The Best Mustard Chicken Marinade

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An easy chicken marinade made with soy sauce, lemon juice and mustard, this Mustard Chicken Marinade is salty, tangy and just plain incredible! Plus, it comes together it just a couple minutes.

This recipe was originally published in October 2016. It has been updated for content and photos. For a good laugh, scroll down below the recipe card and check out the old photo - it's pretty funny!

This chicken marinade recipe has been used by my family for as long as I can remember. It's now earned the title "mustard steak" because my sister most often uses it on steak now. I like it on these grilled chicken kabobs personally.

My grandma passed the recipe down to my mom, and she passed it down to me. It is hands down one of my favorite marinades ever.

Tender, juicy chunks of marinated chicken thighs, red peppers, zucchini and fresh mushrooms...this is the perfect recipe to get that grilling season going!

You may also like this Homemade Barbecue Sauce to get grilling season off to a great start!

Ingredients

Soy sauce, mustard and lemon juice are the main ingredients for this marinade. I always recommend using plain yellow mustard as it has the bets flavor for the marinade.

For years, my family has used bottled lemon juice for the marinade, and it has been great, but recently I used fresh squeezed lemon juice and it was a whole different ball game. So either will work, but I do highly recommend trying the fresh squeezed. You can also substitute fresh squeezed lime juice.

You will also need some 10" bamboo skewers to make the chicken kabobs (affiliate link). The skewers should be soaked in water for about 20 minutes before using. This helps to keep them from burning on the grill.

You can also use metal skewers (affiliate link) if you prefer reusable. Just be careful as they will get hot on the grill.

If you are loving the flavors in this recipe, you may also want to check out this white wine and Dijon Mustard Chicken. It's one of the blog favorites!

Step by Step Instructions

The chicken should be cut in 2" pieces, and the vegetables should be cut in a similar fashion. If they are cut too small, it is difficult to get them skewered correctly.

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

Add the chicken and vegetables to the marinade and mix well to coat everything. Marinade in the fridge overnight up to 24 hours for the best results. The longer the better.

How to Grill Kabobs

Soak the bamboo skewers in water for about 20-40 minutes before you're ready to start cooking. This prevent them from burning while cooking. Heat the grill to 400F.

Skewer the chicken and vegetable pieces onto the skewers, rotating different veggies and chicken (see photos below).

Place on the grill and cook for about 5-7 minutes per side, turning often to prevent too much charring.

Serve with rice and extra marinade on the side.

How to Use Leftover Marinade

You will most definitely have leftover marinade in this recipe. Place it in a heatproof bowl and microwave it for 3-5 minutes, until it is boiling. Boiling will eliminate any bad bacteria and makes the marinade safe to eat.

Variations

• This marinade is also incredible used on flank steak. Grill the flank steak on a 500F grill for about 3-5 minutes side for rare. The internal temperature should be 145 degrees for rare.
• Add a little heat with a teaspoon of cayenne pepper;
• If you like a little sweet in your chicken, add 1-2 tablespoons of honey or coconut sugar to the marinade;
• Use whatever vegetables you like such as large pieces of jalapeno, all colors of bell pepper, poblano pepper, mini potatoes, eggplant, etc.
• Serve the kabobs with tortillas (make your own tortillas) or pita bread instead of rice.

Expert Tips

1. Be sure to use a glass bowl as a metal bowl may give the chicken a metallic taste.
2. The chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 155-160F before removing from the grill. It will continue to rise to 165F as it rests. This takes about 5-7 minutes.
3. Cook the leftover marinade in the microwave for at least 3-5 minutes to kill any bacteria.
4. If you're concerned about burning the vegetables, you can put them on separate skewers and cook for 2-4 minutes/side.

How to Grill Kabobs Without Burning Vegetables

Honestly, the best way to avoid burning the veggies is to skewer the chicken and vegetable separately. I typically skewer them all together as I like the vegetables with some char.

If you choose to do it this way, grill the vegetables skewers about 2-4 minutes per side.

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Did you make this mustard chicken marinade? Rate the recipe and leave a comment below to let me know what you think 🙂

Check out this old photo!