Mayonnaise Chicken Marinade
Jun 26, 2025
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My mayonnaise chicken marinade is simple to make with just a few pantry ingredients and will take your chicken to the next level. You can mix this up in a couple of minutes
Table of Contents
Try My Easy Chicken Marinade
Grilled chicken is a staple at our house during the summer. It’s such a simple, delicious meal thats really versatile and always a hit. My kids especially love this chicken and ask for it weekly.
This mayonnaise marinade needs just a few ingredients because the mayo itself, gives the chicken so much unbelievable flavor. Even if you don’t like mayonnaise, don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like mayo, it’s just juicy, flavorful, and so tasty! I like to serve it with things like grilled vegetables, pasta salad, or even corn on the cob for the perfect dinner.
Enjoy! – Heather
Mayo Chicken Marinade Ingredients
- Mayonnaise – The base of the marinade that helps to tenderize the chicken making it tender and juicy.
- Pickle juice – Pickle brine from a jar of pickles adds a little tang to the chicken.
- Garlic powder – Adds a hint of delicious garlic flavor to the chicken.
- Paprika – You can choose to use paprika, smoked paprika, or sweet paprika for this marinade. Whatever you have on hand will work.
- Salt and pepper – Brings all the flavors together.
Variations
Make this mayo marinated chicken your own with a few of these ideas for customization:
Dijon mustard – This will add a little extra tang to the marinade. I recommend using about 1 tablespoon.
Honey – If you want a hint of sweetness, a little honey is the perfect addition.
Fresh herbs – Stir in a little fresh dill, chopped chives, or parsley.
How To Make Mayonnaise Chicken Marinade
Step one: Place the mayonnaise, pickle juice, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk together.
Step two: Add your chicken to the bowl. Toss the chicken in the marinade to completely coat the chicken.
Step three: Cover the bowl and refrigerate the chicken for 30 minutes up to 6 hours.
Step four: Cook the chicken using your favorite cooking method like grilling, baking, or in the air fryer.
Recipe Tips
- Enough for about 2 pounds of chicken. If you are grilling more than about 2 pounds of chicken, you can double the recipe.
- Use full-fat mayonnaise. I think full-fat mayonnaise gives the best results.
- Marinate for at least 30 minutes. You want the chicken to have time to soak up all of the flavors.
- Let some of the marinade drip off before cooking. I find it’s best if you can let some of the extra marinade drip off the chicken before cooking it. This helps keep the grill cleaner.
- Make sure to check the internal temperature. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
Storage
You can make this mayo marinade ahead of time, up to 24 hours. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator before using with your chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this chicken marinade will work with any cut of chicken.
You don’t need to poke holes for this recipe.
No, not at all. It just helps to lock in moisture and creates a golden crust on the chicken.
More easy chicken recipes
- Sonoma chicken salad
- Chicken zucchini squash casserole
- Forgotten chicken
- Hash brown chicken casserole
If you make this easy chicken marinade recipe and love it, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and star rating below. Follow along with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. Be sure to tag @foodlovinfamily and #foodlovinfamily so that I can see what you make! Enjoy!
Mayonnaise Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons pickle juice brine (from a jar of pickles)
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place the mayonnaise, pickle juice, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Whisk the ingredients together to combine.
- Add the chicken to the marinade. Toss to full cover the chicken in the marinade.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes up to 6 hours.
- Grill or cook the chicken with your preferred method.
Notes
- Enough for about 2 pounds of chicken. If you are grilling more than about 2 pounds of chicken, you can double the recipe.
- Use full-fat mayonnaise. I think full-fat mayonnaise gives the best results.
- Marinate for at least 30 minutes. You want the chicken to have time to soak up all of the flavors.
- Let some of the marinade drip off before cooking. I find it’s best if you can let some of the extra marinade drip off the chicken before cooking it. This helps keep the grill cleaner.
- Make sure to check the internal temperature. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
