Apple Cider Vinegar Chicken
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This simple apple cider vinegar chicken is my go-to recipe when making grilled chicken because it’s easy, versatile and delicious! Enjoy right away or use the grilled chicken for meal prep throughout the week.
This is an OG recipe and I am so excited to give it fresh pictures and a little revamp because it’s a recipe that Isaac and I use ALL THE TIME. Plus, it’s so tasty!
To be honest, I’m typically all about shredded chicken recipes. My slow cooker shredded chicken method is sooo easy and great because you can use it in a variety of recipes, like soups, casseroles, Greek yogurt chicken salad, etc. But for actual salads and meal prep bowls I usually prefer to use grilled chicken. It has more flavor and I prefer the texture. That’s why I started making this grilled chicken that’s marinated in apple cider vinegar.
Here’s What You Need:
- boneless skinless chicken breasts – I prefer boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you’re welcome to use your favorite cut of chicken. And if you’re feeling adventurous you can try this marinade with different protein options as well.
- apple cider vinegar – this helps tenderize the meat and gives it such great flavor.
- Italian seasoning – Italian seasoning is one of my go-to spice blends and it works perfectly in this recipe.
- olive oil – this helps infuse the flavors into the meat and prevents the meat from sticking to the grill.
- sea salt and pepper – to bring all of the flavors together.
Apple Cider Vinegar is the Perfect Marinade
If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll know that apple cider vinegar is my jam and I cook with it all the time! It’s super flavorful and loaded with nutrition. (Check out my post about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar to learn more.)
Needless to say, we always have a jar of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar in the house and a few years ago we realized that it’s amazing for marinating all types of meat and seafood. We use it for chicken, salmon and even steak! It not only helps tenderize the meat, but it gives it great flavor.
How Long Do You Need to Marinate the Chicken?
For the chicken I like to keep things really simple and do a blend of apple cider vinegar, Italian seasoning, olive oil, salt and pepper. I let the chicken marinate for at least an hour or even up to 12 hours, but if you’re in a rush 30 minutes will do the trick.
What to Serve with This Grilled Chicken
Want to make a meal with this apple cider vinegar chicken? Here are some of my favorite side dishes to pair with it:
- Garlicky Kale Salad
- Healthy Pasta Salad
- Asparagus Salad
- Crackling Cauliflower
- Grilled Sweet Potatoes
More Chicken Recipes
- Grilled Chicken and Quinoa Meal Prep Bowls
- Baked Chicken Tenders
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Chicken Protein Bowl
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Chicken Marinade
- Yogurt Marinated Chicken
- Alice Springs Chicken (Outback Copycat)
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Apple Cider Vinegar Chicken
Ingredients
- 1-1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Whisk vinegar, Italian seasoning, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl until well combined. Place chicken in a shallow dish or 1-gallon sealable plastic bag.
- Add the marinade, toss to coat and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours. Remove chicken from the marinade, shake off excess and discard leftover marinade.
- Heat a grill or grill pan. Once hot, place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through and no longer pink.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can also broil the chicken. Line a broiler pan (or a baking sheet) with foil and coat with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the foil. Broil, watching carefully so it doesn’t burn. Flip chicken after about 5 minutes. Let cook for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.
- Enjoy chicken immediately or let cool, package in storage containers and save for later use.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
How about you put More Recipes AFTER the recipe people are hunting for? I know you have a link up there but this is why the internet sux.
Hi Ana, There is a list of similar recipes above the recipe card and then “related recipes” below the recipe card. What exactly are you looking for?
Can this marinade be used on tofu?
Totally! That would be delicious! 🙂
I was excited to try this for the simplicity of it, but we only marinated about 4 hours and the chicken was turning white and the vinegar flavor was overpowering. The amount of Italian seasoning seemed very high as well for a dried herb.
I’m sorry to hear the flavor was too strong for your taste! The acidity in apple cider vinegar can start to “cook” the chicken slightly if marinated for a longer period, which might be why you noticed it turning white. If you’re sensitive to vinegar, you could try reducing the amount slightly or marinating for a shorter time to mellow the flavor.
