Italian Chicken Marinade for zippy, herbaceous ultra-juicy, versatile Italian Chicken every time – with just minutes of hand’s-on prep!
This Italian Chicken Marinade is a pantry friendly, low effort, high reward recipe for zesty, herbaceous, unabashedly flavorful, juicy chicken every time. The marinade is a balanced tangy, savory blend of olive oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, pantry Italian herbs and spices – and the secret ingredient – PESTO – that inject the chicken with loads of effortless flavor. And the best part of this recipe? The marinade does ALL THE work! Come dinner time, just cook the Italian Chicken on the grill, oven or stovetop. The Italian Marinated Chicken is stand-alone scrumptious with roasted asparagus and risotto, pasta, or mashed potatoes or in salads, wraps, or sandwiches. Any way you serve this Italian Chicken will be a fresh, vibrant win!
These hot summer nights are perfect for juicy grilled chicken – all the flavor without turning on the oven! If you love grilling, you’ll love these favorites: all-purpose grilled chicken, balsamic chicken, cilantro lime chicken, lemon basil chicken, and Greek chicken.
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HOW TO MAKE Italian Chicken VIDEo
Why you’ll love This Italian Chicken Recipe
It has pesto! Just like the key to a fabulous Italian dressing is Parmesan cheese, the key to the best Italian Chicken recipe is pesto (basil with Parmesan)! Now just keep the rest of the ingredients stocked so you can enjoy a scrumptious, succulent chicken dinner with hardly any effort any night of the week.
The marinade does all the work! Just a few simple ingredients and five minutes are all you need to make the easy Italian Chicken Marinade. Then sit back and relax as it works its magic to create tender, juicy chicken, dripping with flavor from the inside out.
It’s hand’s-off fabulous for meal prep or entertaining. Just slap your chicken on the grill when guests arrive and in minutes, you’ll have tender, juicy, intoxicatingly delicious chicken.
This recipe makes dinner guilt free delicious. This Italian Chicken boasts lean chicken breasts marinated in ingredients like red-wine vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil then grilled to perfection for a high protein, low carb, satisfying dinner dripping with flavor. Just add a side of veggies for a nutritious, guilt free dinner.
It can be cooked using any method year-round. This Italian Chicken recipe is guaranteed to become a favorite so I’ve also included instructions for grilling, baking and pan searing.
It’s so versatile and great for meal prep. Make it tangier, spicier, less spicy, etc. Serve the chicken plain with potatoes/rice and veggies, in pasta, sandwiches, salads, pizza, wraps, etc. – lots of ideas outlined below!
It’s easy to scale up or down. This recipe is easy to double or triple for entertaining, for purposeful leftovers or to freeze. To scale a recipe, hove over the servings and then use the sliding scale to increase the serving size.
Ingredients for Italian Chicken Marinade
This is an incredibly versatile recipe for Italian Chicken Marinade that can be used on any cut of chicken, cooked using whatever method you prefer. To make the marinade and chicken, you’ll need the following easy-to-find ingredients (recipe measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):
What Cut of Chicken Is Best for Italian Chicken?
This Italian Chicken Marinade will work with any cut of chicken including: chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken tenderloins, chicken drumsticks, chicken legs or chicken wings. You’ll just need to adjust the cooking times if you swap out the cut of chicken, so keep that meat thermometer handy!
In this particular version, I’ve gone with chicken breasts because they are my husband’s favorite and ideal for the Mediterranean Chicken Salad coming this week! Chicken breasts work extremely well in this recipe because the marinade is rich in olive oil which helps create richer, juicier chicken breasts.
How to Make Italian Chicken Marinade
The Italian Chicken Marinade comes together quickly, but you need to let the chicken rest in the marinade for at least 30 minutes to infuse it with flavor. I’ll go into detail about how to cook Italian Chicken in the section below, but here’s how to make the actual marinade:
- Step 1: Whisk the Italian chicken marinade ingredients together in a freezer bag or glass bowl.
- Step 2: Add the chicken and turn to coat.
- Step 3: Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 12 hours (see tips below for marinating chicken).
- Step 4: When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it rest 20-30 minutes before cooking.
