The Best Savory Chicken
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This Savory Chicken recipe packs a punch! In fact, I think it may be the BEST chicken marinade you’ll find. Enjoy your marinated, cooked chicken a la carte, on top of a salad, on a sandwich, or in a wrap.
“Full of flavor and easy to make! My husband is picky and he even loved it!”
– Ali ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ingredients Needed
Marinating chicken is THE key to infusing flavor into typically lean, bland poultry cuts. This simple marinade requires only a few pantry staples to turn that lackluster cut into something super tasty!
Let’s meet the key ingredients to making the best Savory Chicken Marinade on earth!
Ingredient Notes:
- Red wine vinegar – Acid must be in balance with oil in any good marinade. Red wine vinegar lends an interesting twist to this recipe, but almost any vinegar will work.
- Dijon mustard – There isn’t much in this recipe, but it’s enough to add a bit more acid and a small amount of mustardy flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce – This everything-but-the-kitchen-sink type sauce makes this marinade different than our others–more savory.
How to Make Savory Chicken
Only three steps are required for this tender, flavorful Savory Chicken recipe.
Prepare Marinade
Place the marinade ingredients straight into a gallon-size freezer bag and give it a good shake. This saves you an extra dish. You could also mix the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and pour it over the chicken. Options galore!
Marinate Chicken
Add the chicken to the Ziplock bag with the marinade. Close securely and gently massage it into the meat. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Cook the Chicken
Then, grill, slow cook, pressure cook, or bake your marinated Chicken. You choose your method! We’ve included instructions for how to cook boneless chicken breasts any of these ways below.
Ways to Cook Marinated Chicken
Chicken breasts are by far the most popular cut to marinate and cook, so we’re giving you several cooking options below. You can grill, bake, slow cook, or pressure cook your boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs).
Here are four easy ways to cook marinated Honey Mustard Chicken:
Bake in the Oven
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken, until done.
Slow Cook in the Crockpot
Place chicken and marinade in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Really! That’s all it takes to get it done, otherwise, you’ll overcook and dry it out.
Here is a whole post about how long to cook chicken in the Crockpot if you’re interested!
Pressure Cook in the Instant Pot
Place chicken, marinade, and 1/3 cup chicken broth in a 6-quart Instant Pot. (Note: If using an 8 quart, add an additional 1/2 cup of broth.)
Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes and use a quick release of the pressure when the cook time is up. (Note: It will take 10-15 minutes to come to pressure before the cook time starts.)
Grill the Chicken
Pound out the chicken to about 3/4 inch thick (or cut it in half lengthwise) to help with fast and even cooking. This step is super important!
Preheat grill to medium-high heat (400-450°F) and clean the grates well. Grill for 4-6 minutes per side, closing the lid in between flipping. The cook time may take a little longer, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
How to Know When Chicken is Done
Chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internal temperature. A digital meat thermometer is a must to help cook chicken perfectly!
FAQs
The ideal marinating time for chicken is anywhere between 2-24 hours. The specific time can depend on the type and cut of chicken, as well as the acidity level of the marinade.
Yes, over-marinating chicken can actually have a negative effect on the texture and taste of the meat. Acidic marinades, in particular, can break down the proteins in the chicken too much and leave it with a mushy texture.
Absolutely! As freezer cookbook authors, we especially love how easy it is to prep these chicken breast marinades ahead of time and freeze them to have on hand for another night. Every recipe includes freezing instructions, so you can double and freeze a batch anytime.
You shouldn’t reuse marinade but you can boil it to use safely as a sauce over your finished dish using these directions. I actually do this all the time.
To kill all the raw chicken germs, be sure to bring the marinade to a rolling boil in a pot on the stove for at least 1 minute, according to the CDC‘s directions for making water safe to drink.
The World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source notes that bacteria are rapidly killed at temperatures above 149°F (65°C), which is below that of boiling water or even a simmer. So rest assured you’ll be safe if you boil it well for 1 minute. We’d suggest straining it after boiling to remove any chicken pieces.
In our tests, we found that it’s best to marinate your chicken in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours and up to 24 hours. Less than 1 hour didn’t seem to infuse enough flavor into the chicken breasts and more than 24 hours (unless the chicken was frozen for part of that time) can cause them to become a bit mealy and mushy, especially if the marinade has a high acid content.
