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In just 5 minutes you can mix up this rich and flavorful Tuscan Chicken Marinade! A simple blend of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, fresh herbs, and Parmesan cheese creates a zesty sauce that will completely transform your dinner!
Hey, friends! Happy Monday to YOU! I hope that you had a great Mother’s Day and that you’re ready for another week ahead! We’re in the home stretch for the end of the school year and the beginning of summer vacation (which is completely hard for me to wrap my head around).
In fact, we just hosted our first cookout of the season on Saturday and, come to think of it, this chicken marinade would have been the perfect addition to our menu!
If you love to fire up the grill at this time of year too, you’re probably on the hunt for new ways to mix up the ho-hum chicken routine — and this chicken marinade is your answer!
The Flavors
It’s full of simple Italian flavors that appeal to both kids and adults. Because really, what child doesn’t love Parmesan cheese and garlic?!
The sundried tomatoes give the chicken marinade a rich, robust flavor, while the herbs add a light, fresh touch. Whether you grill your meat outside, bake it in the oven, or sear it in a skillet or grill pan indoors, this Tuscan Chicken Marinade will take your next meal over-the-top in just 5 minutes!
Cook’s Tips – Tuscan Chicken Marinade
- Cooking for Two? You can prepare this marinade in advance and just use a portion of it to marinate 2 chicken breasts. I like to save the extra marinade to use on salads or on sandwiches throughout the week!
- Want to Prep Ahead? This marinade will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also cook the chicken in advance so that you have cooked protein on hand to slice and serve in sandwiches, wraps, or on salads throughout the week.
- Tip: I like to double the marinade recipe and set aside half of it in the refrigerator to use as salad dressing throughout the week.
More Chicken Recipes You Might Like
- Southern Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Dump and Bake Southern Chicken Salad Casserole
- Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole
- Maria’s Ranch Chicken Kabobs
Tuscan Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil plus ¼ cup of the oil from the jar
- ¼ cup warm water
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chicken for marinating I used about 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Place all marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until thick and completely combined.
- Pour ¾ cup of the marinade into a large zip-top bag. Reserve about ¼ cup of marinade for serving. Add chicken pieces to the bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).
- You can grill, bake, or roast the marinated chicken. I prefer a grill (especially when the weather is nice).
- To grill the chicken, preheat a grill or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat.
- Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade.
- Place chicken on the hot grill and allow to cook (without moving) for about 5 minutes. Once you can see that the chicken is starting to cook through and turn opaque, flip the meat over and cook on the other side for another 3-4 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken.
- Remove the chicken from the grill when it reaches an internal temperature of between 150-160F (65-71C). Allow the meat to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. The temperature will rise as the meat rests, which is exactly what you want!
Notes
Nutrition
Hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day, Blair! I’m loving this simple marinade! I need to make more homemade sauces, as they’re SO much better than the store-bought kind. I love the flavors and ease of this one!
THanks, Gayle! I hope that you had a great weekend too! You’re a dog mom now, so that counts right?!
This marinade is just what I need for my next chicken dinner, yum!
What should I serve as sides?
Hi, Tina! Here are some sides that go well with the chicken:
Charleston Red Rice, Rice Pilaf, Parmesan Risotto, or No-Stir Easy Mushroom Risotto
Buttered Homemade Egg Noodles or Pesto Pasta
Buttermilk Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
French Baguette, Soft Dinner Rolls, or a crusty loaf of No-Knead Bread
Homemade Coleslaw
Easy Pasta Salad with Mayo, Lemon and Basil or Antipasto Pasta Salad
Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives or Garlic and Parmesan Cauliflower Mash
Potato Pancakes or Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Cheesy Potato Casserole
Zucchini Gratin with Corn, Zucchini Fritters or Sauteed Zucchini
Roasted Cabbage or Braised Red Cabbage
Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter, Roasted Green Beans or Southern-Style Green Beans
Garlic Roasted Broccoli or Broccoli and Cheese
Wedge Salad, House Salad with Candied Pecans or Caesar Salad
Creamed Peas
Sauteed Spinach or Creamed Spinach
Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots
Roasted Asparagus
You can use the search function to find all of these recipes on my site. Enjoy!
The recipe sounds tasty but the printable recipe card font is very small which makes it made it difficult to read. This old gal needs the bigger font like that on your recipe post. 🙂
Sorry about that, Jenny! I can totally relate to needing larger font these days. 🙂 I’m not sure why the font on some of the older recipes turns out small when printed…it’s a weird glitch that I can’t seem to fix. If necessary, you can copy and paste the text from the recipe card in the post and email it to yourself or print it out in a Word document. I know it’s an extra step, but a work-around nonetheless.