FAQs About Marinating Chicken
Italian Chicken is best if the marinade is allowed to work its magic for at least 4-6 hours. However, the chicken can be refrigerated in the marinated for as much as 12 hours!
Yep! You can marinate the chicken for up to 12 hours, but don’t push it too much longer than that otherwise the acid in the marinade can break down the muscle fibers too much and make your chicken mushy.
No, you should NOT poke holes in the chicken before marinating. This actually drains out the valuable juices and will result in less juicy Italian Chicken. You can cut slits in thick pieces of chicken like chicken legs to reach deeper into the protein, but never poke holes.
I prefer food-safe sealable plastic bags such as freezer Ziploc bags. They really allow the marinade to envelop the chicken vs. a dish in which the marinade might not cover all of it. When using a plastic bag, make sure to squeeze out excess air before sealing then roll up the bag so the chicken is nice and snug. Sealable bags are also great for easy cleanup – just toss them!
You may also use food grade plastic, stainless steel, or glass containers and cover with plastic wrap if they don’t have a lid. If you marinate the chicken in a shallow dish, make sure to flip the chicken over occasionally so it marinates evenly.
Always marinate chicken for a prolonged period of time covered in the refrigerator and not at room temperature to avoid food-born illness. Only remove the chicken from the fridge to the counter 30 minutes before you’re ready to grill to help bring it to room temperature so it cooks more evenly.
Yes! If you can’t get to cooking your marinating grilled chicken within 12 hours, just pop it in the freezer – another perk of using sealable plastic bags. When it’s time to cook, just thaw and cook immediately. You don’t want the chicken to marinate again or it can become mushy.
How to Cook Italian Chicken (3 Ways!)
Once the chicken breasts have had time to soak up all the flavors of the Italian Marinade, it’s time to get cooking! You can either grill, bake or pan-sear the Italian Chicken – all methods result in ultra-juicy, flavorful chicken so pick whichever cooking method is best for you.
Option 1: Grilled Italian Chicken
1. Preheat your grill to 400 degrees F with the lid closed, then clean and grease the grill grates.
2. Grill the chicken, undisturbed, with the lid closed for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until it’s cooked through.
3. I recommend grilling the Italian chicken until it reaches 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, then allowing a 5 minute carryover to reach 165 degrees F.
Option 2: PAN SEARED Italian Chicken
1. Heat a little olive oil in a large non-stick skillet or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat.
2. Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes, or until deeply golden on one side.
3. Flip the chicken over, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to medium.
Cook for approximately 5 to 7 more minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken).
4. Again, I recommend grilling the Italian chicken until it reaches 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, then allowing a 5 minute carryover to reach 165 degrees F.
Option 3: baked Italian Chicken
1. Bake chicken in a lightly greased baking dish at 400 degrees F for 14 to 16 minutes (for small/medium breasts that are about 5-6 ounces), 16 to 20 minutes (for medium/large breasts that are 7 to 9 ounces), or 20 to 25 minutes (for larger breasts).
2. As always, I recommend using an instant read meat thermometer for the most accurate/juiciest chicken. Cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, then allow to rest for 5 minutes to carryover to 165 degrees F. Cook on if your chicken is done in the allotted time!
How to Tell When Chicken Breasts Are Done?
Chicken breasts (grilled, pan fried or baked) are done when they register 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.
and then allowed to rest to reach 165 degrees F.
In order to cook your chicken to juicy perfection every time, invest in an inexpensive instant read thermometer at the grocery store or Amazon, or I am obsessed with this digital probe thermometer – you will never overcook any protein again! Instant read thermometers can be temperamental, but this digital probe thermometer retrieves temperature precisely to within ±1.8°f (±1°c) and allows you to insert a probe into two pieces of chicken/any protein at a time.
Tips the MARINATING Italian Chicken
This Italian Chicken Marinade is incredibly easy and straightforward to prepare, but there are a few things to keep in mind when marinating and cooking the chicken.
Use good-quality pesto: Homemade pesto is best if you have the time and ingredients to make it, but otherwise you want to opt for a good-quality store brand. Some store brands taste overly salty, so taste the pesto before mixing it into the marinade and adjust the salt as needed.
