This Italian chicken marinade is my homemade take on the Italian dressing-style chicken I ate as a kid. It combines lemon, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, parsley, and basil for a bright, herby marinade.
I recreated that nostalgic meal with fresh herbs and garlic. Before the mixture touches raw chicken, you can reserve a separate portion to use as an Italian-style dressing.
Featured Ingredients
This Italian dressing chicken marinade starts with oil, acid, dried seasoning, and fresh herbs.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is the base. Vegetable or canola oil are existing swaps.
- Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the citrus flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar: This adds tang and balances the lemon.
- Italian seasoning: One teaspoon adds the dried-herb base.
- Red pepper flakes: Use the listed amount, add more for extra heat, or omit them.
- Garlic: Mince a fresh clove or use pre-minced garlic.
- Fresh parsley and basil: These fresh herbs give the marinade a different flavor than dried Italian seasoning alone.
How Long to Marinate Chicken
Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. Two hours gives the marinade time to flavor the chicken; use the full 24-hour window when you want to prep it a day ahead.
Ways to Cook Marinated Italian Chicken
Use the cooking-method guides below as separate resources. The marinade post does not provide a complete tested method for every appliance, so follow the linked guide’s temperature and doneness directions.
Baking Instructions
Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard all marinade that touched raw chicken. Follow my complete baked chicken breast guide for the tested baking method and 165ºF doneness cue.
For a freezer meal, combine raw chicken with a fresh batch of marinade in a freezer-safe bag. Do not reuse marinade that has already held chicken.
- Place a fresh batch of Italian chicken marinade and 1 lb. of raw chicken in a freezer-safe gallon-size bag.
- Remove as much air as possible and seal the bag.
- Label the bag “Italian Chicken” with the date and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator. Remove the chicken and discard the used marinade before cooking according to an approved method.
Marinade Instructions
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Add the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, water, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, garlic, parsley, and basil to a large container or gallon-size bag. A bag helps coat all sides of the chicken.
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Whisk the marinade until combined.
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Add the boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Remove as much air as possible from the bag and seal.
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Refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Baking Instructions
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Remove the chicken and discard all marinade that touched raw chicken. For the tested cooking method and 165ºF doneness cue, follow our guide to baking chicken breast.
- Nutrition information is for 1 lb. chicken breast.
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Calories: 255 kcal, Carbohydrates: 3 g, Protein: 28 g, Fat: 25 g, Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 0 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.