The 3-Ingredient Chicken Marinades Chefs Make Again and Again

Chicken dinner is never a boring dinner when marinades get involved. The simplest marinades can have transformative powers, turning even boneless chicken breasts into something worthy of serving for company. “Lemon, Dijon, and olive oil together, for example, tastes expensive but takes zero stress,” says Lambert Givens, executive chef at Hunter’s Kitchen & Bar in Boston.

What’s the formula for a good marinade? “I always think in terms of an acid to brighten and tenderize, a sweetener to balance and help browning, and a savory anchor for depth,” says Audrey Plant, cofounder of Winn Winn Café in Columbus, Ohio. Oils can help amplify other flavors in the marinade, and prevent chicken from sticking during cooking, but aren’t strictly necessary. As with salad dressings, marinades are less about precise recipes and more about finding your preferred ratios that can easily be scaled up or down as needed. 

For unforgettable flavor, try these 10 three-ingredient chicken marinades that chefs make on repeat. 

Sesame oil, lime juice, honey

For a marinade that is “bright and savory-sweet,” Plant recommends a trio of sesame oil, lime juice, and honey. “Sesame brings a toasted, nutty note; lime wakes everything up; and honey adds sweetness and helps the chicken caramelize,” she says. Since sesame oil packs a big punch, she suggests two parts of lime juice to one part each of honey and sesame oil.

Dijon mustard, maple syrup, smoked salt

For a whole chicken marinade, Doug Paine, chef of Burlington’s Hotel Vermont, suggests this combination of maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and smoked sea salt. “You hit all the sweet, tangy notes with the syrup and mustard, and the smoked salt gives a little depth of flavor,” he says.

You can use equal parts of mustard and maple syrup, and season with smoked salt to taste. “I apply it to a whole chicken with the backbone cut out to ensure a more even marinade,” says Paine, who likes to cook the bird in a rotisserie. You can achieve similar results at home by spatchcocking the chicken or cooking it whole on a vertical poultry roaster.

Preserved lemons, flowering oregano, garlic

“I love Mediterranean flavors and think preserved lemon makes everything just a bit better,” says Chris McLaurin, owner of the recently opened Lutra Cafe and Bakery in Durham, North Carolina. He suggests chopping the skin and oil of three preserved lemons in a food processor, discarding the flesh, and stirring in a few freshly minced garlic gloves — or more, if you prefer — and a couple of teaspoons of flowering oregano. Scale up as needed so that you have a half cup of marinade for each 8 ounces of chicken.

Oregano flowers are not only attractive but edible, and milder in flavor than oregano leaves. “Preserved lemons are salty so adjust your seasoning accordingly,” says McLaurin. “While you’re grilling the chicken, cut a few fresh lemons in half and grill the cut side,” he says, “then squeeze the grilled lemon onto the chicken at the table and enjoy.”

Greek yogurt, berbere spice, olive oil

“Each ingredient has a specific job here,” says Mike Bobb, chef of Charlotte, North Carolina’s The Ballantyne. “Greek yogurt contains lactic acid, which gently tenderizes the chicken without breaking down the meat as aggressively as citrus juice or vinegar can. Its thick texture also coats the chicken evenly, helping the seasoning cling to the surface for maximum flavor,” he says. 

Berbere is a spice blend powerhouse. “It’s a traditional Ethiopian spice blend that commonly includes chiles, paprika, garlic, ginger, fenugreek, coriander, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves, though recipes vary,” says Bobb. “It has a bold, warm, and aromatic flavor with earthy spices, a touch of sweetness, and a balanced heat that complements chicken exceptionally well.”

Each half cup of yogurt needed to coat the chicken requires about 1 tablespoon of berbere seasoning. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to help distribute flavor between the yogurt and spices and promote even browning. “Together, they create chicken that is juicy, well seasoned, and beautifully caramelized.”

Caper brine, honey, citrus

According to Joshua Quintana, chef de cuisine at The Rittenhouse in Philadelphia, “restraint takes more skill than excess. With three ingredients every component has to earn its place,” he says. “The caper brine seasons the chicken throughout the meat, honey encourages deep caramelization and a beautifully lacquered finish, while a mix of citrus juices and their zests brings layers of brightness, floral aromatics, and subtle complexity that a single citrus could never achieve.”

He recommends using a combination of lemons, limes, oranges, or whatever citrus is at its peak for a marinade that naturally evolves with the seasons. Use equal parts caper brine and citrus juice, with a 2:1 ratio of acid to honey. An acidic marinade such as this is ideal for a quick, 30-minute soak. If you’ve got more time, you can double the volume of the marinade with olive oil or a neutral oil. As the caper brine is also salty, taste before adjusting with additional seasonings.

