This Mary Berry Chicken Marinade Recipe is a zesty and versatile recipe, which is made with lemon juice, honey, and wholegrain mustard. It’s the perfect way to tenderize chicken, ready in about 5 minutes (plus marinating time).
Mary Berry Chicken Marinade Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts (or 8 thighs)
- 4 tbsp Olive Oil
- Juice of 1 large Lemon
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
- 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp fresh Thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
- Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
How To Make Mary Berry Chicken Marinade
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, make 3-4 diagonal slashes across the top of each chicken breast (about 1/4 inch deep). This technique, often used by Mary Berry, allows the marinade to penetrate deep into the meat and helps it cook more evenly.
- Make the Marinade: In a small bowl or a jug, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, wholegrain mustard, crushed garlic, and thyme leaves. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Whisk until the mixture is emulsified (smooth and combined).
- Coat the Chicken: Place the scored chicken breasts into a shallow, non-metallic dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Use tongs or your hands to turn the chicken, rubbing the marinade into the scored cuts to ensure maximum flavor absorption.
- Marinate: Cover the dish with plastic wrap (cling film) and refrigerate. Marinate for at least 30 minutes for a quick flavor boost, or up to 4 hours for the best results. (Avoid marinating longer than 4 hours, as the lemon juice can start to break down the texture of the meat too much).
- Cook: When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge 15 minutes beforehand.
- Oven: Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes.
- Grill/Pan: Grill or pan-fry over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side, basting with any leftover marinade from the dish halfway through cooking.
Recipe Tips
- Why score the chicken? Scoring (cutting shallow slits) serves two purposes: it increases the surface area for the marinade to soak in, and it helps the heat penetrate the thickest part of the breast faster, ensuring it cooks evenly without drying out.
- Don’t waste the marinade: If you are baking the chicken in the oven, pour all the excess marinade from the dish over the chicken before baking. It will reduce down into a delicious, sticky sauce. If grilling, discard the used marinade after brushing it on initially (do not use raw marinade as a sauce on cooked meat unless boiled first).
- Wholegrain vs. Dijon: Mary Berry often favors wholegrain mustard for marinades because the mustard seeds add texture and a pop of flavor that looks beautiful on the cooked meat. Dijon will work, but the texture will be different.
- Resting is key: After cooking the chicken, let it rest on a warm plate covered with foil for 5-10 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute, keeping the meat tender.
What To Serve With Marinated Chicken
This versatile chicken pairs with almost anything, from summer salads to winter roasts.
- Summer: A fresh Greek salad and potato salad.
- Winter: Roasted root vegetables and steamed green beans.
- Easy Dinner: Served over rice or quinoa to soak up the juices.
How To Store Marinated Chicken
- Marinating: Store the raw chicken in the marinade in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.
- Cooked: Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It makes excellent cold chicken for sandwiches or salads.
- Freeze: You can freeze the raw chicken in the marinade. Place chicken and marinade in a freezer bag, remove the air, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge; it will marinate as it thaws!
Mary Berry Chicken Marinade Nutrition Facts
(Per serving of marinade + chicken)
- Calories: ~280 kcal
- Total Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
- Sodium: 320mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 5g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 4g
- Protein: 26g
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
Can I use this on other meats?
Yes! This lemon-honey-mustard blend is fantastic on pork chops or salmon fillets. For salmon, only marinate for 15-20 minutes.
My honey is too thick to whisk.
If your honey has crystallized or is very stiff, microwave it for 10-15 seconds to loosen it up before mixing it with the cold ingredients.
Does this make the chicken sweet?
Not overly. The 1 tablespoon of honey balances the sharp acidity of the lemon juice and the heat of the mustard. The result is a savory, balanced flavor, not a dessert-sweet one.
Try More Recipes:
- Mary Berry Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole Recipe
- Mary Berry Chicken Cacciatore Recipe
- Mary Berry Chicken And Cashew Nuts Recipe
Mary Berry Chicken Marinade Recipe
Description
A classic Mary Berry-style marinade using lemon, honey, and wholegrain mustard to keep chicken breasts incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Score the chicken breasts with 3-4 shallow slashes on top.
- In a bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, honey, mustard, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Place chicken in a dish and pour over the marinade, rubbing it into the cuts.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours).
- To Bake: Roast at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes with the marinade.
- To Grill: Grill for 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Scoring the meat helps the flavor penetrate deeper and cooks the chicken faster.
- Do not marinate for more than 4 hours or the texture may become mealy due to the lemon acid.
- This marinade freezes perfectly with the raw chicken.
Mary Berry Chicken Marinade Recipe
