Transform your grilled chicken with this easy and versatile grilled chicken marinade recipe. Combining the sweetness of pineapple juice with a hint of jalapeño heat, this sweet-and-savory marinade guarantees juicy and tasty chicken every time!
Why I Love This Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken Marinade
Spice up your weeknight dinners and BBQs with this easy 30-minute grilled chicken marinade! I don’t know how I ever grilled chicken without this marinade. It’s completely revolutionized how I make grilled chicken breasts – or any cut like chicken thighs or wings! Just thinking about the combo of spicy jalapeños and sweet pineapples is enough to make my mouth water. Check out why we’re so obsessed with this easy marinade recipe:
- Sweet and Savory: Fragrant garlic, Worcestershire sauce and salty soy sauce balance out the sweetness from the pineapple juice and honey. It’s the best combination of bold ingredients.
- Easy: Whisk all the ingredients together, toss in your chicken, and you’re ready to marinate. It’s really that quick and simple!
- Homemade: There are no ingredients you can’t pronounce, excess sodium or processed sugars in this easy grilled chicken marinade recipe.
- Freezer Friendly: Add your chicken and pop it into the freezer. Then thaw and grill the chicken whenever you need a super easy dinner on a busy weeknight!
If you also love making your own marinades, be sure to also toss together a skirt steak marinade. It’s better than any store-bought bottle I’ve tried, that’s for sure!
Key Ingredients
Pineapple juice and soy sauce add lots of depth to the marinade. Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this chicken marinade for grilling. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Honey: Agave nectar is a good swap, or you can also add a hearty pinch of brown sugar.
- Pineapple Juice: Use store bought, canned, or fresh pineapple juice. If you have fresh pineapple, make your own juice by blending 1/2 cup pineapple chunks with 1/2 cup water and straining the mixture.
- Soy Sauce: Regular and low-sodium soy sauce work for this. You can also use coconut aminos or tamari.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This adds a good savory taste to your flavorful chicken. You can swap it for 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
- Jalapeños: Remove the seeds from your peppers for less heat. Feel free to use fresh serranos instead if you really want to turn up the heat!
How To Make Chicken Marinade for Grilling
You’ll never go back to store-bought marinades after you try this simple 2-step grilled chicken marinade recipe. Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions.
- Whisk: Place all of the ingredients in a container and whisk until smooth. (I also included instructions for making this marinade in a Ziploc bag below in the recipe card!)
- Marinate the chicken: Add the chicken to a bowl and pour the marinade on top. Cover and refrigerate it until ready to cook the chicken. Follow our directions for how to grill chicken breasts that are perfectly tender and juicy every time!
Cook’s Tips & Variations
- Swap the juice: Change the pineapple juice for orange juice, lemon juice, or lime juice. Keep in mind that lemon and lime juices will be more acidic and much less sweet.
- Don’t over-marinate: Longer isn’t always better. The pineapple juice in the mixture will tenderize the meat but, if left marinating for too long, it’ll change the chicken’s texture. If you aren’t ready to cook it just yet, remove the chicken from the marinade.
- Add an Asian twist: Mix 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger, 2 tablespoons sliced scallions, and 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil into the recipe for more Asian flair.
- Control the sweetness: Add 2 tablespoons of honey at a time, mix, and taste the sauce (before adding the chicken) until it’s sweetened to your liking.
- Skewer with vegetables: I love to use this marinade for my grilled chicken pineapple kabobs skewered with sweet bell peppers and tender onion.
Grilled Chicken Marinade Meal Prep
This grilled chicken marinade is a great freezer friendly meal, I made quite a few batches for easy dinners after my surgery a few months back. Here’s how you can freeze your chicken in the marinade:
Prepare your marinade in a freezer safe zip top bag, add the chicken, seal the bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready, thaw overnight in the fridge and prepare as desired!
Grilled Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- ¼ cup honey, or agave
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Bowl method: Add all the ingredients into a small bowl and stir well until blended. Pour marinade over chicken and toss to coat. Cover bowl and marinate chicken in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or for up to 6 hours. Turn the chicken occasionally to ensure even marinating.
- Bag method: Add all the ingredients into a a gallon ziplock bag and shake to combine. Add the chicken, shake once more, then seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or up to 6 hours. Shake the bag a few times while marinating.
- Remove the meat from the marinade and cook as desired. We recommend following our grilled chicken breast recipe if using breasts or skewering it with vegetables and pineapple in our grilled chicken pineapple kabobs!
This marinade is so good, perfect for a busy weeknight dinner
This marinade is so juicy and delicious!!!