I Need for These Flavorful Marinades?

To begin, you’ll need high-quality Just BARE Natural Chicken Thighs, along with large resealable bags for marinating. Beyond that, gather these fresh and pantry staples:

• Fresh Lemon Herb Marinade: Bright & Zesty

  This marinade is a celebration of fresh, citrusy notes and aromatic herbs. It combines olive oil, fresh lemon juice, vibrant basil, parsley, dill, a hint of crushed red pepper for warmth, minced garlic, and of course, salt and pepper. It’s incredibly versatile and pairs beautifully with many side dishes. Garnish with fresh parsley for an extra touch of freshness.

• Thai Coconut Curry Marinade: Sweet & Savory Exoticism

  For those craving an exotic twist, this rich and creamy marinade delivers a delightful balance of sweet and savory Asian-inspired flavors. It features creamy coconut milk, olive oil, finely grated fresh ginger, minced garlic, a touch of brown sugar, aromatic curry powder, golden turmeric, and seasoning with salt and pepper. This marinade transforms chicken into a tender, fragrant dish. Finish with fresh cilantro for an authentic touch.

• Moroccan Yogurt Marinade: Deep & Aromatic

  This unique marinade uses plain or Greek yogurt as its base, which works wonders in tenderizing the chicken while infusing it with deep, complex Moroccan spices. It blends plain or Greek yogurt, olive oil, a squeeze of lime juice, earthy cumin, vibrant turmeric, fragrant coriander, smoky paprika, a pinch of cinnamon, minced garlic, and salt and pepper. The result is exceptionally tender and aromatic chicken. A garnish of fresh parsley complements its robust flavors.

The Just BARE Difference: Quality You Can Trust

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’ll know my appreciation for Just BARE chicken, as I frequently partner with them to bring you delicious recipes. From Shish Taouk Chicken Thighs and Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs to Mediterranean Chicken with Basmati Rice, their products consistently deliver exceptional results, especially during grilling season.

What truly sets Just BARE apart and aligns with my values is their unwavering commitment to quality and ethical practices. Their mission to deliver “more goodness to more people” is evident in their Natural and Organic chicken varieties. This means no antibiotics ever, no added hormones, no animal by-products (they are strictly vegetable and grain-fed), and no artificial additives. As a consumer, knowing the source and quality of my ingredients is paramount, and Just BARE makes this transparent and easy.

Their natural products carry the prestigious third-party American Humane Certified seal, and each package offers remarkable traceability. My kids particularly enjoy tracing their chicken back to the family farm where it was raised! Every Just BARE Natural chicken package features a unique traceability code, located near the freshness date stamp after the words “FAMILY FARM.” Simply enter this code on the Just BARE Trace Your Chicken page to discover its origin. It’s an engaging and educational way to connect children with their food sources.

Beyond their Natural line, Just BARE’s Organic products are USDA-certified organic, reflecting their deep commitment to sustainability and a life cycle thinking approach to food production. Just BARE chicken is widely available, distributed nationally by Pilgrim’s, and can be found at select retailers and through convenient services like Amazon Fresh.

Expert Tips for Perfect Chicken Marinades and Grilling

Achieving perfectly marinated and cooked chicken is simple with a few key strategies. These tips apply to all three marinades and will help you achieve the best results every time:

• Versatility Beyond the Grill:

  While these marinades are absolute stars for summer grilling, their utility extends far beyond! They perform beautifully with various cooking methods, including slow cookers, Instant Pots, oven baking, or even stovetop pan-searing. Don’t limit these fantastic flavors to just one season or cooking style.

• Optimal Marinating Time & Storage:

  For maximum flavor absorption and tenderization, marinate your chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Ideally, aim for an overnight marinade (8-12 hours) to really let those flavors penetrate. If you’re meal prepping, you can also freeze the marinated chicken in its ziplock bag for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, simply thaw the chicken in the refrigerator overnight before grilling or cooking.

• Marinade Safety and Basting:

  Basting involves brushing extra marinade onto the chicken as it cooks to enhance flavor and moisture. However, it’s crucial for food safety never to use the marinade that raw chicken has been soaking in for basting, as it may contain bacteria. If you plan to baste, set aside a small portion of the fresh marinade before adding the chicken. Alternatively, you can boil the used marinade vigorously for several minutes to ensure it’s safe to use as a finishing sauce, but a fresh batch for basting is always the safest bet.

• Grilling to Perfection:

  When grilling chicken thighs, aim for medium-high heat. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) with no hint of pink in the center. Using a meat thermometer is the most accurate way to ensure perfect doneness. Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes after grilling to let the juices redistribute, ensuring a truly moist and flavorful result.

• Pairing Suggestions:

  These versatile grilled chicken dishes pair wonderfully with an array of sides. Consider serving the Fresh Lemon Herb chicken with a light pasta salad or a medley of grilled seasonal vegetables. The Thai Coconut Curry chicken shines alongside fluffy basmati rice and a refreshing cucumber salad. For the Moroccan Yogurt chicken, think couscous, warm pita bread, and a vibrant tomato and cucumber salsa.

I don’t know about you, but this time of year, filled with celebrations, good food, and the company of loved ones, is truly special. There’s an unmatched joy in sharing a healthy, fresh meal and lively conversation on a warm summer night. These easy chicken marinades are designed to enhance those moments, making meal prep simple and the eating experience unforgettable.

For even more culinary inspiration, especially for delicious chicken recipes, be sure to check out Just BARE’s new Instagram account. It’s a fantastic resource for beautiful food photography and creative ideas. Stop by here and discover their wonderful creations!

You can also find more chicken recipes & inspiration on Just BARE Chicken’s Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

3 Easy Chicken Marinades

Yield:
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These 3 Easy Chicken Marinades are full of flavor and perfect for your summer grilling. Each marinade is easy to put together and uses simple, fresh ingredients. These marinades help keep the chicken thighs tender and juicy, while bringing a nice depth of flavor to the meal.

Ingredients

Fresh Lemon Herb Marinade:

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons dill, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Thai Coconut Curry Marinade

• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons curry
• 1 teaspoon turmeric

Moroccan Yogurt Marinade

• 1 cup plain yogurt {I used low fat yogurt but you can use Greek yogurt}
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

For each of the marinades combine the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and whisk together. Place the chicken thighs in a large ziplock bag and add the marinade. Ziplock the bag shut and use your hands to massage the marinade into the chicken.

Refrigerate the chicken for 30 minutes, but ideally overnight. You can also freeze the marinaded chicken in the ziplock bag for up to 3 months and then let it thaw in the fridge for one or two days when you are ready to grill it.

When you are ready to grill grill chicken thighs over medium-high heat, about 6 to 8 minutes per side, until done and there is no hint of pink in the meat and an internal temperature of 165°F.

 

Notes

For the Fresh Lemon Herb Marinade I suggest garnishing with fresh parsley, for the Thai Coconut Curry Marinade I like to garnish with fresh cilantro and for the Moroccan Yogurt Marinade I use parsley to garnish.

Today’s post is sponsored by Just BARE. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that allow me to create new recipes.