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This Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken includes a fast Italian dressing marinade and is so flavorful! can be served up so many ways! And that homemade dressing is going to become a favorite!
Update: This recipe was originally published in 2018 and has been republished with all new photos.
When I was in college I cooked two things. While I was in a dorm I stuck mostly to canned corn that I poured into a bowl, heated in the microwave, and drowned in salt and butter. After moving into an apartment I graduated from microwave cooking to the oven. My go-to dish was baked chicken marinated in store-bought Italian salad dressing.
While my food tastes have definitely changed since those college days, what hasn’t changed is that I still crave flavorful chicken marinated in Italian dressing. The dressing is such an easy way to flavor the meat quickly! These days I opt for a homemade Italian dressing chicken marinade instead of a store-bought dressing. It’s fast, made from simple ingredients, and packed with herby flavor.
This easy chicken marinade is dairy free, gluten free, and Whole30 compliant. What is in this dressing exactly? Only the good stuff, friend! Olive oil and red or white wine vinegar are essential. A splash of lemon juice helps balance out that vinegar. Plus it’s loaded with dried herbs and seasonings that all work together to create something special.
Now that we know about our dressing, how about the chicken? You can use chicken breasts or thighs. Chicken tenders are a fun option for children! If you’re wanting bone-in try chicken wings or drumsticks. Turkey breasts, cutlets, or legs would also do well in this Italian marinade.
Craving more flavorful marinades? My Lemon Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken, Honey Balsamic Grilled Chicken, Ultimate Marinated Grilled Chicken, Best Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs, Chipotle Lime Grilled Chicken, and Grilled Orange Chicken are all recipes with delicious marinades the whole family will love.
Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken breasts or thighs: Boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs both work well. You can use skin-on chicken thighs too if you’re wanting the fun of crispy skin!
- Olive oil: I recommend extra virgin olive oil in this Italian dressing.
- Red or white wine vinegar: Both white and red wine vinegar work beautifully. Feel free to go with whichever you have on hand. I tend to select the red more than the white but I couldn’t say that it makes a difference other than creating a dressing that looks (in terms of color) more like what you see in stores.
- Lemon juice: A little fresh lemon juice adds a brightness to this zesty Italian dressing.
- Seasonings: The incredible flavor in this simple marinade comes from a blend of simple but powerful seasonings. We’re also using a few dried herbs because they pack more flavor than fresh herbs. For this recipe you’ll need dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
How to Make Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken
Let’s make this Italian chicken recipe, shall we? Place chicken thighs or breasts in a resealable ziplock bag with all marinade ingredients. Seal bag, squeezing out any excess air. Let the chicken marinate for at least one hour and up to 12 hours. The longer you marinate, the bigger the flavor.
To grill, remove each chicken breast or thigh from the bag and place in a single layer on a hot grill over medium heat. Throw away any excess marinade remaining in the bag. It’s not necessary to oil the grill grates since our marinade contains olive oil. I use a gas grill just because it’s so easy but a charcoal grill is a great option. If you don’t have an outdoor grill you can use an indoor grill pan.
Grill with the lid closed 4 to 5 minutes on each side, flipping only once for nice grill marks. Cooking time may increase if you’re using bone-in chicken. When cooked through your chicken should be a beautiful golden brown and juices should run clear.
If you find that you regularly overcook chicken I recommend getting a meat thermometer. It’s a most accurate way to make sure your chicken is the right temperature when you take it off the grill. For chicken you’re wanting the thickest part of the meat to have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. It will continue to cook once removed from the grill so take it off at around 150/160 degrees in order to avoid it drying out.
What Other Proteins Would Work Well in This Marinade?
I recommend chicken breasts or thighs. Turkey breasts, cutlets, or legs also work beautifully!
How Long Should You Marinate Chicken?
I always like to marinate chicken for at least an hour and up to 12 hours. The longer you marinate the more pronounced the flavor will be. You can of course marinate for as little as 30 minutes. I don’t recommend longer than 12 hours because your meat can start to breakdown and the texture changes if it sits in a marinade for too long. (That goes for any marinade.)
