Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken
This Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken is completely Foolproof and 100% delicious, and I bet you’ll make it over and over! And this is as easy as it gets for tasty grilled chicken with a two-ingredient marinade that adds flavor and keeps the chicken moist!
PIN Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken to try it later!
Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken is a perfect recipe for busy parents who want something easy that kids will eat, and it’s also great for low-carb eaters who don’t like to fuss much with cooking! And there aren’t many recipes using packaged ingredients on my blog, but this favorite chicken with the world’s easiest marinade is something I’ve been making for years. The recipe has been a hit with everyone who’s tried it, and I’m excited to feature it for this week’s Friday Favorites pick!
I’m not kidding when I say this recipe is completely foolproof and 100% delicious! It uses all my tricks for juicy grilled chicken, but instead of a homemade marinade, there’s a marinade made by combining two packaged ingredients! (I usually add Spike Seasoning and black pepper, but those are completely optional.)
You can use the same marinade for kabobs or tin-foil dinners; see the links below for those variations. And I’m sure this same marinade would be great for grilled chicken thighs or legs, either with or without the skin. If you like the idea of marinated grilled chicken that’s easy, foolproof, and delicious, I hope you try this recipe!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Newman’s Own Classic Oil and Vinegar Dressing (affiliate link), or other low-sugar vinaigrette
- Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Mix (affiliate link)
- Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), optional but good
- Coarse ground black pepper, optional but good
How low in carbs is this Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken?
This grilled chicken that’s easy, foolproof, and delicious only has 1 net carb per serving and 37 grams of protein!
Read my Tips for Making Juicy Grilled Chicken Breasts:
Even though this recipe is ridiculously easy, if you’re not experienced at grilling chicken you might want to read my post on how to make juicy grilled chicken before you make this.
How to make the Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken without an outdoor grill:
If you don’t have an outdoor grill or it’s not grilling weather, you can cook this chicken on a stove-top grill pan with ridges (affiliate link) or it would be great cooked on a George Foreman Grill (affiiliate link). Remember the George Foreman Grill cooks both sides at once, so adjust the grilling time.
How to make this Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken :
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- This simple recipe for marinated grilled chicken that I got from an old boyfriend uses Newman’s Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing (affiliate link) mixed with a package of Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Mix (affiliate link), to make the marinade. It’s delicious with just those two ingredients but I like to add the optional Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) and some black pepper.)
- I only made half the recipe to take new photos, so I wrote MARINADE on the bottle and saved the extra marinade in the fridge.
- I get ready to marinate by trimming the chicken and then making small slits the length of each chicken breast to help the chicken cook evenly and provide more surface for the marinade to coat with flavor.
- Then put the chicken in a Ziploc bag or plastic container, add enough marinade to cover, and let it marinate all day.
- When you’re ready to cook drain chicken into a colander placed in the sink, and let it come to room temperature.
- Spray the grill with non-stick spray or brush with oil and preheat to medium-high.
- Lay chicken at an angle to grill grates, top side down, and cook 3-4 minutes, or until you see grill marks.
- Then rotate going the other direction and cook 3-4 minutes, until you see criss-cross marks.
- Turn chicken over and cook until it’s firm but not hard to the touch), about 2-3 minutes more.
- For best results, use an Instant-Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) and cook chicken until it reaches 165F/75C. Serve hot.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
The Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken is shown in the photo with Cucumbers Caesar, which would be great for a low-carb summer meal. Here are more ideas for a low-carb side dish:
- Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan
- Kalyn’s Keto Coleslaw Recipe
- Cucumber Radish Salad with Feta Dressing
- Loaded Cauliflower Potato Salad
- Spinach Salad with Bacon and Feta
More ways to use the Easy Grilled Chicken Marinade:
You can also use this easy chicken marinade to replace the marinade for Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Vegetables or to make Low-Carb Foil Packet Dinners.
More Easy Chicken Dinners:
Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken
This Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken is as easy as it gets for tasty grilled chicken, and the marinade has only 2 ingredients (with a couple of optional spices you can add if you have them!) And I'm not kidding when I say this grilled chicken really is completely foolproof and 100% delicious!
Ingredients
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- one 16 oz. bottle Newman’s Own Classic Oil and Vinegar Dressing (see notes)
- 1 pkg. Zesty Italian dressing mix (powdered mix)
- 1 T Spike Seasoning (optional, see notes)
- Coarse ground black pepper to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Trim all visible fat and undesirable parts from chicken breasts, then cut small crosswise slits about 1/2 inch apart down the length of each chicken breast. (This gives more surface area for the marinade to cover and makes chicken cook more quickly and evenly. It also gives a nice look to the cooked chicken breasts.)
- Combine marinade ingredients and mix together. I like to use the optional Spike Seasoning and black pepper, but this will still be great without those. (You can pour out a bit of the dressing and combine ingredients in the bottle if you like, then shake well.)
- Put chicken in single layer in a ziploc bag.
- Pour marinade over chicken. (If you’re not using all the marinade, just label it and store in refrigerator for next time.)
- Marinate chicken in the refrigerator 6 hours or longer. This is great to put in the refrigerator in the morning when you go to work and cook after work that night.
- To cook, remove chicken from the refrigerator, drain into a colander, and let it come to room temperature.
- Spray grill with non-stick spray or olive oil, and preheat to medium high. (You can only hold your hand there for 2-3 seconds at that heat.)
- Have a spray bottle ready to spray flames which may shoot up when chicken is first put on the grill.
- Drain chicken, then put it on the grill at an angle to grill grates with top side of chicken down.
- After 3-4 minutes (when you see grill marks), rotate chicken so it’s going the opposite angle to get criss-cross marks.