Soy sauce, sherry vinegar, brown sugar

“It’s so simple, but a soy sauce, sherry vinegar, and brown sugar marinade is a go-to,” says Sandra Cordero, chef-owner of Xuntos in Los Angeles and cofounder of Regarding Her, of this oil-free marinade. Using equal parts of all three ingredients, “you get salty umami from soy sauce, sweetness from brown sugar, and a nice tang from sherry vinegar.” 

These can simply be combined before adding your chicken, but for more intense flavor Cordero recommends reducing several components in stages. First, simmer the soy sauce until it reduces by 25%, then add brown sugar and reduce another 25%. Finally, add the sherry vinegar and reduce until syrupy, or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Black garlic vinegar, tamari, honey

“On my days off I generally meal-prep for my family, and a marinade can go with multiple dishes throughout the week to make dinners easier for whoever is cooking,” says Amanda Brennan, executive chef of The Oregon Grille in Hunt Valley, Maryland. “If I’m craving East Asian flavors, a black garlic vinegar blend with tamari and fermented garlic honey, if you can find it, is perfect for making stir-fried chicken with veggies and rice.”

If you can’t find fermented garlic honey, plain honey will work, or even hot honey if you like a kick. A good ratio to start is two parts tamari, which also acts as seasoning here, to one part each vinegar and honey. Oil isn’t required here, but you can add a teaspoon of sesame oil for additional flavor if desired.

Lemon, shio koji, black peppercorns

“I love lemon pepper chicken,” says Matthew Schaler, executive chef of the upcoming Restaurant at Edna in San Luis Obispo, California. He offers a marinade recipe adapted from the one used at now-shuttered Birdie G’s, using two parts whole lemons with added extra zest, one part shio koji or white miso, and half a part of black peppercorns, toasted in a pan until fragrant and cooled. The result is a pastelike marinade that doesn’t require oil.

“Add all of the ingredients into a blender and puree until you achieve a paste consistency,” says Schaler. “The secret in this marinade is the shio koji, which is a mixture of koji rice, salt, and water.” The shio koji will add salt and its own flavor, and its enzymes “will continue to tenderize and develop a deeper flavor in your chicken.” If you don’t have shio koji, you could achieve a similar effect with miso.

For a chef-inspired preparation, “brine a spatchcocked chicken for 24 hours, then remove it, pat it dry, and rub [with] a generous coating of your marinade,” says Schaler. “Place the chicken skin side up on a tray with a cooling rack, and let the chicken sit uncovered in your refrigerator overnight. Letting your chicken dry on the surface is a great way to ensure even browning and crispy skin. The brine process ensures that the breast stays moist.”

Dijon mustard, citrus zest, Aleppo pepper, olive oil 

This marinade technically has four ingredients, but you might already have a few of them in your kitchen.

First up: citrus zest. “Using zest adds the brightness of citrus without the acidity, giving it a more vibrant finish,” says Aldon Reyes, chef of Walkers’ Bar and Market in Dallas. “The Dijon is more of an emulsifier for the marinade, but also plays a role in adding both sharp and savory notes that don’t overpower a good piece of chicken,” he says. “The Aleppo pepper is a soft, warm, and smoky addition that doesn’t aggressively add heat, and also helps with the finished color of the chicken as it cooks.”

Use two parts Dijon and one part citrus zest, thinned with four parts olive oil for fluidity. Aleppo pepper can be adjusted to your liking, but start with 1 teaspoon for every 2 tablespoons of mustard.

When grilling marinated chicken, Reyes also suggests resisting the urge to flip constantly. “Just let it sit and do its thing until it releases from the grill grates,” he says. “Once it does, flip once and cook for a few more minutes, then let it rest and enjoy the crunchy bits.”

Baking soda, Zhejiang liaojiu (cooking wine) 

On the other hand, some marinades only need two ingredients — plus water. 

Jianlong Zhao, chef of Brooklyn’s recently opened La Fleur Rouge, recommends a simple marinade of baking soda mixed with water plus Zhejiang liaojiu. “Liaojiu is a seasoning wine made with huangjiu [yellow cooking wine] as its base, then blended with spices, salt, and other seasonings,” says Zhao. “It is mainly used to remove the raw or fishy smell from meat and seafood and enhance umami flavor, but it can also help vegetables keep their bright green color during cooking,” he says. “The baking soda works to tenderize the meat, while the wine adds aroma and depth.” Use about 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, thinned with just enough water to make a paste, and about 2 tablespoons of cooking wine for 8 ounces of chicken.

“My favorite way to cook the marinated chicken — especially thighs — is to pan-sear them until fragrant, then add minced garlic and scallions,” says Zhao.