How to Store Leftovers
Want to enjoy this grilled chicken recipe the next day or later in the week? This entree makes great leftovers and it’s perfect for meal prep! Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a large skillet on the stovetop on low to medium-low heat until warmed through.
How to Serve Italian Chicken
You can obviously enjoy this as an entree with some incredible sides.
If you’re thinking of something green I recommend my Spicy Roasted Broccoli, Easy Roasted Broccoli, Garlic Green Beans, Simple Sautéed Cabbage, or Roasted Green Beans with Almonds.
Want to add more color to your plate? A side of veggies will do the trick. These Roasted Ranch Veggies will give you your vegetable fix and look so dang pretty. You’ll enjoy these Roasted Parsley Carrots and my Roasted Red Cabbage too.
I love to use this chicken in my Italian Marinated Chicken Lettuce Wraps for a hearty lunch.
Italian Marinated Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 6 chicken breasts, trimmed
Easy Homemade Italian Dressing
- ¾ cup olive oil, extra virgin
- ¼ cup red or white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place your chicken breasts in a gallon Ziploc bag with all ingredients for the Easy Homemade Italian Dressing. Seal the bag, squeezing out any excess air. Let the chicken marinate for at least one hour and up to 12 hours.
- Grill or saute your chicken depending on your preference. I’m providing instructions for both below.
On the Grill
- Remove each chicken breast from the bag and place on a hot grill over medium heat. Grill 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until done. (Juices should run clear.)
On the Stove
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil or another cooking fat to a skillet on the stove. Heat the oil over medium high heat. (You’ll know it’s ready when the chicken sizzles as you place it in the pan.) Add each chicken breast to the skillet in a single layer. Cook for about 5 minutes. Flip your chicken. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. (Chicken should be firm to the touch when done and juices should run clear.)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My husband and I recently switched from a diet high in fast foods to eating a hybrid of Whole30, Paleo, and Grain Brain diet. Essentially we are avoiding all gluten and otherwise eating whole foods with an emphasis on vegetables. We enjoyed chicken strips on the grill marinated in Italian dressing. I was so happy to find this recipe (and find it again when I lost it the first time!) We both LOVED it!! I used chicken breasts but cut them into generous strips (about 3 strips per breast). They were so tender, juicy, and flavorful! My husband took a mouthful and his eyes got big, ‘Wow! This is good. I mean really good!’ Eating healthy is easy with recipes like this. Thank you so much!!
That thrills me to hear, Melissa! Thank you!!!
Marinated the chicken for 6 hours.
Grilled it. Fantastic!
Thank you for the great recipe.
I’m so ready for grilling season!! Thank you for the kind comment, Robby!
Made this last night for dinner along with the Chipotle Lime. Both are fanand every one loved them.
Loved this recipe. Can the marinade be made ahead and stored for a few days before adding to chicken? Thinking about pre making a batch for our camping trip coming up.
Hi Megan! Yes, you can absolutely make the marinade ahead of time and just add the chicken to it closer to when you’re ready to grill (no more than 12 hours prior). Enjoy your camping trip!
I loved this as a chicken marinade and I’ve just made a second batch to use just as a salad dressing. When it’s just a dressing, does it need to be refrigerated?
Best ever Italian dressing! We can’t stop making it 🤣 I’m also diabetic so this is another plus. Do NOT hesitate to try.
Hands down the best italian marinade I have ever made. The chicken came out great, and tastes 1000 times better than the italian seasoning packets or marinade bottles you would buy at the store.
So tender, made for two pool parties. One with fettuccine alfredo and another with lemon potatoes. A hit, hooked on the bbq. Thanks for a yummy recipe!
So tender and delicious! Great on the grill. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you!
I was looking for this kind of Italian marinade-something different from soy-based. And also trying to duplicate a Grilled Tuscan Chicken recipe from a local store near me-Kimberton Whole Foods. Not Amazon Whole Foods. It was the closest but also the most convenient with all simple pantry products. Absolutely perfect and delicious on chicken. One thing I did to duplicate the recipe was to add about ~ a tablespoon concentrated tomato paste and whisk it in. PERFECT! And BTW also good as a tofu marinade. Thank you, MaryAnn N.