- Cook 3-4 minutes more, then when you have good grill marks turn and cook until chicken is well browned and firm but not hard to the touch.
- Actual cooking time will depend on how hot your grill is, temperature of the chicken, and even air temperature if you’re cooking outside, but I cooked the chicken in the photos about 12 minutes. For best results, use an Instant-Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) and cook chicken until it reaches 165F/75C.
- Don’t baste chicken with reserved marinade which contains bacteria from the raw chicken.
- Serve the Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken hot.
Notes
This chicken could also be cooked in a stove-top grill pan with ridges or a George Foreman Grill with good results (affiliate links).
I used Newman’s Own Classic Oil and Vinegar Dressing (affiliate link), but you can use any type of Italian dressing made with olive oil that's low in sugar.
If you don't want to buy Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), you can use any all-purpose seasoning blend, or just omit it completely.
I got this recipe from a man named George Bauer who I lost track of years ago.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 204Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 102mgSodium 677mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 37g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
The dressing I used in the marinade for this easy grilled chicken has only 1 carb per serving, making it perfect for low-carb or Keto diets or for the original South Beach Diet. (It’s probably gluten-free but check your label ingredients to make sure.)
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Grilling Recipes for more ideas like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This favorite recipe Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken was first posted in 2009, and I’ve been making it regularly since then. It was last updated with more information in 2025.
28 Comments on “Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken”
Kalyn-thanks so much for this delicious recipe and everything on your site. What a resource for healthy, flavorful eating! We LOVED this juicy chicken. Marinated overnight as directed and grilled. Super juicy as promised and cooked evenly/completely through even though the meat was plump. The scoring is genius. Only adjustment: I didn’t have Spike so used Morton’s Nature’s Seasoning (which I think is similar). I expect we’ll make this A LOT. Many thanks. 🙂
So happy you enjoyed it so much. I haven’t used that seasoning, but it sounds like it would be similar.
Can't think of any reason you couldn't freeze the cooked chicken, although I think the flavor and texture will obviously not be quite as good as when it's freshly cooked.
Kalyn: I have made this grilled chicken 5-6 times now and it is delicious every time and such a life saver since I am always short on time. What I am wondering is : can this be frozen after grilling? I'd like to make it in bulk and use it in different things when I am on the go. Thanks!
Jenn, so glad it was a hit!
This was *the* best grilled chicken I have ever tasted. Quick and easy, and my husband loved it too!
Anonymous, so glad you liked it. I agree, chicken breasts are often dry but this marinade with the oil in the dressing really keeps them moist and flavorful.
I loathe boneless skinless chicken breasts as they are always dry and not all that tasty. I made some today with the marinade and they are without doubt DELICIOUS. Thank you!
hah! perfect for firefighters to make at the firehouse, simple yet amazing. thanks so much!
so you mix one bottle with the zesty italian and just put enough marinade to cover the chicken?
Coach Kai, yes, then after the chicken marinates just grill as usual.
I will be trying this very soon! I really like your blog!
I love the grill chicken recipe with the Newman's Own marinade. I tried tonight because I was tired of eating the same things….what is even more amazing is that my kids ate it! Thanks!
April Deonna
"If you are going to get fit, go all the way." www.allthewayfit.com
Looks delicious!
OK, my mouth is watering. I try to avoid a lot of the pre-packaged stuff, but let's face it: it's engineered to taste great. And this looks so savory and moist. Might have to grill chicken this weekend…
KL, thanks so much and nice to know you are enjoying the blog. Not sure if I would ever write a book, and for sure only if I had an offer for money up front (as I hear lots of people work hard writing cookbooks and never make any money from them.) Right now doing the blog is keeping me pretty busy!
I love your site-I'm the Director of Women's Ministries at a mid-size church and tell all of our ladies about this site! Thanks for the great, healthy recipes. I'm still waiting for your book!!!
KL
It's nice to hear from people who have used the recipe or their own variation of this same idea, thanks for weighing in. Like the idea of using the Italian mix with bread crumbs too (and I just went to my first Penzey's store!)
This is a great way to grill chicken. I also use the packaged Italian dressing mix (I buy mine from Penzeys in bulk) to combine with whole wheat Panko crumbs. Dip chicken breast slices in olive oil, then dip in the bread crumb/Italian mixture. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes, and you have fabulous chicken tenders that you have made yourself–so you know what's in them!
Kalyn
I've been using this marinade recipe for several years now after finding it on your website. And yeah, it uses "packaged" salad dressing – but so what, its delicious and truly foolproof! Everyone loves this chicken when I make it.
Marvelous! thank u!
I'm always in for foolproof:D
There are absolutely no turned-up noses here. I am all for a recipe that gets dinner on the table quickly! I am emailing this to myself.
Elenka, you can get salt-free Spike, and actually the Newman's Own dressing is pretty low in salt. The one ingredient that does have a lot of salt is the Zesty Italian packets. Remember though, you're only eating the small amount of marinade that stick to the chicken when it's grilled. I'm not sure just olive oil and vinegar with Mrs. Dash would replace all the flavors in this, but I bet it would still be good.
Oy, I need to cut back salt, so pre packages stuff is usually out for me. Probably using olive oil and vinegar and some Mrs. Dash would yield good results, no?
Wow! This is the best chicken I have ever had. My husband and I will be adding this to our weekly favorites 🙂
Great work. Thank you Kalyn.
Hi Kalyn
Just had to tell you I tried this marinade this weekend and it’s fabulous! Even my picky 14-year old stepson, who lives on chicken tenders and ravioli, pronounced it “tasty”. I did it with the veggie kabobs…I think we’ll be eating these fairly often this summer.
Karen