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Home » Recipe Index » Main Dishes » Meat

March 6, 2020 (Updated September 8, 2021)

8 Healthy Chicken Marinades

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

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Today, I’m excited to share some of my favorite healthy chicken marinades! These are great for switching things up at dinnertime, with a wide range of flavors. Plus, they make your chicken (or tofu) juicy and tender.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people think that eating healthy means eating completely plain grilled or baked chicken. Not so!

Healthy food can (and should) be delicious. No need to struggle through bland meals in the name of health.

These marinades are perfect for adding tons of flavor to chicken (or tofu)!

healthy chicken marinades

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Healthy Marinades for Chicken Breast (or Tofu!)

Marinating is one of the simplest ways to add tons of flavor to chicken and tofu – two proteins that are pretty flavorless on their own. Just let the chicken or tofu soak in flavorful ingredients in the fridge, and you’re well on your way to a delicious, healthy dinner!

You can marinate for as little as 30 minutes or as long as overnight. After marinating, your protein is ready to grill, saute, or bake.

Each recipe below will marinate about 2 chicken breasts or about half a 14-oz block of tofu. Even if you’re only serving yourself, go ahead and cook both and save the extra to eat the next day!

In this post, first up you’ll find the easy marinade recipes. The second part of the post includes ways to turn the marinated chicken or tofu into delicious balanced meals. Enjoy!

salad dressing as a chicken marinade

Easiest Marinade Ever: Salad Dressing!

Balsamic vinaigrette and Italian dressing in particular make great marinades.

Make sure to buy full fat/regular versions, because reduced fat/light dressings usually have tons of added sugar, fillers, and salt to make up for the lack of fat. And they don’t taste as good, either. 🙂

thai healthy chicken marinade ingredients: soy sauce, sesame oil fish sauce, garlic, and cilantro

Thai Chicken Marinade

1 clove garlic (minced or grated) + ¼ cup fresh cilantro + ½ Tbsp. Asian fish sauce + ½ Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce + ½ Tbsp. toasted sesame oil

green chili and lime chicken marinade ingredients

Green Chile & Lime Marinade

juice of 1 lime + 1 Tbsp. honey + 2 Tbsp. olive oil + 1 small can diced green chiles + ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro + a pinch of salt & pepper

honey soy chicken marinade ingredients

Honey Soy Marinade

1/4 cup honey, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 2 tsp. red chili paste

chipotle cilantro marinade ingredients

Healthy Chipotle Cilantro Chicken Marinade

3 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, 1 Tbsp chopped canned chipotle peppers, ½ tsp. chili powder, ½ tsp. cumin, a pinch of salt & pepper

healthy teriyaki chicken marinade ingredients

Teriyaki Chicken Marinade

juice from 1 orange, ¼ C low sodium soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. sesame oil, 1 clove garlic (minced or grated), 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Persian lemon marinade ingredients

Persian Lemon Marinade

juice from 1 lemon + 2 tsp. olive oil + 1 tsp. cinnamon + 1 tsp. turmeric + a pinch of salt & pepper

healthy chicken balsamic marinade ingredients

Healthy Balsamic Chicken Marinade

1 tsp. dried rosemary + 2 cloves garlic (minced or grated) + 1 Tbsp. olive oil + ¼ cup balsamic vinegar + a pinch of salt & pepper

healthy chicken marinades in yellow bowls with a whiskhealthy chicken marinades in yellow bowls with a whisk

For all of these marinades, just stir together the ingredients in a bowl and then add chicken or tofu!

You can either marinate in a bowl or in a large plastic bag to really massage the marinade into the chicken. (Stick with a bowl for tofu cubes or slices, since they’re more fragile).

chicken marinades in plastic bags

Recipe Ideas for Healthy Chicken Marinades

Here are some of my favorite ways to make quick meals with these healthy chicken marinades (or tofu)!

Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry:

teriyaki tofu stir fry cooking process steps

Dice half a block of tofu and marinate in the teriyaki marinade (you can get this going in the morning or the night before!). Remove the tofu from the marinade and reserve the extra marinade.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the tofu. Cook until the tofu is browned and slightly crispy, then remove the tofu and reserve on a plate.

Add any veggies you have on hand to the pan and cook until tender, then add the tofu back in and pour in the remaining marinade. Cook until most of the liquid is evaporated and serve over brown rice!

teriyaki tofu stir fry in a white bowl with brown rice

Persian Lemon Chicken & Spinach Salad:

Persian lemon chicken and spinach salad cooking process steps

Marinate two chicken breasts in the Persian lemon marinade for 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard any extra marinade. Place the chicken breasts on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until cooked through (about 15 minutes or so).