Yes, you can marinate frozen chicken. Go ahead and throw frozen boneless chicken breasts or thighs in a freezer bag with the marinade and stick the bag in the freezer until you’re ready. Or, place the bag of chicken and marinade in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours, until thawed completely.
Absolutely! All cuts of chicken can benefit from a dip in a marinade. So, these marinades work just as well for chicken thighs and bone-in chicken. Cooking time will vary from our recipes, however, since we direct you how to cook chicken breasts.
Make It a Freezer Meal
While you’re already making this recipe for dinner, we suggest using your time wisely by prepping a few freezer meals of this chicken marinade at the same time. Your future self will thank you!
To Freeze:
Like most of our chicken freezer meals, simply combine the ingredients (the marinade & the chicken) and freeze for later. No need to let the chicken marinate before freezing.
To Prepare:
When you want to use it, let the chicken thaw one of these safe ways.
Then, grill, slow cook, pressure cook, or bake your marinated chicken. We’ve included instructions for how to cook boneless chicken breasts in the recipe below.
How to Serve Savory Chicken
I have three great ideas for how you can serve this marinated chicken recipe.
Serving Suggestion #1: With Comfort Food Sides
Grill it up (or cook using whatever method you want below) and serve a la carte with Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Garlicky Green Beans. Boil the marinade and then strain it to use as a sauce over the chicken and potatoes. Yum!
Serving Suggestion #2: Cobb Salad
Slice the cooked chicken and serve over Our Favorite Cobb Salad. Double the marinade. Use half to marinate chicken and and use the other half for salad dressing.
Serving Suggestion #3: Sandwich
Cook and serve on a whole grain bun with your favorite cheese, lettuce, tomato, and condiments. Add bacon to take it over the top!
Another idea is to serve it over butter noodles. This would be such an easy dinner!
More Chicken Marinades
Try some of our other favorite healthy chicken marinades to mix things up:
- Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Balsamic Chicken
- Asian Chicken
- Southwest Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken
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The Best Savory Chicken Recipe
This Savory Chicken recipe packs a punch! With just a few pantry staple ingredients, boring chicken is taken to a whole new flavor level.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 – 2 pounds chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Make It Now:
- Make Marinade: Add the oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper to a gallon-sized freezer bag, seal, and shake. Either seal and refrigerate until ready to use, OR add 1 1/2 – 2 pounds chicken to the bag, seal, and squish around to make sure the chicken is covered in marinade. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Marinate Chicken: Place the bag in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. (Tip: Set the bag in a container to prevent any leaks.)
- Cook Chicken: Cook the chicken using one of these methods. The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internally and/or is no longer pink inside.
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- Bake in Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. (Tip: Spray the dish/sheet pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.) Bake uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, until done. May take longer depending on the thickness of the chicken.
- Slow Cooker: Place chicken and marinade in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Really! That’s all it takes to get it done, otherwise, you’ll overcook and dry it out.
- Instant Pot: Place chicken, marinade, and 1/3 cup chicken broth in a 6-quart Instant Pot. (Note: If using an 8 quart, add an additional 1/2 cup of broth.) Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes and use a quick release of the pressure when the cook time is up. (Note: It will take 10-15 minutes to come to pressure before the cook time starts.)
- Grill: *Before marinating, pound out the chicken to about 3/4 inch thick (or cut it in half lengthwise) to help with fast and even cooking. To do this, place one breast at a time inside a freezer bag and pound with the flat side of a meat mallet. Preheat grill to medium-high heat (400-450°F) and clean the grates well. Grill for about 4-6 minutes per side, closing the lid in between flipping, until done. The cook time may be longer depending on the thickness.
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- Make Extra Sauce (optional): Instead of discarding the leftover marinade, place it in a small pot and bring it to a rolling boil on the stovetop for at least 1 minute. Watch closely so it doesn’t overflow. Strain it, if desired, and use as extra sauce over the cooked chicken.*
Freeze For Later: Follow step 1. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw, using one of these safe thawing methods, and follow Step 3. No additional marinating time needed once it is thawed!
Notes/Tips
How to Know If Chicken Is Done: Chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internal temperature. A digital meat thermometer is a must to help cook chicken perfectly! Another way to tell is if it has no more pink inside when you slice into the middle.