As for the Italian seasoning, it does add a bold herb flavor, but you can definitely scale it back if you prefer a more subtle seasoning. I make this all the time and love the balance, but I totally understand that everyone’s taste preferences are different! I really appreciate you giving it a try and sharing your feedback. 😊
Such a good meal prep recipe for batch cooking protein!
So flavorful and easy!
So glad you loved this recipe, Joanne! Thanks for the review!
Has anyone tried air frying this recipe.
I haven’t, but you could totally follow the cooking instructions for my air fryer chicken breast, but with this recipe. Let me know how it turns out if you end up trying it!
I’m making this for the first time. What is the best way to reheat?
You can reheat in the microwave or air fryer if you have one. Enjoy!
I made this recipe in the instant pot so I could meal prep for the week. We both get the “Sunday scaries” so I procrastinated, but I used this recipe on frozen, bone in, skin on chicken thighs, high pressure in the IP and they came out so flavorful and tender enough to shred for our meals throughout the week. Thanks for making healthy meals easy and attainable!
Yess, those “Sunday scaries” are so real, but I am very happy that this recipe worked out for you, Megan! Sounds like you have a delicious meal to enjoy throughout the week. Thank you for your review & star rating, I so appreciate it!
Just discovered your blog, and so glad I did! Trying this recipe out over the weekend. Heading to the farmers market tomorrow morning for a side to pair with it. By chance, is the salad pictured with the chicken you’re Garlicky Kale Salad? Look’s delicious! I promise to come back to leave a review.
It’s just a plain kale with a little dressing, but my Garlicky Kale salad would be delicious served with this chicken! Let me know how this turns out for you when you make it!!
This recipe sounds delicious. Any recommendations on how long to bake in the oven for / at what temp if not grilling or pan searing?
Hi, Kristen. I recommend broiling it in the oven if you are not grilling. Line a broiler pan (or a baking sheet) with foil and coat with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the foil. Broil, watching carefully so it doesn’t burn. Flip chicken after about 5 minutes. Let cook for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Alternatively, I suggest baking the seasoned chicken at 375ºF for ~20 minutes. You want to make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. Let me know how it turns out!
Such a great go-to weeknight recipe. I always turn to this when I’m pressed for time and still leaves me with such a juicy chicken! Thankful I stumbled upon this recipe!
Woo!! This makes me so happy to hear, Rachel. So thrilled you’ve been enjoying this chicken. Thanks for the review!
Do you have a recipe for Italian seasoning mix?
I don’t actually! Here’s one you could try.
What tempt do you use for the grill pan?
Medium-high heat should be good!
Followed the recipe and the chicken turned out AMAZING. I marinated for 24 hours…so tasty and flavourful.
Yay! So pumped this chicken was a hit, Stephanie! Thanks for the review :).
I think i might be possibly trying this
Let me know if you do and what you think!!
This is absolutely delicious. Never again will chicken be bland and dry.The chicken was moist and full of flavour. My other half was full of compliments.
Thank you for the recipe 😀
Yay!! So happy this recipe was a success, Mandy! Thanks for trying it out and coming back to leave a review. It means so much to me!
Absolutely incredible! Even my picky two year old ate this chicken. So much flavor!
Yay!! This makes me so happy to hear, Laura! So glad this chicken was a hit. Thanks for the review and star rating. It means so much to me!
Can I make this in an air fryer?
I haven’t ever tried making it in the air fryer but I don’t see why not! Let me know if you try it!
Really loved this recipe! Before this day I was literally on a chicken strike because I was so bored with how we usually made it😂. I loved how simple this marinade was and it left the chicken so juicy and flavorful! I will definitely keep this in our weekly rotation. One thing I might do next time is halve the chicken breast and marinate it for a little longer.. only because i love the flavor so much
Ah yay!! So glad this chicken was a hit, Lisa! Thanks so much for the review. I so appreciate the feedback!
Would this recipe also work if I used a NuWave oven rather than a grill? Thank you.
I haven’t ever tried it in a NuWave oven (or Air Fryer) but I would assume that it should work. Not sure the cook time though since I haven’t tried it!
We love this recipe! It’s part of our regular rotation.. consistently tasty!
