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    Home » Main Dish Recipes » Chicken » Keto Chicken Marinade Recipe

    Keto Chicken Marinade Recipe

    5 Ingredient RecipesDairy Free RecipesGluten & Grain Free RecipesLow Carb & Keto RecipesTrim Healthy Mama Recipes

    Published: Feb 17, 2022 by Taryn

    This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.
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    pinterest image for lemon garlic marinade

    Looking for a Keto Chicken Marinade Recipe for your grilling needs? With just a few simple ingredients you can have perfect grilled chicken in no time! This low carb chicken marinade packs a ton of flavor and is super easy to make. It is also paleo, sugar-free, gluten-free, and whole30.

    marinated grilled chicken sliced on plate

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    Grilled chicken is one of our standard summer dinners. Grilling keeps the house cool and leaves almost no clean-up. I like to marinate my chicken breasts in a plastic gallon storage bag to make sure they are completely coated with the marinade and to save on one more clean-up step. It also has simple ingredients that you should have ready in your pantry.

    Lemon with garlic is one of our favorite flavor pairings. We love it on my Garlic Broccoli and on grilled chicken breasts.

    grilled chicken with keto chicken marinade sliced and served on salad

    Ingredients

    • Lemon Juice - Fresh lemon juice is the best. If you have a lemon, roll it around on the counter applying some pressure before juicing it. This helps to break up the fiber and cells that hold all the tart juices. If you don't have a fresh lemon, store-bought lemon juice will work just fine.
    • Garlic - I love garlic, but I don't love peeling and mincing garlic and having garlic smelling fingers. The beauty of this recipe is that you can just use your knife to smash the garlic clove on the cutting board, this will pop it right out of its skin. You then just toss it into the blender. No need to finely mince this one. If you only have dried garlic or garlic powder, you can use that, but I highly recommend fresh garlic.
    • Oil - Whenever I grill, I try to opt for a higher smoking temperature oil. Some oils hold up to high heat better than others. Olive oil will work, but I like to use avocado oil in this recipe. It has a nice flavor and holds up to grilling very well
    • Salt - Marinating adds a lot of flavor to chicken, it also gives you the opportunity to season it well. Taste the marinade as you make it and make sure that you are happy with the level of seasoning.
    • Optional Herbs - Add in your favorite dried or fresh herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon, or marjoram.

    bulbs of garlic

    How to Make Keto Chicken Marinade

    This is such an easy chicken marinade recipe. Just a minute or two of time and you will be well on your way to a delicious dinner.

    Step 1: Simply add the four ingredients to a blender. Pulse the blender for a few seconds until it is a nice puree.

    brush in dish of liquid next to garlic

    Step 2: Pour the marinade into a plastic storage bag or bowl with a lid. Add your chicken and pop it into the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors of the lemon and garlic meld.

    raw chicken breasts

    Step 3: Once the chicken is marinated, fire up the grill and cook the chicken.

    chicken breast on grill

    Variations

    • Spicy -  Make it a keto spicy chicken marinade. When I am trying to kick any dish up with a little spice, I go to my trusty combination of cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Equal parts of each and you only need a little in a marinade to impart that flavorful heat.
    • Limes - If you don't have lemons, then lime juice will work just fine. If the limes are smaller you may need two of them to make enough marinade. Be sure to roll these as well to get the most juice out of them.
    • Balsamic - Swap out the lemon juice for balsamic vinegar. For even more options try red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. You want something acidic in the keto chicken marinade.

    sliced chicken

    Common Questions

    What type of chicken should I marinate?

    This low carb marinade works on everything. Marinated chicken has the opportunity to absorb a lot of flavor and juice. Darker meat, like chicken thighs and legs, tend to hold up pretty well with retaining their natural juices as they cook. Breast and tenderloins have a high propensity for drying out and not having a ton of flavor on their own. I will usually marinade breast and tenderloins for this reason. I will typically purchase boneless and skinless chicken. It allows the marinade to permeate the meat and you save a few calories.

