7 Chicken Marinades for Chicken Breast (Gluten-Free)

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Folks, you are officially on the BEST summer recipe post ever. Whilst these recipes are versatile enough to be enjoyed year-round, I’m publishing this post just before summer hits so you can enjoy them allllll summer long.

These 7 EASY chicken marinades are perfect for grilling weather and nothing says summer quite like a good grill recipe. Like this Grilled Whole Chicken and this Grilled Chicken Kabobs.

(But if the weather where you are is anything like British weather, they can be made in an Instant Pot, slow cooker or oven as backup.)

Just picture yourself lounging about, drink in hand (how about a Strawberry Daiquiri or Lemon Drop Martini?) basking in the warm sunshine, smelling the gorgeous smells of summer mixed with your deliciously marinated chicken breasts that are grilling away

…. ohhh yes, that is the summer dream right there.

I’m just helping your summer dreams become reality with these chicken marinade recipes. And best of all, you can pick whatever marinade you want to suit your mood that day.

You can go for…

• Nutmeg Orange Marinade
• Herb Marinade
• Thai Red Curry Marinade
• Mexican Marinade
• Sweet Chilli Marinade
• Pesto Marinade
• Honey Chipotle Marinade

Yeap, ALL. THE. MARINADES. There is a chicken breast marinade to make everyone happy on that list. And there is a marinade for every night of the week if you want to go chicken marinade crazy.

Chicken Marinades Tools List

Let’s get to the chicken marinades list first and then I’ll tell you how to prepare them…

7 Chicken Marinades

Note: How to ensure these are gluten-free chicken marinades

Some of these chicken marinades use sauces that are typically gluten-free, but I have not checked all brands. To be safe, please double-check all labels and if not marked gluten-free get in touch with the company to verify.

Chicken Breast Marinade #1: Nutmeg Orange Marinade {Gluten-Free, Paleo, Whole 30}

Nutmeg Orange Marinade ingredients:

• 125ml (1/2 cup) smooth orange juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 0.75 tsp ground nutmeg
• 0.5 tsp ground all spice
• A pinch of ground cloves (optional)
• Salt

Chicken Breast Marinade #2: Herb Marinade {Gluten-Free, Keto, Paleo, Whole 30}

Herb Marinade ingredients:

• 125ml (1/2 cup) chicken stock
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 0.5 tsp paprika
• 0.5 tsp ground ginger
• 0.5 tsp ground garlic
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

Chicken Breast Marinade #3: Thai Red Curry Marinade {Gluten-Free}

Thai Red Curry Marinade ingredients:

• 125 ml (1/2 cup) coconut milk
• 1.5 tbsp Thai red Curry (or to taste)
• 1.5 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Pinch of chilli flakes

Chicken Breast Marinade #4: Mexican Marinade {Gluten-Free, Keto, Paleo, Whole 30}

Mexican Marinade ingredients:

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp chicken stock
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 0.5 tsp ground Cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp chipotle paste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt

Chicken Breast Marinade #5: Sweet Chilli Marinade {Gluten-Free}

Sweet Chilli Marinade ingredients:

• 125 ml (1/2 cup) sweet chilli sauce
• 2-3 tbsp tamari soy sauce (or plain soy sauce if not gluten-free)

Chicken Breast Marinade #6: Pesto Marinade {Gluten-Free, Keto}

Pesto Marinade ingredients:

• 180 ml (3/4 cup) basil pesto (note: if pesto is thick then thin with a few tbsp of olive oil or chicken stock)

Chicken Breast Marinade #7: Honey Chipotle Marinade {Gluten-Free, Paleo}

Honey Chipotle Marinade ingredients:

• 4 tbsp Honey
• 4 tbsp chicken stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp smoked chipotle paste
• 1.5 tbsp lime juice (or to taste)
• Salt

Chef’s Tip: Each recipe is a base chicken marinade recipe; feel free to add more or less of what you like.

How to Use these Chicken Marinades

Marinate your chicken in Ziploc (or equivalent) bags – I highly recommend freezer bags even if you don’t freeze your chicken marinades. The freezer bags are sturdier and less likely to rip.

Each chicken marinade recipe will make enough to marinate 4 chicken breasts (approximately 0.7 kg/1.5 lbs) so halve or multiply up as needed.

You can marinate in the fridge or freezer – see the next section for more info on marinating times for the fridge or freezer.

 

How Long to Marinate Chicken

If marinating in the fridge: Marinate for at least 30 mins. 4+ hrs is preferable, and if you can, overnight.

If marinating in the freezer: Marinate for at least 30 mins before popping them in the freezer. (Marinating will begin again as they unthaw in the fridge.)

Instant Pot users note: It is true that if you have an Instant Pot, you can cook from frozen chicken breast. If you do the frozen packs method and want better-marinated chicken breasts, marinate for longer than 30 mins prior to freezing them (because you’ll skip the marinating-as-they-thaw step).