Sub the pesto, if needed: If you’re out of pesto, you can replace it with 3-4 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (like powder) + 1 teaspoon of dried basil.
If you‘re out of red wine vinegar: Increase the lemon juice and balsamic to 2 tablespoons each.
Adjust the seasonings as desired: I packed the Italian Chicken Marinade with various herbs and spices and think the ratios are perfect as is. However, you may prefer your Italian chicken to have a more pronounced basil flavor, be more garlic forward, etc. so adjust the seasonings as desired.
Don’t skip pounding the chicken before marinating: This makes a world of difference in producing crazy tender chicken.
Marinate the chicken: You can get away with marinating the chicken for as little as 30 minutes if it is pounded thin, but the longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will become. I recommend at least 4 hours but closer to 6 hours is ideal.
Don’t over-marinate the chicken: On the other hand, you don’t want to marinate the chicken longer than 12 hours because the acid (lemon juice and vinegars) can actually constrict the protein fibers and make your chicken tough and chewy.
Tips for COOKING THE BEST Italian Chicken
Bring the chicken to room temperature before cooking: Transfer the marinating chicken to your kitchen counter 30 minutes before grilling, baking or pan searing. Room temperature chicken cooks more evenly and quickly, which translates into juicier chicken because there is less time for moisture to be released while cooking.
Clean your grill: You should clean your grill grates before and after grilling with a wire grill brush to remove any residue. This will help create beautiful grill marks and help prevent the chicken from sticking.
Use a hot grill (or preheated grill pan): Heat up the grill with the lid closed cranked to the maximum temperature so it can achieve temperature more quickly; plan on 10-15 minutes. Once the grill is hot, you can adjust the temperature. Don’t add the chicken until the grill reaches temperature or you won’t get those beautiful grill marks.
Flip only once using tongs: After you add the chicken breasts to the grill or grill pan, don’t touch them for a full 5 minutes. You need enough time for the chicken to sear and then they will naturally release from the grill. Once you can easily move the chicken, then you can flip it over using tongs.
Don’t overcook! Cook chicken breasts just to 160 degrees F. Chicken breasts are a lean protein and therefore can dry out if overcooked. Use a meat thermometer to eliminate all of the guesswork to achieve succulent, juicy chicken every time.
Let the chicken rest: Let the grilled or pan-fried chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing or chopping. This gives the juices that have pushed to the outside of the meat time to redistribute throughout the chicken. If you cut into the chicken immediately after cooking, valuable, moisture-giving juices will run out.
- Italian Chicken Pasta: Stir chopped Italian Chicken into any of your favorite pasta recipes such as cacio e pepe, fettuccine Alfredo or healthy Alfredo, margherita pasta, roasted red pepper pasta, mushroom spaghetti or mushroom orzo. You can also create your own pasta by tossing warm pasta with garlic infused tomatoes (or any other veggies) sautéed in plenty of olive oil. Add some reserved pasta water to thin out the pasta or make it creamy with heavy cream or tangy with some balsamic. Add desired amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Italian Chicken Pasta Salad: Add chopped up chicken to your favorite Italian Pasta Salad, Caesar Pasta Salad, or Pesto Pasta Salad. To make an easy pesto version, make a dressing of pesto mixed with a little olive oil and toss it with medium cooked pasta. Add any of your favorite fixings such as cherry tomatoes, cucumbers mozzarella pearls, fresh basil, pine nuts, etc.
- Bruschetta Chicken: Top the cooked Italian Chicken with slices of mozzarella, allow to melt, then pile on the bruschetta.
- Chicken Caprese: Top the cooked Italian Chicken with slices of mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil and drizzle with balsamic reduction.
- Italian Chicken Risotto: Stir chopped chicken into Parmesan Risotto, Spinach Risotto, Mushroom Risotto or Butternut Squash Risotto.
- Italian Chicken Soup: Add chicken to any of your favorite soups such as Creamy Italian Soup, Minestrone Soup, Chicken Tortellini Soup, Lemon Soup, Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup etc. You may need to adjust the seasonings in the original soup recipe because the chicken is so wonderfully flavorful.
