Recipes

Kristen’s Grilled Chicken Marinade

July 13, 2020
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It is the grilling season and I have the perfect easy marinade. You step outside and can smell the grills going. That characteristic smell and you know you want to starting grilling. This is the perfect marinade for grilled chicken. Kristen’s Grilled Chicken Marinade can be made with things around the kitchen and was the brainchild of my daughter-in-law. So she gets all the credit for this no-fail marinade. I watched her put this together so easily and then tasted the result. I have used it so much – I have a sticky note of the ingredients on the inside of my spice cabinet! We have both used this for some time and it has always turned out absolutely delicious.

Kristen's Grilled Chicken Marinade - ingredients

Here’s what you will need

  • olive oil
  • lemon, zested and juiced
  • Dijon mustard
  • fresh Rosemary – chopped
  • minced garlic
  • Kosher salt
  • cracked black pepper
  • chicken breasts

Putting the marinade together

In a large mixing bowl, add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, Rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk together to emulsify.

Butterfly the chicken breasts. This will allow for best absorption of the marinade into the meat. Place the chicken breasts in the bowl and coat with the marinade.

Cover and refrigerate. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes and can be done up to 24 hours.

Grill the chicken until done.

Kristen's Grilled Chicken Marinade - Chicken Breasts marinating

Its really that simple and that great. The flavor of the lemon and the Rosemary on the grilled chicken is delicious. Serve warm or cold, pair with your favorite summer salad or even cut and use for kabobs. This is Kristen’s Grilled Chicken Marinade – perfect for a summer evening meal.

A little Rosemary Tip

I love the smell and taste of Rosemary but somehow, I don’t use up all the sprigs when I get them. Rosemary grows well out here and though I don’t have a bush, I frequently am gifted large amounts. Here’s a trick that I have found allows me to preserve the Rosemary. Take it off the stem, chop or not, and put into ice cube trays. Then cover the leaves with olive oil and put into the freezer. When you need some Rosemary, take out a couple cubes and thaw, chop and use. Great to just throw into a stew or use in this marinade.

Rosemary frozen in olive oil
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5 from 2 votes

Kristen’s Grilled Chicken Marinade

An easy marinade that great for grilling chicken. With lemon, Dijon mustard, and rosemary, this marinade is a no-fail recipe with a great refreshing flavor.
Keyword Dijon Mustard, Grilled Chicken Marinade, Lemon, marinade, Rosemary
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • Chicken to be grilled. 4-6 large chicken breasts butterflied.

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, Rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
  • Prepare the chicken. For chicken breast, butterfly the breast.
  • Place chicken breast in bowl, make sure to coat all sides of the chicken breast. Allow to marinate at least 30 minutes and can be upwards of 24 hours.
  • Grill until done.

Notes

This recipe is generally used with butterflied chicken breasts, but can also be used for chicken thighs. 

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60 Comments

    • Beth

      July 13, 2020 at 12:59 pm Reply

      Hi Alexis – Thanks so much for your comment. Yes, I love rosemary as well. Hope you enjoy it..warm or cold, your chicken will taste great!

    • Barbara

      July 13, 2020 at 1:37 pm Reply

      Oh my gosh……….I could smell the bbq going………great idea about freezing the rosemary. I am going to try that for sure. Love marinades and this sounds awesome.
      Could you run some over to me!!!!

    • Beth

      July 13, 2020 at 1:11 pm Reply

      Hi Stefani – So glad that you enjoyed the post. When I saw my daughter-in-law do this, I was amazed at how simple and yet a no-fail deliciousness. Yes, I always have a tray of rosemary cubes and use it all the time. Thanks for your comment!

    • Beth

      July 13, 2020 at 1:36 pm Reply

      Hi Alyssa – Thanks so much for your comment. Well I wish I could attach the smell and taste to the post to encourage you to try it. I am always amazed and “yumming” when I use this and taste the results. Glad you enjoyed the post.

  • Kelly

    July 13, 2020 at 2:24 pm Reply

    Beth this marinade includes pretty much all the things I love especially Rosemary and Garlic. I have made something similar to this but without the Dijon Mustard but I will definitely try your recipe out. Super simple and quick. Thanks!

    • Beth

      July 13, 2020 at 5:55 pm Reply

      Hi Jordan – Yes, this is a very Keto friendly recipe. I know this is used by several folks on Keto! Glad that you enjoyed the post and thanks for the comment. Enjoy!

  • Tricia Snow

    July 13, 2020 at 8:39 pm Reply

    5 stars
    What a great recipe and I love the rosemary idea. I have some I was going to figure out storage for soon so this is a great tip. I only cook with olive oil.

    • Beth

      July 13, 2020 at 8:43 pm Reply

      Hi Tricia – Thanks so much for your comments. Yes, I only cook with olive oil so this method was perfect. And I keep a tray of it in my freezer at all times. I need to try it with other herbs – but the heartiness of rosemary makes this work well. So it was good timing! Glad it was helpful.

