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 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!
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 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 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 Marinade
1/4 cup honey, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 2 tsp. red chili paste
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
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
juice from 1 lemon + 2 tsp. olive oil + 1 tsp. cinnamon + 1 tsp. turmeric + a pinch of salt & pepper
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
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).
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:
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!
Persian Lemon Chicken & Spinach Salad:
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.
Chipotle Cilantro Tofu Tacos
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!
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?
8 Healthy Chicken Marinades
Get inspired with these 8 easy and healthy chicken marinades! A perfect way to add more flavor to your meal.
Ingredients:
Salad Dressing Marinade
- Bottled or homemade salad dressing (balsamic vinaigrette, Italian dressing, etc.)
Thai Marinade
- 1 clove garlic (minced/grated)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 Tbsp Asian fish sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
Green Chile & Lime Marinade
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small can diced green chiles
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- a pinch of salt & pepper
Honey Soy Marinade
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp red chili paste
Chipotle Cilantro Marinade
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 Tbsp chopped canned chipotle peppers
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- a pinch of salt & pepper
Teriyaki Marinade
- Juice from 1 orange
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic (minced or grated)
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
Persian Lemon Marinade
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp turmeric
- a pinch of salt & pepper
Balsamic Marinade
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 cloves garlic (minced or grated)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- a pinch of salt & pepper
Instructions:
- Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
- Let chicken (or tofu) soak in the marinade at least 30 minutes (up to overnight) in the fridge. (Each recipe will marinate about 2 chicken breasts or about half a 14-oz block of tofu.)
- Cook your chicken/tofu as desired! Grill, saute, bake, etc. Enjoy!