    I'll be the first to admit when I put things on the grill I sometimes forget about them. Knowing this about myself I have a tried and true method to juicy chicken on the grill.

    How to Grill Chicken Breasts

    I preheat the grill on high heat. Once hot, I add the chicken and let it sear, getting nice dark lines on one side, watching closely. Then I flip it, watch for lines on the second side, and then turn the grill down to low. Once the outside is seared it is harder to dry out because it keeps the natural juices inside. I set my kitchen timer to go temp it every 5 minutes after that. When it reaches 157 I remove it from the grill and let it rest to get up to 160.

    plate of chicken from the keto chicken marinade recipe

    Other ways to use this Keto Chicken Marinade

    This doesn't only have to be for grilled marinated chicken. You can cook the marinated chicken in the oven, pan fry them or even toss them into your air fryer. The flavor that this marinade provides is so delicious, you will not want to save it for only those grilling days.

    Make a sauce! Turn this into a delicious sauce to pour over chicken, veggies, or salad. Once blended, pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to simmer. Add a teaspoon of dijon mustard, some ground black pepper, and a half teaspoon of onion powder and whisk. Let simmer for 2 minutes pour over your chicken or veggies. If you are serving this as a dressing for a salad, allow it to cool first or it will wilt your lettuce. Enjoy these wonderful flavors.

    What do I serve with grilled chicken?

    For a delicious summery meal serve this Lemon Grilled Chicken recipe on top of Spinach Salad with Grilled Grapes and Brie Cheese. You can omit the grapes or sub strawberries to make this keto friendly. Or simply grill some peppers and onions to serve alongside this grilled chicken.

    Here are some of my other favorite sides for grilled chicken:

    • Grilled Broccoli
    • Keto Caesar Salad
    • Cucumber Salad

    grilled chicken on salad

     

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    marinated grilled chicken sliced on plate

    Keto Chicken Marinade Recipe

    This Keto Chicken Marinade Recipe has just a few simple ingredients so you can have perfect grilled chicken in no time!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 346.5
    Author: Taryn

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
    • 10 cloves garlic
    • ¼ cup avocado oil
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 6 chicken breasts
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    To make the Marinade:

    • Add all the ingredients to a blender. Pulse until smooth. Use to marinate chicken breasts.

    To make Lemon Grilled Chicken:

    • Preheat the grill to high. Add the chicken, and let it get nice dark lines on one side, watching closely. Flip it, watch for lines on the second side, and then turn the grill down to low. Temp the chicken every few minutes. When it reaches 157 remove it from the grill and let it rest to get up to 160.

    Notes

    Nutrition Facts: The nutrition table is for one chicken breast that has been marinated and grilled.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1marinated chicken breast | Calories: 346.5 | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 48.3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 144.6mg | Sodium: 650.6mg | Potassium: 861.5mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 68.5IU | Vitamin C: 6.2mg | Calcium: 20.9mg | Iron: 0.9mg
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    Comments

    1. Lin says

      May 29, 2021 at 12:42 pm

      How long did you leave the chicken in to marinate?

      Reply
    2. Wilhelmina Wessel says

      June 20, 2018 at 10:58 am

      This chicken looks so juicy and grilled to perfection!5 stars

      Reply
    3. Nellie Tracy says

      June 20, 2018 at 10:25 am

      I love lemon and garlic together. This chicken looks absolutely delicious!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Anne says

        May 23, 2020 at 11:45 am

        This is a wonderful recipe my husband and I love it and it's so simple but I used boneless chicken thighs and they were delicious.5 stars

        Reply
    4. Linda says

      June 20, 2018 at 8:55 am

      I'm with you! Grilling in the summer is a no-brainer here in Florida to keep the heat out of the house. Chicken is also a standard grill item for us and marinating keeps it so much moister. I like the addition of the avocado oil along with garlic and lemon in your marinade. It looks so delicious that I know just what I want to try out for dinner tonight. 🙂5 stars

      Reply

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