- Italian Chicken Bowls: Top your favorite grains (rice, couscous, quinoa etc.) with chopped chicken, roasted veggies, and your favorite toppings: shredded lettuce, artichokes, tomatoes, olives, pickled red onions, white beans, almonds, etc.
- Italian Chicken French Bread: Cut a loaf of French Bread in half. Spread with a layer of pesto or pesto combined with Alfredo sauce. Top with chopped chicken, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and any other desired toppings. Bake at 350 degrees F until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
- Italian Chicken Pizza: Top store-bought or my homemade pizza dough with Alfredo sauce, mozzarella cheese, chopped up leftover chicken and favorite toppings such as sun-dried tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, roasted butternut squash, etc. Bake according to pizza directions.
- Italian Chicken Flatbread: Follow the same toppings as for pizza but use your favorite flatbread.
- Italian Chicken Salad: My recipe coming this week! In the meantime, slice the chicken and serve it in a big green salad with spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, etc. and some fun fixings: mozzarella pears, sliced almonds, garlic croutons, etc. You can add additional oil and a splash of lemon juice to some pesto to make a pesto vinaigrette.
- Italian Chicken sandwiches: Go Caprese style by smothering bread with pesto and layering with sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and Italian Chicken, then drizzling with some balsamic, or better yet, balsamic reduction. Add any additional toppings your belly desires such as avocado, bacon, sprouts, etc.
- Italian Chicken Panini: Mix pesto and mayo or Greek yogurt together and spread on each side of sliced ciabatta bread then layer with mozzarella cheese, arugula, tomatoes, basil and sliced chicken. Top chicken with bread and grill in a greased grill pan, placing a heavy pan on top of the sandwich. Grill panini for 3 minutes per side or until cheese is melted.
- Italian Chicken Wraps: Spread a light layer of pesto down the middle of a tortilla or make it creamy by mixing pesto with mayo or Greek yogurt. Add chopped up Italian chicken and desired filling ingredients such as tomatoes, mozzarella, bell peppers, olives, red onion, lettuce, cucumber, bacon, etc. You can also swap the tortillas for low carb bib lettuce.
- Italian Chicken Potatoes: Stir chopped chicken into roasted potatoes like my pesto bacon roasted potatoes recipe.
what to serve with Italian Marinated Chicken
There are many ways you can serve this Italian chicken. You can keep it low carb and serve with zoodles or go with pasta and sautéed veggies. Here are a few serving ideas:
PASTA: Serve on a bed of buttered noodles with salt and pepper or any meatless pastas such as Cacio e Pepe, Fettuccine Alfredo or Healthy Alfredo, Margherita Pasta, Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, Mushroom Spaghetti or Mushroom Orzo.
GRAINS: Serve with a simple side or rice quinoa, or company worthy Rice Pilaf, Parmesan Risotto, Spinach Risotto, Mushroom Risotto or Butternut Squash Risotto.
LOW CARB: Go low carb and serve the chicken with cauliflower rice, cauliflower mashed “potatoes,” zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.
POTATOES: Serve the chicken over a bed of Mashed Potatoes or Pesto Mashed Potatoes or alongside Melting Butter Potatoes, Smashed Potatoes, Roasted Red Potatoes, Twice Baked Potatoes, Scalloped Potatoes or Hashbrown Casserole.
SALAD: It’s scrumptious with a big green salad, Caesar salad, Wedge Salad, Strawberry Spinach Salad, Spinach Berry Salad or Green Bean Salad.
FRUIT: Every entrée is enhanced by mother nature’s candy. Go simple with a side of grapes, melon or apples or enjoy Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette, Winter Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Poppy Seed Vinaigrette, or Berry Salad in Honey Mascarpone.
VEGGIES: Roasted, steamed, or sautéed veggies are fantastic with this Italian Chicken recipe. Some of my favorites include Bacon Wrapped Green Beans, Baked Parmesan Asparagus, Roasted Broccoli, Sautéed Lemon Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Roasted Butternut Squash.
BREAD: Of course, every Italian entrée needs a side of bread! Choose from Garlic Bread, Dinner Rolls or Garlic Parmesan Butter Breadsticks.
Can Italian Chicken Marinade Be Made in Advance?
