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!

Two chicken breasts cut on a cream colored plate.

To be honest, I’m typically all about shredded chicken when it comes to meal prep. My slow cooker shredded chicken method is sooo easy and great because you can use it in a variety of recipes, like soups, casseroles, 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.

Chicken, olive oil, italian seasoning, apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper measured out.

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.

Two chicken breast being marinated in apple cider vinegar mixture.

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.

Two well-seasoned chicken breasts on a grill pan with grill marks

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:

Sliced grilled chicken on a plate with a green salad.

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4.20 from 141 votes

Apple Cider Vinegar Chicken

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.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 3

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.
    Two chicken breast being marinated in apple cider vinegar mixture.
  • 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.
    Two chicken breasts grilling on a grill pan.
  • 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

Serving: 6ounce portion | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 862mg | Potassium: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple cider vinegar chicken
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
Chicken fajita filling on a sheet pan with a wooden spoon. Tortillas are resting on the bottom of the sheet pan.
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Recipe Rating




57 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Pinned and will be executed soon. Your blog is good enough to eat! been loving it! Thanks for the delicious recipes !

  2. 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.

  3. 5 stars
    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.

  4. 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.

  5. 5 stars
    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.

    1. 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!

  6. 5 stars
    Love this easy recipe. I’ve used it with chicken drumsticks and they taste great! It’s definitely one of my favourites!

  7. 5 stars
    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.

    1. 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

  8. 5 stars
    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 ♥️

  9. 5 stars
    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!

  10. 5 stars
    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)?

    1. 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. 🙂

  11. 5 stars
    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!

    1. 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. 🙂

  12. 5 stars
    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!

    1. 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.

    1. Yay!! This makes me so happy to hear, Emily! Thanks so much for the review. I really appreciate it 🙂

    1. 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!

  13. 5 stars
    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

    1. Ah yay!! So glad this chicken was a hit, Lisa! Thanks so much for the review. I so appreciate the feedback!

    1. 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!

    1. 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!

  14. 5 stars
    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 😀

    1. 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!

  15. 5 stars
    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!

    1. Woo!! This makes me so happy to hear, Rachel. So thrilled you’ve been enjoying this chicken. Thanks for the review!

  16. This recipe sounds delicious. Any recommendations on how long to bake in the oven for / at what temp if not grilling or pan searing?

    1. 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!

  17. 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.

    1. 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!!

  18. 5 stars
    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!

    1. 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!