7 Chicken Marinades for Chicken Breast (Gluten-Free)

Jump to Recipe

You have landed on 7 of the best ever chicken marinades recipes. Enjoy these versatile chicken breast marinades on the grill or in the oven, Instant Pot or slow cooker – no matter how you prepare them, the resulting chicken is bursting with flavour. Best of all, each chicken marinade recipe is SO easy to make.

All the recipes are suitable for Gluten-Free diets and other diets as noted. Post includes Weight Watchers points.

overhead view of 7 marinades lined up in ziploc bags

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.)

Want to save this Recipe?

Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Along with recipes & tips every week!

Save Recipe

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.

Instant pot quick start guide image

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
chicken marinades in jars lined up with names

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

KITCHEN TOOLS, UTENSILS & APPLIANCES  NEEDED

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, check out my disclosure.

Here are some of the items you will need to make these marinades.

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}

overhead view of nutmeg orange chicken marinades ingredients on top and jar on bottom

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
nutmeg orange chicken marinades in a ziploc bag

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

overhead view of herb chicken marinades with ingredients on top and jar marinade on bottom

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
overhead view of herb chicken marinades in ziploc bag

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

thai red curry chicken marinades ingredients on top and marinade jar on bottom

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
overhead view of thai curry chicken marinades in ziploc bag

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

overhead view of mexican chicken marinades ingredients and jar

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
mexican chicken marinades in ziploc bag

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

overhead view of sweet chilli chicken marinades ingredients and jar

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)
sweet chilli chicken marinades in ziploc bag

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

pesto chicken marinades in a jar with olive oil on top

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)
pesto chicken marinades in ziploc bag

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

overhead view of honey chipotle chicken marinades with ingredients on top and jar of marinade on bottom

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.

seven assorted chicken marinades in glass jars on countertop

 

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).

If you’re looking for the BEST and EASIEST Instant Pot chicken breast recipe, you’ve found it! This Instant Pot recipe produces flavourful, moist, and delicious chicken breasts in no time at all. Use fresh chicken breasts or frozen chicken breasts! #instantpot #instantpotrecipes #instantpotchickenbreast #instantpotfrozenchickenbreast

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…

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.

for the instant pot or pressure cooker

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
grouping of chicken marinades in small glass jars

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.

COLLAGE SHOWING 7 CHICKEN BREAST MARINADES IN A PACK

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.

Thank you for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, UK food blog.This post contains affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! For more information, check out my disclosure.

Get the Chicken Marinade Recipes:

Don’t forget to tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter if you try 7 Chicken Marinades! It is really, really awesome for me when you make one of my recipes and I’d love to see it. You can also share it on my Facebook page. Please pin this recipe to Pinterest too! Thank you for reading Recipes from a Pantry.

Print Recipe
4.91 from 11 votes

7 Chicken Marinades

With these 7 flavourful chicken marinades, chicken breast will never be boring again.
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Western
Servings: 5
Calories: 77kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

Nutmeg Orange Chicken Marinade {Gluten-Free, Paleo, Whole 30}

  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) smooth orange juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground all spice
  • A pinch of ground cloves optional
  • Salt

Herb Chicken Marinade {Gluten-Free, Keto, Paleo, Whole 30}

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

Thai Red Curry Chicken Marinade {Gluten-Free}

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

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

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

Sweet Chilli Chicken Marinade {Gluten-Free}

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

Pesto Chicken Breast Marinade {Gluten-Free, Keto}

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

Honey Chipotle Chicken Marinade {Gluten-Free, Paleo}

  • 4 tbsp Honey
  • 4 tbsp chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp smoked chipotle paste
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice or to taste
  • Salt

Instructions

How to Cook Marinated Chicken in the Oven

  • Preheat oven to fan-assisted 180C / 200C / 400F / gas 6.
  • Add chicken to a baking pan in a single layer.
  • 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).
  • Let chicken breasts rest for at least 5 mins before serving.