How to Safely Turn the Marinade Into Sauce: To kill all the raw chicken germs, be sure to bring the marinade to a rolling boil in a pot on the stove for at least 1 minute, according to the CDC. The World Health Organization (WHO) Trusted Source notes that bacteria are rapidly killed at temperatures above 149°F (65°C), which is below that of boiling water or even a simmer. So rest assured you’ll be safe if you boil it well for 1 minute. We’d suggest straining it after boiling to remove any chicken pieces.
Ideas for Serving Cilantro Lime Chicken: Make Chicken Burrito Bowls, serve on our Mexican Chopped Salad, make Shredded Chicken Nachos (or tacos), or serve it over our Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice.
Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves.
More Chicken Marinades to Try: Try some of our other favorite healthy chicken marinades to mix things up:
I haven’t made this yet, but I love how y’all give the different instruction methods!! So, thank you!! Looking forward to making this and many more. We really enjoy your recipes
Let us know which method you choose and how it turns out! So glad you enjoy our recipes Natalie.
This is one of my favorites usually served with rice pilaf and a veggie. I cut up the leftovers and throw them on a salad.
Sounds perfect Amber. Thanks for leaving a review and sharing with others how you serve it and use the leftovers!
Absolutely, delicious. I served it with mashed potatoes and green beans. The combination was perfect. It is also in my rotation of meals.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for leaving a review and letting others know how you like to serve it.
Best marinade I have made to use when grilling chicken! So tasty and moist.
Glad you found a keeper Sandy! Thanks for leaving a review. 🙂
Our favorite chicken marinade for the grill!
It’s a good one! My favorite is Southwest Chicken. But you can’t really go wrong with any of the chicken marinades. Thanks for leaving a review Lauren!
We made this tonight and it was so flavorful. I have to admit I didn’t plan enough and marinade it as long as they suggested and yet it was still good. Imagine how much better if I follow directions 😝 Delicious! Served it with mashed potatoes and roasted cauliflower & broccoli. I love their suggestion to try it in a wrap, I bet that would be a fun take!
Thank you for taking the time to let others know it turned out delicious without completely following the directions. 🙂 I’m sure when you make it again to try that wrap, it will be even more flavorful with the extra marinade time!
After marinating can you dredge with flour and fry it as well?
I’m sure you could do that. Bet it would taste good!
This one is our go-to when grilling. Over and over and over. And, if I don’t get time to freeze it in the marinade when I’m prepping trays of chicken, I just whip some up and put it in the ziploc to marinate it as it thaws for that meal. A favorite. Thanks!
Great suggestion regarding putting the frozen chicken in the marinade while it is thawing! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review Cindeelou.
Lol. Thanks. It was more of an ooops! and a great save.
Ha! Well, now you know it works in a pinch! 🙂
I made and froze this a few weeks ago and dumped it in slow cooker last week for company. Everyone loved it. Now making some for my parents to freeze.
So glad it worked well for company! And how wonderful to make meals for others. We’re so glad you’re here.
Full of flavor and easy to make! My husband is picky and he even loved it!
Hi Ali! Glad to hear your picky eater loved this one. Thanks for leaving a review.
Loved this recipe – so did my family! this will be my second time preparing this recipe – by popular request.
Wonderful Andrea! Glad to hear you’ve found a family winner!
I wasn’t sure what I expected this to taste like because of the ingredients but I wanted something new. I took that first bite and WOW! This stuff is AMAZING! I just kept eating it. Will be making this regularly.
Thanks Kim, we’re so glad you like it!
Could we sub the red wine vinegar for whiskey vinegar?
I had never heard of whiskey vinegar until now! I just looked it up and it sounds interesting for sure. Unfortunately, I don’t know how it would alter the taste of the recipe. If you do make it with the whiskey vinegar, please let us know how it turns out!
I felt inclined to comment on here and say that I tried the recipe and added garlic powder and onion powder, but this is the best marinade I’ve ever tried. Every bite was juicy and delicious.
Thanks so much for leaving a review!
These were a definite win with my husband! Served with jasmine rice & green beans. Quick, easy, using ingredients I had on hand (I used stone ground mustard instead of dijon).
Great to hear that, Lois. Really appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback and ideas here!
Thank you so much for this recipe! Im not usually a recipe-repeater but I make this one over and over again. It’s so good and my kids love it too. Every time chicken breasts are on sale I make several batches of this marinated chicken and freeze them. By the time they thaw in the fridge, they are perfectly marinated. Can’t say enough good things about this recipe!
Yay! Love that, Melanie. Do you ever use it on our Cobb Salad? That’s my favorite way to use it.