Citrus Marinade for Chicken

Simple ingredients combine to make the best citrus marinade for chicken, plus a secret ingredient for extra juicy boneless chicken breasts.

If you like this recipe, check out my Chicken Tarragon and Great Steak Marinade next.

My citrus marinade will get you rave reviews. It’s practically drinkable just on its own. Three fresh citrus juices (orange, lemon and lime) combine for zesty flavorful chicken. This is by far the best chicken marinade recipe I’ve ever created. It’s a delicious marinade with favorite summertime flavors you can enjoy all year long. Marinate a whole bunch of chicken in this delicious marinade and you’ll have cooked chicken to enjoy all week. It’s perfect for healthy meal prepping. I like cooking my chicken on the stovetop but you can cook the marinated chicken on your outdoor grill too.

More chicken recipes

• Rotisserie Chicken and Dumplings
• My Mom’s Chicken Divan
• How to Make Frozen Chicken in the Crock Pot

Ingredients for citrus chicken breast marinade

• Citrus Juices – This recipe uses fresh orange juice, lemon juice and lime juice.
• Zesty Flavor – The outer rind of the fresh citrus fruit – the zest – proves an additional punch of flavor to the marinade. Use fresh orange zest, lemon zest and lime zest.
• Fresh Herbs – You can choose to chop your own fresh herbs for this marinade, especially if you grow your own. I like the convenience of this brand of Italian herbs that is already chopped.
• Baking Soda – My “secret ingredient” in this marinade. The baking soda helps to raise the pH levels on the outside of the chicken, a process known as velveting. This makes it harder for the proteins to bond together while cooking, which is what can the meat become dry and tough as it cooks.
• Olive Oil – Fat adds flavor and the oil helps to tame the acidic nature of this marinade. You could use vegetable oil instead of olive oil.
• Maple Syrup – Sweet flavor to compliment the citrus and spice. You could substitute the pure maple syrup with an equal amount of brown sugar if you prefer.
• Dijon Mustard – The sharp flavor of the mustard helps to compliment the citrus.
• Worcestershire Sauce – Adds salty umami flavor to this complex citrus marinade. You could use soy sauce if that’s what you have on-hand, but I prefer Worcestershire.
• Garlic Cloves – You could leave out the garlic but why would you?
• Smoked Paprika – Adds a depth and smoky flavor to the marinade. You could use chili powder instead.
• Red Pepper Flakes – For a little spicy kick.
• Salt and Black Pepper – Just to taste, not much is needed as this citrus marinade is already full of excellent flavor.

Instructions

Zest and juice your oranges, lemons and limes. To the juice, add the rest of the marinade ingredients. Whisk well to combine. Place your chicken in a large resealable plastic bag, or a brining bag. Or place the raw chicken in a single layer in a casserole dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 30 minutes or no longer than 4 hours.

To cook the chicken on your stovetop – remove the chicken from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. Heat a little olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cover the pan. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and cover again, cook an additional 7 – 8 minutes. Check the temperature of the chicken to be sure it’s reached 165 degrees F. Allow the chicken to rest in the covered pan for 5 minutes before serving.

Pro tips

Do not marinate for longer than four hours. The acidity in citrus has power. It will break down the fibers of the meat and make it mushy, almost like the chicken cooks before you add heat. Marinate this chicken for between 30 minutes and 4 hours. I personally think 2 hours is just right.

I highly recommend using fresh juice plus zest. You can use bottled juice to save time. But the flavors will not be as bright and delicious.

Discard marinade. Once you have marinated your chicken or other choice of protein, discard the marinade because it is now unsafe to eat.

This marinade is perfect for chicken. I like it best with boneless skinless chicken breasts. No boring chicken here! However, this marinade can be perfect for lots of different types of protein. Try it with chicken thighs, shrimp, pork or salmon.

Always use a meat thermometer. Be sure and check the internal temperature of your cooked chicken in the thickest part of the breast before serving. Chicken breast is safe to eat once it has reached a minimum temperature of 165 degrees F.

Storage directions

You can store any leftover chicken that has already been cooked. Store it in an airtight container for up to three days.

Serving suggestions

Serve this chicken with rice and vegetables. Or sliced on top of your favorite salad. Here’s some of my other delicious recipes to make this citrus chicken a complete meal –

• The Best Rice Pilaf
• Parsley Potatoes
• Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
• Air Fryer Green Beans
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
• Bourbon Peach Crisp

Kitchen tips

• Here’s my favorite citrus juicer for this recipe
• Use a microplane zester for shaving the zest from the citrus
• Wire whisk for mixing together the marinade ingredients
• Brining bags are great for marinating the chicken with this citrus marinade
• Instant read digital thermometer for making sure your chicken is cooked thoroughly

Foodtastic Mom is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program (Amazon Associate), an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any highlighted, clickable Amazon links you see are affiliate links that I may earn advertising fees on when you click to purchase.

Thank you so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of Foodtastic Mom. Be sure to PIN to Pinterest and print this recipe! Like and tag ‘Foodtastic Mom’ on Facebook and Instagram if you make this recipe! And of course leave a star rating if you make any of my recipes and enjoy them!

Be sure and follow Foodtastic Mom on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!