How to Cook Marinated Chicken in an Instant Pot

  • 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.
  • Cover your Instant Pot and set the valve to the SEALING position.
  • Select the manual setting (or poultry setting), make sure the pressure is set to high and set the timer to 5 mins.
  • Let the steam release naturally for about 8 mins (10 mins for thicker chicken breasts) before quick releasing then opening.
  • Make sure the internal temperature has reached at least 74C (165 F).
  • Let chicken breasts rest for at least 5 mins before serving.

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

  • Heat grill to high heat.
  • 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).
  • Let chicken breasts rest for at least 5 mins before serving.

How to Cook Marinated Chicken in a Slow Cooker

  • Add both chicken breasts to a slow cooker bowl, then add marinade on top.
  • Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hrs or 3-4 hrs on high.
  • Make sure the internal temperature has reached at least 74C (165 F).
  • Let chicken breasts rest for at least 5 mins before serving.
**EASY AIR FRYER RECIPE EBOOK**Get the easy Air Fryer Recipe Binder which includes 40 quick and easy recipes all under 30 minutes cook time.
** INSTANT POT DUMP AND DASH RECIPE EBOOK**Get the Instant Pot Dump And Dash Recipes Ebook with easy recipes for busy lives.

Notes

Cook/prep/total time provided for grill only and assumes that you marinate the chicken for 30 mins.
Nutrition facts provided for Nutmeg Orange Marinade only (chicken not included).
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. 

How to Cook Marinated Chicken: Tips

No matter which method you use, always check the internal temperature of your chicken breasts 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
Weight Watchers Points in Chicken Marinades
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.

Nutrition

Calories: 77kcal | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




15 Comments

  1. I like your recipe instruction as your procedure is simple and easy to have try at home. Get this Itazura game to play. Thanks for sharing another wonderful recipe with us.

  2. 5 stars
    The post you have shared here is great. I really like and appreciate your work. The points you mentioned in this article are helpful. I have to try to follow these points and also share others.

  3. 5 stars
    Woooow…..Homemade!!! It’s the only thing that taste good! And so easy to do…

    I think I will look for these and try your recipe this weekend. Thank you for sharing!

    Dang Thai from Embeya!

  4. Chicken dishes are difficult to spoil .. But just the quality of the marinade depends on its taste and success on the table! I liked your options – I want to send them to my wife, let her begin to learn how to cook baked chicken

  5. 5 stars
    7 ways to chick chicken you share very great. I will save to use. Thank you for sharing.

  6. For freezer to instant pot users, do you freeze it in the marinade? Or, would you marinate the chicken overnight, then drain and freeze the chicken on a baking sheet, so that you don’t have a big clump of chicken? Do you think that the chicken will still have flavor?

  7. 5 stars
    Each of these marinades perfectly suits for a chicken breast and it is the marinade that makes the vks of this dish unique and helps to surprise the guests with an unusual dish.

  8. 5 stars
    I looove the sound of all these chicken marinades but I must use the red curry one first! LOOOVe Thai flavors and need a Thai chicken marinade in my life!

  9. 5 stars
    OMG! You are so wonderful to have shared 5 different marinades in one go! I have bookmarked these recipe and I’m surely going to try it out..

  10. 5 stars
    I really like how these marinades give you a choice and pretty much a new chicken flavor every day of the week. My favorite is pesto and there is no way around that!

  11. 5 stars
    What a quality post! I will be marinating tofu instead of chicken but each one of these will work out perfect with tofu. Thank you so much as I’m always looking for new marinade flavors.

    1. Thanks. Love your tofu idea. 🙂 I am excited to try all of these marinade recipes!

  12. 5 stars
    Oh my gosh these all sound so good, but that Thai red curry one is on my list for ASAP. I love the idea of having some marinated chicken in the freezer for a super easy meal. This is some serious inspiration! Pinned!