How to Bake Marinated Chicken

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 23, 2020 References Tested

There are a million different ways to prepare chicken. Baking a marinated chicken is generally one of the tastier and healthier options. While there are basically endless options for a marinade, a balsamic chicken breast and Worcestershire chicken thighs are fantastic options. Just choose your flavor, marinate the chicken overnight, and bake away!

Ingredients

Balsamic Marinated Chicken Breasts^{[1]
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³⁄₄ cup (180 ml) balsamic vinegar
¹⁄₃ cup (79 ml) water
1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) dried minced onion
¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 ml) crushed red pepper flakes
¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 ml) dried minced garlic
¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 ml) salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 ml) ground black pepper
¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 ml) crushed dried rosemary
¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 ml) paprika
¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 ml) dried parsley flakes
¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 ml) chili powder
¹⁄₈ teaspoon (0.62 ml) dried oregano
4 (6 ounces (170 g)) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs^{[2]
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1 cup (240 ml) olive oil
¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) soy sauce
¹⁄₃ cup (79 ml) Worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons (20 ml) dry mustard
4 tablespoons (59 ml) lemon juice
¹⁄₃ cup (79 ml) red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons (9.9 ml) black pepper
6-8 boneless chicken thighs

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making Balsamic Marinated Chicken Breasts

1
Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together. Put the all of the ingredients, minus the chicken breast, in a mixing bowl. Whisk them together until thoroughly blended.
2
Place the chicken in a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken breasts so that it covers them completely. In order to avoid any spillage, place the rim of your mixing bowl inside the ziplock bag and tilt it slightly until your marinade pours into the bag cleanly. Try swishing the bag around for about a minute and turning the breasts around so the marinade completely covers the chicken.

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3
Put the ziplock bag in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours for best results. The longer you marinate, the better the chicken will taste! Try to place chicken in the fridge for a full 24 hours, but as little as 30 minutes should work just fine. Make sure to turn the chicken over a few times throughout the day so the chicken is covered evenly. It can’t hurt to place the ziplock bag into another container to make sure it doesn’t spill all over your refrigerator.
4
Preheat your oven to 400 °F (204 °C) after marinating. Take the ziplock bag (with the chicken still inside) out of the fridge and preheat the oven. A standard oven should work just fine for your marinated chicken breasts!
5
Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. The aluminum foil will make cleanup easy! Place the marinated chicken breasts evenly across the baking sheet.
6
Cook the chicken for 30-40 minutes. Cook until they’re golden brown and no longer pink in the center. Try checking on them every few minutes after you hit 30 minutes so you don’t overcook it! If you have a cooking thermometer, place it inside the chicken breast. If it’s at 165 °F (74 °C), it should be safe to eat!
7
Serve with a simple salad and enjoy. For a baked chicken, a basic salad is a great counterpoint. Get together your freshest greens, dress them with a simple vinaigrette, and enjoy!^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Cooking Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

1
Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk them completely until your ingredients form a homogenous mixture. This should only take about a minute or so.
2
Place the chicken in a gallon-sized ziplock bag for marinating. Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs so that it covers them completely. For best results, place the rim of the mixing bowl into the bag and pour slightly. This will best help you avoid any potential spillage. Move the chicken around in the bag for about a minute, turning it over several times.
3
Put the chicken in the refrigerator for 24 hours. When marinating, the longer, the better! Try to give your chicken plenty of time with the marinade so the flavors are fully absorbed. If you’re on a time crunch, 30 minutes should do the trick. Turn the bag over a few times throughout the day so that the chicken is completely covered.
4
Preheat your oven to 350 °F (177 °C). This may vary slightly depending on the size of your chicken thighs. Larger thighs may need slightly more heat.
5
Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. The aluminum foil will make cleanup easy! There’s no need for cooking spray or olive oil; the juice from the chicken should suffice. Place the marinated chicken thighs evenly across the baking sheet.
6
Cook the chicken for 25-35 minutes. This will also vary slightly depending on the size of your chicken thighs. Try checking them every few minutes after 25 minutes to make sure you don’t burn them. Place a cooking thermometer into the chicken. If it reaches 165 °F (74 °C), then you’re ready to serve it!
7
Serve with roasted potatoes and enjoy! Oven roasted potatoes go great with baked chicken thighs, and you can usually prepare them while the chicken is cooking!^{[4]
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Warnings

Eating undercooked chicken can cause salmonella or food poisoning.^{[5]
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Research source} Make sure your chicken is white and cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C) before serving.^{[6]
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