An easy, 3 ingredient Grilled Chicken Marinade, perfect for chicken breasts, thighs, or chicken pieces. I’ve deemed this the Best Grilled Chicken Marinade because it’s so easy to put together, and the chicken grills up moist and full of flavor every time!
Need inspiration for Keto Chicken Recipes? You’ll LOVE these Air Fryer Chicken Legs and this Slow Cooker Keto Butter Chicken!
An Easy, 3 Ingredient Grilled Chicken Marinade
This easy chicken marinade has recently become my go-to. Marinating chicken is the key to grilling moist and flavorful chicken. It takes so little time (just a little preplanning!), and the results are SO worth it!
I adore coconut aminos. It’s a healthier soy-free (and wheat-free!) alternative to soy sauce, perfect for gluten free, soy free, low carb and keto diets. It’s made from coconut tree sap and salt, so there is naturally occurring sugar. Used as a marinade, it leaves the chicken sweet and moist, with no need to add sugar.
Ingredients in Grilled Chicken Marinade
- 2 pounds of chicken breasts, thighs, or chicken pieces (I buy chicken from Butcher Box, to ensure the highest quality meat!)
- Coconut Aminos
- Ground Ginger
- Sea Salt
Tips for the Best Grilled Chicken
Marinating chicken before grilling is the best way to make sure the chicken doesn’t dry out while being cooked at night heat.
Marinating chicken (or any meat you’re grilling) also reduces the formation of Heterocyclic amines (HCAs), a carcinogenic compound that’s formed when meat is grilled or charred. So not only will your chicken taste better, it will also be better for you!
During the summer when we are grilling often, I try to plan a day ahead, so I can marinate the chicken for at least 12 hours.
If you have less time, no worries! This marinade works well on chicken breasts or skinless thighs in as little as 2 hours.
Marinate chicken pieces or bone-in breasts overnight for best results!
How to Marinate Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs
Start with fully defrosting chicken. If my chicken is frozen, I let it sit out at room temperature until it is defrosted.
Step 1: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. This easy marinade requires just 3 ingredients – coconut aminos, a soy-free alternative to soy sauce, ginger powder (or fresh grated ginger!), and sea salt.
Step 2: Pour marinade over chicken in a container with a lid or a ziplock bag.
Step 3: Place the chicken in the refrigerate to marinate overnight. If you don’t have enough time, try to ensure the chicken is marinating at least 4 hours. Flip chicken over, or shake up the marinating bag, at least once half way through the marinating time.
Step 4: Grill chicken over medium heat. I keep the temperature low and use a thermometer to prevent the chicken from drying out. Grill chicken, flipping occasionally, until it reaches an internal temperature of 155º F. Remove from the grill, place on a plate, and cover the chicken with foil. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise and reach food safety standards of 165º F during this time.
Tips for the Best Grilled Chicken (without drying it out!)
Chicken grills best over medium heat. The first step to grilling chicken is to make sure your grill is heated to about 350º F. If using a gas grill, this is easy to gauge. If grilling over charcoal, spread your coals out in an even single layer and allow them to become ashy before starting to grill.
I like to use a meat thermometer when grilling chicken. Chicken needs to cook to an internal temperature of 165ºF. I pull chicken off the grill at 155º F, because it will continue to cook as it rests. Allow chicken to rest (covered with foil is ideal) for about 10 minutes prior to serving).
This pocket knife sized thermometer is easy to keep near your grill.
At this temperature, chicken takes about 20-30 minutes to grill. Grill on one side until there are charred grill marks on your chicken, and then flip. Depending on how thick the chicken is, it might need to be flipped and cooked longer.
Especially when using a flavorful marinade like this one, I like to cut my chicken in thin, small pieces, so more of the chicken is infused with the flavor, and the grilling time is cut down so the outside has a nice char, but the chicken is still tender inside.
How to Serve Grilled Chicken
- Over a salad, such as this delicious Asian Cabbage Salad.
- With rice, or low carb cauliflower rice.
- At a summer gathering, with a Keto Broccoli Salad.
Try this recipe? Be sure to share your cooking with me on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram, and tag @BlissfullyLowCarb !
The BEST Grilled Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts thighs or pieces
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger or sub grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Add chicken to a marinating container or large ziplock bag. Add in marinade ingredients, and mix around to coat chicken.
- Refrigerate while marinating, flipping the chicken over half way through the marinating time. This needs at least 4 hours to marinate, but leaving it overnight (12-24 hours) is recommended.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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This really is the best (and easiest) grilled chicken marinade! I love using coconut aminos, especially paired with ginger. Yum!
Michelle makes this a lot. So yummy