Slice and serve over spinach, sliced apples, sliced almonds, and a drizzle of oil and vinegar! Enjoy a roll on the side (or add some grains to the salad) to make this meal more filling.

marinated chicken and spinach salad in a white bowl

Chipotle Cilantro Tofu Tacos

Marinated Chipotle Cilantro Tofu Tacos cooking process steps

Dice half a block of tofu and marinate in the chipotle cilantro marinade (you can get this going in the morning or the night before!).

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the tofu and all the marinade. Cook until the tofu is browned and slightly crispy.

Fill corn tortillas with the tofu, diced tomatoes, cheese, cabbage, cilantro – whatever your favorite taco toppings are!

healthy marinade for tofu tacos

I hope you enjoy these healthy chicken marinades! The mix and match meal possibilities are endless.

Looking for more healthy chicken or tofu recipes? Check these out:

  • Garlic Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies
  • Baked Sesame Tofu with Veggies
  • Healthy Chicken Enchiladas
  • Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breasts
  • Healthy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
  • Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Thai Peanut Sauce
  • Sheet Pan Maple Curry Chicken

What’s your favorite marinade recipe?

Gluten Free Vegan Vegetarian Meat Poultry Sauces
- anne
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22 comments
  • Amy May 24, 2013 · 9:58AM:
    thai grilled chicken is only 1 1/2 tbsp. liquid- that's really enough for 2 chicken breasts?!?
    Reply
    • Anne
      May 28, 2013 · 9:06AM:
      Yeah it's just less saucy than the others! You can double or triple it if you want. :)
      Reply
  • Sokphal
    May 24, 2013 · 10:32AM:
    This looks great! Thanks for sharing! If it's nice outside this weekend I'll see if I can do a BBQ with a few of these. Safe travels and see you next weekend. Ack! It's June in a few days!
    Reply
  • char eats greens
    May 24, 2013 · 11:35AM:
    I love marinades!! And 8...amazing ;)
    Reply
  • Angela
    May 24, 2013 · 12:36PM:
    These are great! I'm always looking for new marinades to try.
    Reply
  • Lauren @ The Highlands Life
    May 24, 2013 · 1:02PM:
    I love a good chicken marinade. Another awesome one is tequila, lime zest and juice, olive oil and some salt and pepper. Delish!!
    Reply
  • Lindsay @ Live. Love. Nutrition.
    May 24, 2013 · 2:53PM:
    These all sound yummy! Must give them a try!!
    Reply
  • Nicole
    May 24, 2013 · 4:13PM:
    I'm a big fan of using OJ as a marinade base. Add a little olive oil, any type of vinegar, spices, and it's good to go.
    Reply
  • Jan @ Sprouts n Squats
    May 25, 2013 · 2:53AM:
    Some great ideas there for marinades! I like sweet and sour where you use soy sauce, tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic and some stevia it makes it really nice but these I'll have to give a try too.
    Reply
  • Shel@PeachyPalate
    May 25, 2013 · 3:04PM:
    I love miso maple orange...use it for tempeh, tofu, sweet potato and squash! :)
    Reply
  • Renie May 25, 2013 · 6:00PM:
    All 8 marinades look great, Anne. I will try them all. Thanks P.S. Our granddaughter graduated High School last night. Can't believe it.
    Reply
  • Katie
    May 26, 2013 · 4:02PM:
    I love the Persian Chicken marinade idea. It has some of my favorite flavors. I love a touch of cinnamon in savory dishes.
    Reply
  • Jojo
    May 27, 2013 · 11:13AM:
    The Persian marinade looks intriguing. I love marinated tofu. I usually bake it so it has a firmer texture so I can add it to salads or serve with veggies and a side of grains.
    Reply
  • EWA
    May 28, 2013 · 1:55PM:
    Anne's good day.I adore chickens under every figure,grilled, pickled, baked,and the most wing from honey and curry.Proud .I will make is some of Your recipes,surely.
    Reply
  • Theresa @aloveafare
    June 26, 2013 · 2:27PM:
    Just tried the Thai marinade with tofu and it was tasty. Thanks for the easy marinade ideas!
    Reply
  • Kori
    March 6, 2018 · 10:20AM:
    I really need to start marinating our meats more. These all look and sound amazing!! I love the way you photographed each - so pretty and creative!
    Reply
    • Anne
      March 6, 2018 · 10:30AM:
      Let me know if you try any of the marinades! It really makes the meat more flavorful (and tender/juicy, too).
      Reply
  • Kelli @ Hungry Hobby
    March 8, 2018 · 9:54AM:
    Yum! These would be great chicken marinades too!
    Reply
  • Jen March 12, 2018 · 2:46PM:
    Great new pictures!!
    Reply
    • Anne
      March 12, 2018 · 2:48PM:
      Thanks! :) You would like some of these marinades for your tofu... let me know if you try any! :)
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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