Delicious Chicken Thigh Marinades {5 Ways}

Name: Delicious Chicken Thigh Marinades {5 Ways}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1/4 cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce; 1 tbsp lime juice; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper; 2 tbsp honey; 2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar; 2 tbsp honey; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1/4 cup lemon juice; 1 tbsp oregano; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper

These Delicious Chicken Thigh Marinades are perfect for meal prep and super easy! Try Sesame, Chipotle, Greek, Balsamic and Honey Dijon.

Ingredients and substitutions

Boneless skinless chicken thighs – you could also use bone-in, skin-on thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Garlic sesame marinade

Sesame oil – the sesame oil will give you that amazing flavour but you can also use a neutral cooking oil like canola oil – just keep in mind the taste will be different.
Low-sodium soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari would be the best substitutes here.
Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but the jarred variety will work in a pinch.
Ginger – if you don’t have any fresh ginger on hand, try using a bit of ground ginger instead.

Chipotle marinade

Olive oil – or any other neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – chipotle powder or paprika would provide a similar flavour profile.
Lime juice – I prefer freshly squeezed lime juice but bottled lime or even lemon juice can be used.
Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but the jarred variety will work in a pinch.
Salt & pepper – to taste.

Honey Dijon

Honey – dates are a great substitute for honey in this recipe.
Dijon mustard – try using stone-ground mustard instead.
Olive oil – or any other neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
Salt & pepper – to taste.

Balsamic marinade

Olive oil – or any other neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
Balsamic vinegar – you can try using a bit of red wine vinegar with maple syrup or honey although the taste will be different.
Honey – use a bit of maple syrup, agave or even brown sugar to bring a bit of sweetness to this marinade.
Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but the jarred variety will work in a pinch.
Salt & pepper – to taste.

Greek marinade

Olive oil – or any other neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
Lemon juice – use freshly squeezed or bottled lime juice if you don’t have any lemon juice on hand.
Oregano – try using thyme, basil or Italian seasoning instead.
Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but the jarred variety will work in a pinch.
Salt & pepper – to taste.

Skip the Ads and Get Right to the Recipes!

ZERO ADS on over 600 recipes!
Weekly Meal Plans, Grocery & Prep Lists
Bonus eBooks

LEARN MORE

How to marinate chicken thighs

Whisk together the marinade ingredients.
Marinate the chicken for at least 15 minutes.
Bake or grill the chicken thighs.
Serve with your preferred sides and enjoy!

Making multiple marinades at once

If you're making this chicken for your weekly meal prep, you can easily whip up multiple marinades at once and bake them together using foil dividers (pictured above).

If you'd like to do multiple marinades at a time, make dividers using your tinfoil as shown. Add your marinated chicken thighs, ensuring the dividers are high enough to separate any excess liquid from each marinade. Bake for 12 minutes, then flip and bake for another 8 minutes. It's so easy!

Cooking chicken this way ensures you easily have some variety in your week and you can create multiple different types of meals.

I wouldn't recommend using more than 2-3 thighs per chicken thigh marinade and foil divider. You also don't have to cut the marinade ingredients in half if dividing up your thighs among different marinades. As long as you remove the chicken from the marinade and don't pour any excess liquid onto the foil dividers, you’ll still get the same flavour without it being overpowering.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should you marinate chicken thighs?

You’ll want to let your chicken marinate for at least 15-20 minutes. You can leave them in longer and marinate them overnight or in the fridge during the day, but 15 to 20 minutes is the minimum to make sure they’re infused with all those yummy flavours from the chicken thighs marinade.

What are the four main ingredients of a marinade?

These are four main ingredients for any chicken thigh marinade: an acid that tenderizes the meat, a fat such as oil that saturates the meat and makes sure the flavour is fully infused, a salt that intensifies the flavour and bonus flavour for extra deliciousness!

Should you use boneless or bone-in thighs?

It’s really a matter of preference on whether you make boneless or bone-in marinated chicken thighs. Boneless thighs cook a little quicker, but bone-in thighs are slightly cheaper because there is no extra work required by the butcher. However, if you are used to cooking with boneless skinless chicken breast, boneless thighs are a great swap. The thighs of the chicken have a rich taste and tender texture. Either type of chicken thigh will work with these marinades so go by personal preference.

How do you know when they're fully cooked?

The best way to know that your marinated chicken thighs are fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer. It should read at least 165° Fahrenheit in the thickest portion of the meat. Also keep in mind that thigh meat will look pinkish-brown, even after cooking. Breast meat will be white when fully cooked.

How do you make chicken crispy?

The skin of the chicken is what gets crispy. So, if you are cooking skinless chicken thighs or breasts, they are not likely to become crispy. Make sure to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs if you are looking for crispy skin. To produce crispy chicken in the oven, cook it at 450° Fahrenheit on the top third of the oven, which is the hottest part of the oven. It also helps to occasionally baste the thighs with marinade.

Storing chicken thigh marinade

If you prepare your chicken thighs marinade ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator or freezer.

You can refrigerate chicken thighs in marinades for up to 24 hours in the fridge. Chicken thighs are more tender than breasts so you're not using the marinades to tenderize the meat – you’re simply looking to add flavour.

Very important note: Never reuse a marinade that is left over from marinating another meat. The bacteria from the other meat will contaminate the marinade. As a result, the marinade will contaminate the chicken thighs.

Can you freeze chicken in marinade?

Yes, you can freeze marinated chicken thighs! After the marinade is prepared, put the chicken and marinade in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Remove all the air, seal the bag and lay it flat to freeze. You can freeze chicken thighs in marinades up to 3 months.

When ready to use your chicken, transfer the package to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw out before cooking. Typically, I'll allow my chicken to defrost in the fridge for 24 hours and then bake it or grill it.

The Best Chicken Thigh Marinade Recipes

I rounded up five of the most delicious chicken thigh marinade ideas. Pick one of the following or use the foil divider method to make them all! All of these recipes are made using simple ingredients you should already have on hand at home, and require five ingredients or less.

Chipotle marinade

Greek marinade

Garlic sesame marinade

Honey dijon marinade

Balsamic marinade

Wanna Learn How To Meal Prep?

My meal planning service, Dinner Prep Pro, removes the guesswork and helps you get dinner on the table in 15-20 minutes each night. My meal prep checklists only take 1 hour each week!

Learn more

More easy chicken recipes

See more related recipes

Meal Prep Tools

A collage of different meal prep containers with the text "The Best Containers for Meal Prep" layered over top.

Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on using these chicken thigh marinades for meal prep lunches or dinners.
I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
Use these Ziploc bag holders if you're marinating the chicken then freezing it.
Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.
**Get my full list of tools here**

Join The Girl on Bloor Premium!

ZERO ADS!
Weekly Meal Prep Checklists
Bonus eBooks

LEARN MORE

Perfect Baked Chicken Thighs {Bone-In or Boneless}

Best Chicken Marinades – 20+ Ways!

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs {Bone-In or Boneless}