Herb Marinated Chicken
on Jul 11, 2022, Updated Jul 29, 2024
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My Herb Marinated Chicken recipe is made with hands-down the best marinade you will come across. It’s the perfect recipe to make when your garden is overflowing with fresh 🌿 herbs, or you have a bunch of fresh herbs in the fridge that are just about to go bad. The secret ingredient that makes this a juicy, moist 🍗 chicken is mayonnaise, which locks in moisture and takes this recipe to the next level. Being Bulgarian, my family loves to marinate with anything creamy, such as yogurt, sour cream, or mayo. We typically use yogurt in my family to lighten things up, but mayo and sour cream are so delicious and wonderful tenderizers as well.
Why You’ll Love Herb Marinated Chicken
This Herb Marinated Chicken is absolutely perfect for lunch or dinner. Trust me, if you love 🌿 herbs, this will be your new favorite marinade. Thanks to my easy mayonnaise-based marinade, you’ll get the juiciest, most flavorful, and tender piece of chicken every time. This is a great make-ahead or meal-prep recipe, too. The longer it ❄️ marinates, the more tender and juicy it will be. This recipe makes 12 skinless boneless chicken thighs so feel free to adjust accordingly, depending on how many servings you want, or make a big batch and freeze for another meal.
How to Prepare Herb Marinated Chicken
🌿 In a food processor or a blender, add any fresh herbs you like such as basil, parsley, and fresh oregano.
🧄 Next, add the garlic, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup olive oil.
🫒 Then process for 30 seconds or until a loose consistency forms. (Add more olive oil as needed).
🍗 Add the chicken to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
❄️ Next, add the mayo and the herb mixture. Then, with clean hands, massage the chicken well and let it sit for at least 1 hour or up to overnight in the fridge.
🔥 Once you are ready to cook the chicken, simply add it to a hot grill, over medium heat.
🌡️ Cook the chicken for 25 to 30 minutes, turning it over a few times with the grill lid open, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a piece of chicken measures 165F (74C).
🥗 Enjoy with salad, potatoes, vegetables or rice on the side.
Nonna’s Tip 🌿
Use any herbs you love: thyme, rosemary, chives or cilantro will also be delicious. Whatever combo you like!
Variations and Substitutions for Herb Marinated Chicken
- Make this recipe egg- and dairy-free by omitting the yogurt, mayo, or sour cream altogether. You can also use your favorite non-dairy variety.
- Use any brand of mayonnaise you like, or sour cream or yogurt (plain). You could also use a touch of buttermilk instead.
- You can also use this marinade for pork, seafood, tofu or 🥔 vegetables.
- Feel free to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs instead, but know that the cook time will need to increase. Be sure to keep an eye on the chicken as it cooks and check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. In this case, you can also crisp up the skin in the oven by putting the oven on broil for the last couple minutes of cooking.
- Use any 🌿 herbs you love: thyme, rosemary, chives or cilantro will also be delicious. Whatever combo you like!
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Best Served With
- Serve this Herb Marinated Chicken with a big, beautiful side 🥗 salad such as my Green Goddess Salad, Simple Green Salad or Caesar Salad.
- Serve with a platter of roasted vegetables, such as eggplant, zucchini or peppers.
- This dish is lovely with a side of fluffy 🍚 rice or couscous.
Common Questions
You can bake the chicken in the oven, uncovered, at 400F (200C), for 25 to 35 minutes, until it reaches 165F (74C).
The longer you let the chicken marinate, the better it will be. I recommend overnight in the fridge or a minimum of at least 1 hour.
I always seem to have a bit of leftover marinade and I don’t want to waste it. To use it up, I toss it with some potato wedges and cook them in a baking dish alongside the chicken.
This herb-marinated chicken recipe is best with fresh herbs, but you can use dried if necessary. You’ll need to use a lot less, at least half or about one-third of the amount compared to fresh.
Yes, you can use any cut of chicken you prefer, such as chicken breasts or drumsticks as well. You could also use skin-on, bone-in thighs. Please adjust the cooking time accordingly and use a meat thermometer to make sure it’s fully cooked.
If you don’t have a food processor or blender, finely chop the herbs and garlic by hand and then stir them together with the lemon juice, olive oil, and mayonnaise in a bowl.
Herb Marinated Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, and oregano
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ¼ cup olive oil , more as needed
- 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs , or any cut of chicken
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, or plain yogurt, or sour cream
- 2 yellow potatoes, cut into wedges
Instructions
- In a food processor or a blender, add any fresh herbs you like. I used basil, parsley, and fresh oregano. Add the garlic, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup olive oil. Process for 30 seconds or until a loose consistency forms. (Add more olive oil as needed).
- Add the chicken to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the mayo and the herb mixture. With clean hands, massage the chicken well and let it sit for at least 1 hour or up to overnight in the fridge.
- Once you are ready to cook the chicken, simply add it to a hot grill, over medium heat. If you have any marinade leftover, I like to pour it on top of yellow potato wedges separately in a small dish (or foil tray) and cook them alongside the chicken. Cook the chicken for 25 to 30 minutes, turning it over a few times with the grill lid open, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a piece of chicken measures 165F (74C). The chicken can also be baked in the oven, instead of grilled (see notes below.)
- Please keep an eye on the chicken as the cook time will vary based on the size and thickness of the meat.
- Enjoy with salad on the side or any other sides you like.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The easiest most delicious chicken recipe!
I’m so happy you love this one, Sonia!
SO GOOD. I used fresh herbs from my garden — and even though my kids thought the green marinade was “sus” we all loved it!
Lol “sus” 👀! I’m glad you loved it!
This is an awesome recipe! I searched for something flavorful for my mom who’s on a very low salt diet because of heart failure. Used boneless chicken breasts and light mayo. I omitted the salt and it is still fabulous! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Sheryl. Thank you for sharing your version. So glad this could work for your mom. ❤️
Just whipped up a batch for some chicken pieces. It smells so good. Wish i had doubled the recipe.
When you say extra marinade for the potatoes do you mean the marinade that was with the chicken?
Hi Piera, yes I meant any that was left from the chicken but you don’t have to 🙂
Outstanding! Just used on planked salmon with only a 20 minute marinate time and my mouth is still watering. Cannot wait for the leftovers tonight! PS. I even forgot salt and pepper-That’s how great this is
So happy to hear that Joy, thank you for sharing that with me.