How to Freeze Marinate Chicken

• Add the chicken in the marinades in these very handy Ziploc freezer bags.
• Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags.
• Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer.
• Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Cook Marinated Chicken: Tips

No matter which method you use, always check the internal temperature of your chicken breasts using a  Meat thermometer to make sure they’re safe to eat (meat is done when the internal temperature reaches at least 74C (165 F)).

The standard chicken marinade recipe provides enough marinade for 4 chicken breasts (approximately 0.7kg/1.5 lbs), so the cook times below are for that quantity.

After you remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, discard the remaining marinade.

How to Cook Marinated Chicken in the Oven

Step 1. Preheat oven to fan-assisted 180C / 200C / 400F / gas 6.

Step 2. Add chicken to a baking pan in a single layer.

Step 3. Bake for 25-30 mins (begin to check at 25 mins) until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle and the internal temperature has reached at least 74C (165 F).

Step 4. Let chicken breasts rest for at least 5 mins before serving.

How to Cook Marinated Chicken in an Instant Pot (Using Fresh Chicken)

Step 1. Add 1 cup of chicken broth into the instant pot insert, place the trivet inside, before adding the chicken fillets on top of the trivet.

Step 2. Cover your Instant Pot and set the valve to the SEALING position.

Step 3. Select the manual setting (or poultry setting), make sure the pressure is set to high and set the timer to 5 mins.

Step 4. Let the steam release naturally for about 8 mins (10 mins for thicker chicken breasts) before quick releasing then opening.

Step 5. Make sure the internal temperature has reached at least 74C (165 F).

Step 6. Let chicken breasts rest for at least 5 mins before serving.

How to Cook Marinated Chicken in an Instant Pot (Using Frozen Chicken)

To cook from frozen chicken, increase the time under pressure to 10 mins instead of 5 mins. Also make sure your frozen chicken breasts are broken up and not stuck together.

Safety note: You should always check the internal temperature of your chicken breasts (using a Meat thermometer ) to make sure they’re safe to eat (meat is done when the internal temperature reaches at least 74C (165 F)), but it’s especially important to do so when cooking from frozen.

Instant Pot Chicken Breast Video

How to Cook Marinated Chicken on the Grill/Grill Pan/BBQ

Step 1. Heat grill to high heat.

Step 2. Grill chicken breasts for 3-4 mins on each side until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle and the internal temperature has reached at least 74C (165 F).

Step 3. Let chicken breasts rest for at least 5 mins before serving.

How to Cook Marinated Chicken in a Slow Cooker

Step 1. Add both chicken breasts to a slow cooker bowl, then add marinade on top.

Step 2. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hrs or 3-4 hrs on high.

Step 3. Make sure the internal temperature has reached at least 74C (165 F).

Step 4. Let chicken breasts rest for at least 5 mins before serving.

What to Serve with Marinated Chicken Breast

How about serving your delicious chicken with…

• Instant Pot Rice (post includes white rice, brown rice, Mexican rice and Jollof rice)
• Chakalaka (South African vegetable side dish)
• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Weight Watchers Points in Chicken Marinades

If you’re on Weight Watchers, you might be wondering how many points are in these chicken marinades. The answer isn’t straightforward because, as this Weight Watchers Marinating 101 article states, ‘only a small amount of the marinade is actually absorbed.’

I looked all over the Internet (allll over, folks) to try to come up with the best answer. From my research, I found that most people assign 1 point to marinades without sweetener and 2 points to marinades with sweetener.

This might be an over-calculation, but it’s better to err on the side of too many than too few. So……

• Nutmeg Orange Marinade: 2 points/serving
• Herb Marinade: 1 point/serving
• Thai Red Curry Marinade: 2 points/serving
• Mexican Marinade: 1 point/serving
• Sweet Chilli Marinade: 2 points/serving
• Pesto Marinade: 1 point/serving
• Honey Chipotle Marinade: 2 points/serving

This points value applies to both Freestyle and PointsPlus. And remember, on Freestyle, the chicken breast itself is a ‘free’ food.

Chicken Breast Marinade Pantry Staples

Marinades are the bee’s knees. You can marinate chicken, steak, lamb, ribs… just about any kind of meat can benefit from a flavourful marinade. So why not have as many marinade staples on hand as possible?? (You should see my pantry, folks. It’s marinade central in there.)

Here are a few ideas…

• Olive oil
• Chicken stock
• Coconut milk
• Various types of vinegar
• Various herbs and spices
• Various sauces and pastes like fish sauce, curry paste, sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, harissa paste
• Various sweeteners like honey, brown sugar, erythritol (sugar-free)
• Ziploc bags

Enjoy Your Marinated Chicken Breast

I hope this post has given you enough marinated chicken recipes to last you all summer long. And if not, feel free to make up your own using your pantry staples.

Thank you for reading my chicken marinade recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you.

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