    • Beth

      July 13, 2020 at 11:46 pm Reply

      Hi Sabrina – Yes, I think that it likely does, thought I seem to have an abundance of rosemary at times. I dry some of my other hbers but am going to try this with some English Thyme. Glad that you enjoyed the post and thanks for your comment.

  • Amy

    July 13, 2020 at 11:25 pm Reply

    I love to cook and the exciting thing is you gave me a new dish to try. I just checked the pantry and have all the ingredients! I’ll have to add it to our dinner list for this week!

    • Beth

      July 13, 2020 at 11:51 pm Reply

      Hi Amy – Thanks for your comment. I find that I have most of this stuff on hand and especially with the frozen rosemary. I will be making it tomorrow as well. Glad that you enjoyed the post. Thanks!

  • Marianne

    July 14, 2020 at 2:50 am Reply

    Sounds delicious! Great tip on preserving the rosemary. I tried bringing my plant inside for the winter, but it did not like it. Will have to preserve the Rosemary this way in the future!

    • Beth

      July 14, 2020 at 12:51 pm Reply

      Hi Marianne – Glad that you found the post helpful. Yes, I love having rosemary like this in the freezer. Its so hearty but I am not a gardener by any means. Thanks for your comment.

    • Beth

      July 14, 2020 at 12:52 pm Reply

      Hi Barbara – Thanks so much. Its easy and in fact, I am going to be using it again today! Glad that you enjoyed the post and thanks for your comment.

    • Beth

      July 14, 2020 at 12:53 pm Reply

      Hi Casandra – Yes, I love that as well. It works great. I just need to try it on some other herbs – but it works great for rosemary. Thanks for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the tip!

    • Beth

      July 14, 2020 at 12:53 pm Reply

      Hi Chelsea – Yes, I bet it would. I will be using it today and might just throw it on some zucchini. Glad that you enjoyed the post and thank you for your comment.

  • Barb Tharp

    July 14, 2020 at 10:22 am Reply

    Hi, old friend! I have all the ingredients for this but need to thaw the chicken breasts. Can’t wait to make it! Sounds delicious……like everything on your site!. (Finally remembered to buy the poppy seeds!)

    • Beth

      July 14, 2020 at 12:55 pm Reply

      Hi Barb – What a treat to see your comment. Hope that you enjoy the marinade. I will be using it today….again! I see you are working towards the poppy seed bread – hope you like that as well. Glad that you enjoyed the post and delighted to see you check in here.

  • Erica

    July 14, 2020 at 11:45 am Reply

    I love your posts! They are like a breath of fresh air! I am totally going to use this recipe! I LOVE the rosemary tip! Thank you for always making cooking a little easier!

    • Beth

      July 14, 2020 at 12:57 pm Reply

      Erica – Thank you so much for your comment and delighted that you enjoy the posts. I am actually using this recipe today…again….ha. With my frozen rosemary! I am not a complex or fancy cook…so glad that it can help you as well. Maybe I need to write a post about all the failures that I have done through the years…including some major kitchen damage (eeek). Thanks for your comment and glad the posts are helpful.

  • Laurie Janssen

    July 14, 2020 at 12:58 pm Reply

    I love the rosemary ice cube/olive oil suggestion! I have tons too & don’t like to freeze it as is & drying takes a while. but this seems perfect. thanks!

    • Beth

      July 14, 2020 at 1:08 pm Reply

      Hi Laurie – Thanks so much for your comment. I am going to try it with some other herbs but the rosemary seems hearty enough to hold up. I use it for a lot of things. Glad that you enjoyed the post!

    • Beth

      July 15, 2020 at 12:35 pm Reply

      Hi Sara – I am so glad that you enjoyed the post. I just used the last of my frozen rosemary last night. Will be asking my neighbor for some more from her rosemary bush (o: Thanks for your comment.

  • Suzan | It's My Sustainable Life

    July 15, 2020 at 12:09 pm Reply

    I’m always looking for great marinades to make & this one looks delicious! Thanks for sharing it.

    • Beth

      July 15, 2020 at 12:36 pm Reply

      Hi Suzan – Delighted you enjoyed the post. I just used this recipe again last night and it turned out as always. Hope you have a chance to give it a try. Thanks for your comment!

  • Eva Keller

    July 17, 2020 at 7:35 pm Reply

    5 stars
    This looks like a great, light marinade for the summer! We eat chicken at least a couple times a week and we always try seasoning it in different ways to change it up.

    • Beth

      July 17, 2020 at 7:43 pm Reply

      Hi Eva – Thanks for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post. I eat chicken a lot and this marinade has been my favorite standby – since I watched my daughter-in-law make it. Thanks!

    • Beth

      July 19, 2020 at 2:05 am Reply

      Hi Tiffany – So glad that you enjoyed the post. I actually just received another batch from my neighbor and put two trays in the freezer for future use. Thanks for your comment.

    • Beth

      July 20, 2020 at 5:13 pm Reply

      Hi Cindy – Glad that you enjoyed the post. Yes, rosemary is one of my favorites and just got another bunch from my neighbor. So in the freezer and will be using some today for more chicken! Thanks for your comment.

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