Yay!! This makes me so happy to hear, Emily! Thanks so much for the review. I really appreciate it 🙂
We make this all the time and LOVE it. So good and so easy!! Thank you for sharing!
So glad you love this recipe, Madison!! Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Delicious and so easy!
Love this chicken recipe! So good. Highly recommend it.
This was SO GOOD! I planned to do a different marinade, but my grocery order messed up. I remembered you posted this not too long ago and it was the perfect time to try it. So glad I did! This is definitely going on the repeat list for grill nights!
Ahh yay! I’m so glad you did too. 🙂 I’m pumped you loved it! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it, Shannon.
I’m not sure why it took me so long to try this recipe, but oh my goodness am I glad I did! It’s juicy and tangy and flavorful and so so good. Meal prepped for salads this week with chicken tenderloins. Minus 2 because the hubby couldn’t help but eat them right off the grill!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Lena!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. 🙂
Just tried this in a skillet and it was delicious! Cut up the chicken and it went straight into a salad, topped with some of your Zesty Tahini Dressing recipe.
I marinated mine for about an hour, and poured out the remaining marinade before cooking like instructed, but was wondering if there was any downside to just cooking the chicken on the skillet directly in the leftover marinade (which surely has some olive oil left, rather than having to reapply olive oil/spray to the pan). Also, does cooking the cold chicken directly from the fridge have any downsides (I only marinated for an hour so temp wasn’t that cold)?
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! I don’t think it would be an issue to cook the chicken with the leftover marinade. It would probably add more great flavors! And one hour is totally fine for marinating. 🙂
Apple Cider Vinegar Chicken Rules! This was the easiest marinade I have ever made & it has So Much Flavor. I only wish I tried it sooner. Will definitely be making this again (and again)! Thank you, Brittany!
I made this recipe tonight and it is going to be my go to recipe for the summer. I love how few ingredients are needed but it’s SO GOOD!! I grilled it this time but will have to try the broil method so I can make this in non grilling months too!
Thank you so much for this recipe! Even my picky three year old son loved it ♥️
Could I bake this in the oven? If so, what temp and for how long would you recommend?
This was delicious!! I broiled the chicken because I didn’t feel like getting the grill out and wow so good. My kids noticed how good it smelled while cooking. It was a big hit!! Will def use on a regular basis! Thanks so much for this simple and yummy recipe.
Ahh yay!! I’m so glad this ACV chicken recipe was a hit with your family!! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating, Stefanie. I so appreciate it. <3
Love this easy recipe. I’ve used it with chicken drumsticks and they taste great! It’s definitely one of my favourites!
Love this simple and tasty marinade. It has become our go-to for meal prep during grilling season. Great on salads, but we’ve used it a bunch of different ways and never been disappointed.
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Beth. I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying this chicken recipe. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. I really appreciate it!
Easy! Deliciously juicy! A great addition to salad! Thanks!
Anyone try this in an Air Fryer yet? If so..what temp and how long did you Air fry? thanks!
Very tasty and very easy. That’s my kind of cooking. This will definitely be cooked again.
You posted the link to this in your Salad Challenge daily encouragement so I just had to hit it and see what it was. I have been making this for years…with red wine vinegar!!! I am now going to try the apple cider vinegar and see the difference. Have been loving your recipes, thank you for sharing the and your experience.
Excellent! This reminded me of a recipe I used called Mississippi Chicken and you apply with the mop brush. The chicken was moist and I doubled the marinade so I used several pieces of chicken to have for several meals.
Doubled this marinade recipe. For 2-1/4 lb chicken. Marinaded for about 5 hours. Kids and husband loved it. Served with baked sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli. Yum. Will definitely make it again.
Delicious!
Pinned and will be executed soon. Your blog is good enough to eat! been loving it! Thanks for the delicious recipes !
Looks super tasty! Can’t wait for our grill to arrive and whip this up!
Hi Brittany- this recipe looks so tasty! could it be assembled then frozen ahead of time? thanks!
Hi Brittany! I haven’t tried freezing this, but I am sure it would turn out fine. Let me know how it turns out for you! Enjoy!