Best Grilled Chicken Marinade Ever

No, really.  This is the best grilled chicken marinade and I’ve yet to find a person who doesn’t love it unto depths of their soul.

Combine all the ingredients in a big Ziploc and shake it up, and you’re ready to add the chicken pieces.   Marinate 2 hours, all day or overnight is even better.  You can also toss the whole bag in the freezer and they will marinade as you allow them to defrost for another night’s dinner, or store overnight in the fridge to be used in the next couple days.  This is also perfect for camping!  Marinate it ahead, freeze it and it acts like a bonus ice block in your ice chest and it’s one less thing to do when you’re camping and trying to enjoy yourself.  My steak and roast marinade is also great for camping!

Make sure you use a good oil.  Many are refined removing any good nutrients, or they’re refined to mask the fact that they’re rancid.  Olive isn’t a good option for cooking, as the smoke point is too low, so I opt for avocado oil.

Also, I know a lot of people are in love with coconut aminos as an alternative to soy-based sauces, but I’m not one of them, and it will completely change the savory profile of this marinade.  When I need soy sauce, I go with San-J organic, non-GMO, gluten free Tamari that’s low-sodium.  It’s still fermented, so the health ramifications from soy are mitigated, and it actually has more depth than typical soy sauce so it’s a great option.

Money saving tips…

Now…because I’m a frugal single mom obsessed with the quality of food my children and I consume, I buy pastured chicken.  Because it costs a fortune – and I do mean that sometimes I feel like I’m going to have to auction my spare kidney on ebay – I stretch my chicken as far as it can go.

If you buy a whole bird, it’s the least expensive.  Remove the breasts and use them for my Grain Free Chicken Nuggets or Mexican Cordon Bleu, then remove the rest of the pieces and use these for this marinade. You can use the remaining carcass for bone stock!

Happy grilling!

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Best Grilled Chicken Marinade Ever

Gluten Free, this savory marinade is always a hit! Make it ahead and freeze, or use within a couple days, it's versatile. Even better now that we're moving into summer and camping weather, freeze it, throw in in your ice chest and allow it to marinate as it defrosts slowly. And...it doubles as an ice pack until then. 😉

Course

Condiment/Spice Blend, Main Dish

Cuisine

Grilling

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

25-30 minutes

Passive Time

2+ hours marinating

Servings

pieces

Ingredients

• 1/3 c low sodium tamari or GF soy sauce *
• 1/3 c lemon juice* 1 lemon is typically sufficient
• 1/3 c avocado oil, see notes below I use Chosen Foods
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce like Tabasco or Louisiana style
• 1/3 c parsley* diced, packed
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder *
• 1/4 tsp thyme* dried
• 1/4 tsp oregano* dried
• pinch mustard* ground

Course Condiment/Spice Blend, Main Dish Cuisine Grilling Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 25-30 minutes Passive Time 2+ hours marinating Servings pieces Ingredients 1/3 c low sodium tamari or GF soy sauce * 1/3 c lemon juice* 1 lemon is typically sufficient 1/3 c avocado oil, see notes below I use Chosen Foods 1/2 tsp hot sauce like Tabasco or Louisiana style 1/3 c parsley* diced, packed 1/2 tsp garlic powder * 1/4 tsp thyme* dried 1/4 tsp oregano* dried pinch mustard* ground

Instructions

1. Combine everything in a bag and shake, or a bowl and whisk. Add chicken pieces and marinate at least 2 hours. All day or overnight is even better to infuse flavors.
2. This oil has a smoke point of 500 degrees so is extremely safe for the grill.

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