Yes! The chicken can be left to sit in the marinade for up to 12 hours, or it can be frozen in the marinade for up to three months. When ready to eat the frozen marinated chicken, thaw and use it immediately; you do not want the chicken to marinate for a second time.
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT
Once cooked, the Italian chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm in the microwave at 30-second intervals or reheat in a 350ºF oven until warm, 5 to 8 minutes.
HOW TO Freeze
Option 1: Freeze chicken in marinade: Add the chicken to the marinade in a freezer safe bag, squeeze out excess air and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use, the chicken will marinate as you thaw the chicken in the refrigerator; cook immediately so it doesn’t marinate for too long and become mushy.
Option 2. Freeze chicken: Let the cooked chicken cool completely then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. If you want access to individual pieces of chicken without having to thaw all of the chicken, then wrap each chicken breast in plastic wrap before adding to the freezer bag. Freeze for 2 to 3 months.
Looking for more Italain chicken recipes?
Bruschetta Chicken
Italian Mozzarella Chicken Foil Packets
Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce
One-Pan Pesto Chicken Bake
Sheet Pan Parmesan Pesto Chicken with Potatoes, Broccoli and Carrots
Creamy Garlic Chicken
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Chicken Caprese
Balsamic Chicken and Veggies
Chicken Parmesan Pasta
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Italian Chicken Marinade
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Ingredients
- 3 medium chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (may sub red wine vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tsp EACH dried basil, onion, powder, garlic powder, salt, dried oregano, dried rosemary (crushed)
- 1/2 tsp EACH paprika, pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
MARINADE
- Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a freezer bag or glass bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate up to 12 hours (the longer the better).
- When ready to cook, remove chicken from the refrigerator and let rest 20-30 minutes before cooking.
TO GRILL CHICKEN:
- Preheat grill to 400 degrees F with the lid closed, clean and grease grates.
- Grill chicken undisturbed with the lid closed for 5-7 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked through. (Cook to 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, then allow to rest for 5 minutes to carryover to 165 degrees F.) Brush with additional pesto if desired.
TO COOK CHICKEN ON THE STOVE:
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes, or until deeply golden on one side.
- Flip chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked to 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, then allowed to rest for 5 minutes to carryover to 165 degrees F. Brush with additional pesto if desired.
TO BAKE CHICKEN IN THE OVEN:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Add chicken in a single layer to a l;ightly greased baking dish.
- Bake the chicken for 14 to 16 minutes (for small/medium breasts that are about 5-6 ounces), 16 to 20 minutes (for medium/large breasts that are 7 to 9 ounces), or 20 to 25 minutes (for larger breasts). As always, I recommend using an instant read meat thermometer for the most accurate/juiciest chicken. Cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, then allow to rest for 5 minutes to carryover to 165 degrees F. Brush with additional pesto if desired.
Video
Notes
Serving Ideas:
See the post for tons of ways to serve this Italian Chicken like in pasta, salad, soup, sandwiches, paninis, pizza, bruschetta chicken, chicken Caprese, etc.How to Store, Reheat and Freeze:
- To Store and Reheat: Once cooked, the Italian chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm in the microwave at 30-second intervals or reheat in a 350ºF oven until warm, 5 to 8 minutes.
- To freeze chicken in marinade: Add the chicken to the marinade in a freezer safe bag, squeeze out excess air and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use, the chicken will marinate as you thaw the chicken in the refrigerator; cook immediately so it doesn’t marinate for too long and become mushy.
- To freeze cooked chicken: Let the cooked chicken cool completely then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. If you want access to individual pieces of chicken without having to thaw all of the chicken, then wrap each chicken breast in plastic wrap before adding to the freezer bag. Freeze for 2 to 3 months.
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Brenda says
How much olive oil is added to the marinade? It’s listed in the description but I’m not finding it in the list of ingredients. It just seems like the marinade will be too thick without it. Thanks, looking forward to trying this.
Jen says
Hi Brenda, sorry for the confusion, the recipe as written is correct. There is no olive oil added to the marinade. It is more like a thick wet rub, so you get more concentrated flavor. If you want to thin it out, you can certainly add some, but it is not necessary.