All-Purpose Chicken Thigh Marinade
This chicken thigh marinade features simple ingredients but imparts bold flavor, making it a go-to recipe to have around when preparing to grill chicken thighs. Made with mostly pantry staples, it easily fits in with a variety of cuisines.
Servings 4
Calories 330kcal
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 6 cloves garlic minced/pressed
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 ¼ teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary sprigs
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (see note for bone-in)
Instructions
To Marinate:
- Whisk together all marinade ingredients in a bowl or large measuring cup: olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, kosher salt, and pepper.
- Add chicken thighs to a gallon-sized sealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade into the bag over the chicken, then press as much excess air out of the bag as you can and before sealing it securely.
- Move and squish the bag around to allow the marinade to cover the chicken thighs entirely. Put the bag of marinating chicken flat in a baking dish or on a rimmed plate, then place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least one hour, but somewhere in the 4-6 hour range is ideal.
To Grill:
- Clean your grill grates, then oil them in your preferred manner. I dip a paper towel into a small bowl of neutral-flavored high-heat cooking oil (canola, vegetable, sunflower) and use tongs to rub the moistened paper towel along the grates. It's easier to do this before heating the grill, but if not use caution if the grill is already hot.
- Preheat the grill to high heat, then reduce it to an upper-medium heat range (400-425°F) before adding the chicken. Place the chicken on the grill over direct heat, then discard excess marinade. Cook the chicken for 7-8 minutes if the thighs are thinner and 9-10 minutes if the thighs are thicker. Flip and cook for the same amount of time on the other side, keeping the grill lid closed as much as is reasonable during the cook time. The chicken is done when the internal temperature registers 165°F in the center of the thickest piece of meat.
To Bake:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a baking dish (large enough to fit all of the chicken thighs in a single layer without touching) with cooking spray, then add the chicken. Pour over the marinade.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes (boneless) OR 40-45 minutes (bone-in) or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the thickest piece of meat registers 165°F. If using skin-on chicken thighs and you'd like the skin to be crispier, briefly pop the pan (provided that it's broiler-safe) under the broiler until crisp.
Notes
- Boneless vs. Bone-In - My preference when grilling chicken thighs is to use the boneless skinless cut as it's quicker and easier for them to cook evenly. While this marinade totally works for bone-in thighs (and, really, lots of other cuts of chicken), I recommend baking bone-in chicken thighs as they'll need longer to cook.
- Prep-Ahead - Two methods (refrigerator and freezer)
- Refrigerator - You can combine all chicken thigh marinade ingredients ahead of time, then refrigerate. If the olive oil solidifies from the cold, bring it out to room temperature to warm up some and whisk to liquefy and recombine.
- Freezer - Place chicken and and marinade in a sealed freezer bag with excess air pressed out, then freeze (raw) for up to 3 months. Thaw fully in the refrigerator before cooking.
- Marinating Time - This is listed as 4 hours for ideal absorption, but you can marinate the chicken thighs for as little as one hour. Don't marinate the chicken for much longer than 8-10 hours as the acids in the marinade can start breaking down the surface of the chicken and lead to a mushy texture.
- Storage - Store leftover cooked chicken thighs in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cooked chicken can be frozen for 3-4 months.
- Yield - This recipe yields approximately one cup of marinade.
- Nutrition - The nutritional values displayed are a very rough estimate using the assumption that one-third of the marinade was absorbed by the chicken.
Nutrition
Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.4g | Protein: 44.2g | Fat: 14.6g | Saturated Fat: 2.8g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 252mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 4.6g | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
