This pesto chicken marinade uses fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic for amazing flavor! It's an easy-to-make homemade marinade that you'll never want to be without! Your pesto chicken turns out super moist, delicious, and wonderfully tender!
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Instructions
In the bowl of your food processor, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pulse until the pine nuts have reached a fine consistency. Add the fresh basil, and pulse briefly to distribute throughout the marinade.
Place the chicken and marinade into a ziploc plastic storage bag, then seal securely while pushing out any excess air.
Using your hands, massage the marinade into the chicken through the bag. Squish the marinade throughout the bag until the chicken is thoroughly coated.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours for best results. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
This recipe yields ½ cup or 8 tablespoons of pesto chicken marinade. Use ½ cup of marinade per 1 pound of chicken.
If you will be grilling your chicken breasts whole, it is best to flatten each of the chicken breasts for quick and even cooking. Place the chicken pieces between two sheets of plastic cling film then pound with a meat mallet or tenderizer (using the flat side).
Start at the center of the chicken breast and work your way toward the edges. Continue until the chicken is even in thickness.
Alternatively, you can cut the chicken breast thickness in half, like chicken breast cutlets. This can still leave uneven portions of chicken, which is why I prefer the flattened method.
This chicken marinade will work for any kind of chicken you like! Try it out with chicken breasts, legs, thighs, boneless, bone-in, skin-on, or whatever you want!
You'll want to marinate your chicken for at least 30 minutes. However, you'll get a larger flavor payoff if you let it marinate overnight!