This buttermilk chicken marinade is easy to make with 6 ingredients & results in tender, moist buttermilk chicken infused with flavor!
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When it comes to cooking chicken, I always opt for marinading. This buttermilk chicken marinade is a delicious, all-purpose marinade that’s easy to make in less than 5 minutes.
Buttermilk is the perfect base for a marinade, because it’s acidity tenderizes the chicken while infusing it with flavor. You can marinate the chicken for a little as 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
After it has been marinated, you can grill or bake the chicken depending on your preference!
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Buttermilk Chicken Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
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- Buttermilk. You can make your own buttermilk by mixing 1 cup milk with 1 ( OR TWO) Tablespoons white vinegar, however I suggest using regular buttermilk for the best results.
- Olive oil. canola or avocado oil are good substitutes.
- Garlic powder. 1 Tablespoon minced garlic can be used in place of 1 tsp garlic powder.
- Onion powder. ¼ cup finely minced onion is a good substitute for ½ tsp onion powder.
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How to Make Buttermilk Chicken
We’ll walk through this recipe together, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by trimming and thinly slicing two pounds of chicken breasts, then cut them into your desired portion size. I find that 2 pounds usually equals 4 to 6 thinly sliced breasts.
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Then, put the chicken breasts in a shallow glass dish with a lid or in a Ziploc bag inside a bowl (in case the bag leaks).
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Next, make the marinade by whisking the marinade ingredients together in a small or medium bowl.
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Then pour the mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
Marinate the buttermilk chicken in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, or at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
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When you’re ready to cook, heat a grill to medium heat, remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off excess buttermilk chicken marinade.
Then, lightly season each side of the breasts with salt and pepper.
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Grill on the first side for 3-5 minutes, flip and grill until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. (grill time depends greatly on thickness of breasts and temperature of grill).
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Remove, let sit for 5 minutes, slice and serve.
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Serve
Serve the chicken warm with your favorite side dishes. This buttermilk chicken is perfect on top of a salad, especially a strawberry spinach salad, or served alongside mac and cheese, etc.
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Store
Store leftover buttermilk chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
I like to slice it into strips and store it in a glass container as a way to meal prep chicken for the entire week. If it’s already sliced, I am more likely to eat it for lunch.
Freeze
You can also freeze this buttermilk chicken recipe in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
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Buttermilk Chicken Recipe FAQS
Buttermilk is the perfect marinade for chicken because it tenderizes the meat and infuses it with flavor. Making it juicy, moist and delicious.
Yes! This recipe is easily scaled to be doubled, tripled, or halved.
I suggest marinating in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, and no more than 24 hours.
If marinating at room temperature, I suggest leaving it out for no longer than 1 hour.
No, I don’t recommend rinsing the chicken breasts after marinating. However, I do recommend shaking or patting off excess marinade for the best results.
Yes, bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 25 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chicken breast), until the thickest part of your chicken reaches 160 degrees F.
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Buttermilk Chicken Recipe (Buttermilk Chicken Marinade)
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Slice 2 pounds of chicken breasts thin (2 pounds typically equals 4 to 6 thin pieces of chicken). Place them in a shallow glass dish with a lid or in a plastic bag inside a bowl (in case the bag leaks).
- Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl, then pour the mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
- Marinate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, or at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
Grill the Chicken* (see notes for baking instructions)
- Heat a grill to medium heat.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off excess.
- Lightly season each side of the breasts with salt and pepper.
- Grill on the first side for 3-5 minutes, flip and grill until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. (grill time depends greatly on thickness of breasts and temperature of grill).
- Remove, let sit for 5 minutes, slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- Buttermilk. You can make your own buttermilk by mixing 1 cup milk with 1 ( OR TWO) Tablespoons white vinegar, however I suggest using regular buttermilk for the best results.
- Olive oil. canola or avocado oil are good substitutes.
- Garlic powder. 1 Tablespoon minced garlic can be used in place of 1 tsp garlic powder.
- Onion powder. ¼ cup finely minced onion is a good substitute for ½ tsp onion powder.
