Mouthwatering Italian Dressing Chicken Marinade

I’ve been making this Italian dressing chicken marinade on repeat for years, and it never gets old! With just a few simple ingredients like tangy red wine vinegar and fragrant garlic, you can have juicy, flavorful chicken on the table in no time. It’s become my go-to recipe whenever I need something quick, delicious, and crowd-pleasing.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 900-1020
• Protein: 1-2 g
• Fat: 92-104 g
• Carbohydrates: 6-8 g

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

For the chicken:

• 4 chicken breasts (pounded to 3/4-inch thickness for even cooking)

Step 1: Prepare the Marinade Base

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and honey until well combined.

This acidic base will help tenderize the chicken while developing flavor.

The honey will add subtle sweetness and help balance the acidity.

Step 2: Build the Complete Marinade

• marinade base from Step 1
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Add the minced garlic, dried Italian seasoning, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the liquid mixture from Step 1.

Slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while whisking to emulsify the marinade.

I like to let this sit for a minute so the dried herbs can bloom and soften, which helps release their essential oils into the oil.

Step 3: Marinate the Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts
• complete marinade from Step 2

Place the pounded chicken breasts (at 3/4-inch thickness) into a container or resealable bag and pour the complete marinade from Step 2 over them, ensuring all pieces are well coated.

Cover or seal, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but preferably 8 to 24 hours for maximum flavor development.

I find that turning the chicken halfway through marinating helps ensure even flavor absorption on all sides.

Step 4: Cook the Marinated Chicken

• marinated chicken from Step 3

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking to bring it closer to room temperature for even cooking.

For grilling: heat your grill to medium-high heat, lightly oil the grates, and cook for 7-8 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165°F.

For baking: preheat oven to 425°F, transfer chicken to a baking dish (reserve excess marinade if desired), and bake for about 25 minutes until cooked through.

Let the cooked chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving to retain its juices.

Mouthwatering Italian Dressing Chicken Marinade

Delicious Mouthwatering Italian Dressing Chicken Marinade recipe with step-by-step instructions.

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Prep Time 4 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 hours hrs

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 960

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the marinade:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

For the chicken:

• 4 chicken breasts (pounded to 3/4-inch thickness for even cooking)

Method

 

1. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and honey until well combined. This acidic base will help tenderize the chicken while developing flavor. The honey will add subtle sweetness and help balance the acidity.
2. Add the minced garlic, dried Italian seasoning, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the liquid mixture from Step 1. Slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while whisking to emulsify the marinade. I like to let this sit for a minute so the dried herbs can bloom and soften, which helps release their essential oils into the oil.
3. Place the pounded chicken breasts (at 3/4-inch thickness) into a container or resealable bag and pour the complete marinade from Step 2 over them, ensuring all pieces are well coated. Cover or seal, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but preferably 8 to 24 hours for maximum flavor development. I find that turning the chicken halfway through marinating helps ensure even flavor absorption on all sides.
4. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking to bring it closer to room temperature for even cooking. For grilling: heat your grill to medium-high heat, lightly oil the grates, and cook for 7-8 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165°F. For baking: preheat oven to 425°F, transfer chicken to a baking dish (reserve excess marinade if desired), and bake for about 25 minutes until cooked through. Let the cooked chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving to retain its juices.