Best Chicken Marinade to Buy for Easy, Delicious Chicken

I love chicken. I always have, I probably always will. But even a poultry enthusiast like me can’t be expected to enjoy grilled chicken with a simple salt and pepper, day after day. Similarly, my cabinet space and income mean I shouldn’t sacrifice my entire grocery budget on every spice and flavoring I can get my hands on. This is where store bought chicken marinade comes in handy. But what’s the best chicken marinade? What a good question. Because I tasted a whole bunch, so I can actually answer that question. 

From bright citrus to sweet soy to herbaceous and homey, premade chicken marinade options line the shelves as far as the eye can see, so long as you have really bad eyesight. The point is that you may be confronted with a sea of choices, and that might get overwhelming. I don’t want that for you. I want you to put your time and effort into cooking and enjoying your chicken. 

So I marinaded and oven-baked a bunch of boneless, skinless chicken tenders using 11 chicken marinades. Then I tasted them and evaluated them based on pure deliciousness. Here are the best chicken marinades.

Best Chicken Marinades, Ranked

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Best Generic Chicken Marinade

Lawrey’s Herb and Garlic

Walmart

Target

This is a neutral but tasty marinade that may not make it into a Michelin restaurant, but also won’t offend anyone. It’s the best chicken marinade if you’re looking to just give your chicken a little boost. It’s not particularly herbaceous or garlicky, and the lemon pictured on the bottle is pretty faint, but I’m okay with all of that. It tastes good and will go with just about anything. If Barbara from the PTA is excited about a great new marinade she found, it’s probably this one. Oh, Barb.

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Buttery Chicken Marinade

Better Than Marinade Lemon and Garlic Butter

Better Than Marinade

Walmart

I popped open this chicken marinade and was immediately hit by the smell of butter. Not that fake movie theater popcorn butter (which is also fantastic), but actual delicious, rich, creamy butter. My tasting partner (and unsuspecting friend that I wrangled into eating enough chicken to test 11 marinades) said that it smelled like escargot. I’ve never had snails, but she’s classy so I trust her. What we both agreed on, however, was that this made for a moist, flavorful chicken. The lemon is subtle but still enough to brighten the dish. I’d baste my chicken with a little extra towards the end of the cook for a silky finish and added richness.

Credit: Merc / Better Than Marinade

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Umami-Packed Chicken Marinade

Rib Rack Citrus and Pepper Chicken Marinade

Rib Rack

Walmart

Off the bat, the aroma is sweet, tart, and deep. It smells like apple juice and vinegar. But it’s much more complex than that. After marinating and cooking, the chicken comes out sweet and spiced, bright without being sour, and packed with umami from soy and mustard. There isn’t a ton of citrus flavor, but I’m not mad about that. Between the soy, mustard, and apple, it’s a little like chicken adobo took a jaunt to Germany. A delicious jaunt. It’s the best chicken marinade if you feel like everything is better with a splash of soy.

Credit: Merc / Rib Rack

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Garlicky Chicken Marinade

Sweet Baby Ray’s Garlic Parmesan

Sweet Baby Ray’s

Walmart

Hot diggity dog, this chicken marinade has a real punch of flavor. Between the salt and umami of the parmesan and the garlic, this really livens up a boneless skinless chicken breast like only cheese and garlic can. I want this in the middle of every crudite platter instead of ranch dressing. It initially felt a little intense and heavy for a chicken marinade, but if someone put a chicken casserole in front of me that was drenched in this, I’d have seconds. And thirds. It’s the kind of thing that will murder my breath, but I’d rather eat this than kiss anyone anyway. If you’re always doubling the garlic in a recipe, then this is the best marinade for chicken to buy.

Credit: Merc / Sweet Baby Ray’s

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Spiced Chicken Marinade

Lawrey’s Caribbean Jerk

Instacart

Not enough things have papaya in them! Thank you Lawrey’s for incorporating a fruit that is not lemon or orange into a marinade. This is a delicious mix of sweet and spiced and slightly tangy. I can’t speak to its authenticity, but it’s a version of jerk seasoning that’s very approachable to the general public—flavorful without being spicy, with the notes of clove and cinnamon that I’ve come to expect from my admittedly limited experience with jerk seasoning. It’s warming and flavorful and sweet and balanced. And the best marinade for chicken that you probably can’t replicate yourself at home.

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Other chicken marinades we tried:

Stubb’s Citrus and Onion, G Hughes Sugar Free Lemon Herb, Great Value Herb & Garlic, Great Value Lemon, Ken’s Tuscan Italian, Lawry’s Lemon Pepper