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Home » Recipes » Marinades

Spicy Chicken Marinade

By Laura Fuentes Updated Jun 16, 2025

4.99 from 85 votes

Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

The Spicy Chicken Marinade that's not too spicy and not too sweet, full of flavor, and just right. Add up to 2lbs of chicken and enjoy.

Want to know the secret to making chicken taste amazing? A really good marinade. That’s right. Seasoned chicken is good, but marinated chicken is even better, and this spicy chicken marinade is one for the books. It’s not just good; it’s EPIC.

plate of spicy chicken thighs

What is In Spicy Chicken Marinade

While there are many variations to spicy chicken marinades, some are smoky, and others are fire hot; the simplicity of this recipe makes it both doable and tastes amazing. The amounts are at the end of the post, but first, check what this marinade includes:

  • Red chili paste: or Sriracha. Here’s where the heat is!
  • Honey⁠: makes the flavors “stick” to the meat -pun intended- while adding a touch of sweetness.
  • Garlic: add it grated for extra flavor.
  • Fresh ginger: adds more depth of flavor.
  • Lime juice: its acidity balances out the marinade and also helps tenderize the meat.
side by side photos of bowl of marinade and chicken in a zip bag coated with marinade

How to Make Spicy Marinade for Chicken

Making this marinade couldn’t be any easier! Check out these quick instructions for the easiest and most flavorful spicy chicken marinade ever:

  1. Combine
    You can combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl or directly inside a zip bag for less clean-up.
  2. Marinade
    Combine the chicken with the marinade and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.⁠

They say the best way to learn how to do something is to see it made, so I’ve made you a quick video.

What Cut of Chicken is Best for Marinating?

The best cut of chicken to marinade is the chicken you enjoy eating! That said, most people look for marinade recipes for chicken breasts because they tend to be the least flavorful part of the chicken.

While I personally like my Quick Lemon Chicken Marinade for my chicken breasts, I enjoy this recipe for dark cuts of chicken like bone-in and skin-on thighs as well as chicken wings. More marinades and epic chicken recipes in my ebook, Chicken. It’s What’s for Dinner. Get your copy here.

How to Bake Marinated Spicy Chicken

Baking your marinated spicy chicken is as simple as lining your baking sheet with parchment paper, placing the chicken on it, and placing it in the oven.

Technically, all chicken cooked in the oven is roasted, and baking is for foods that change from liquid to solid (think batters).

Regardless, most chicken recipes are baked/roasted anywhere between 375F (190C) and 400F (200C). 

Most importantly, ALL chicken should be cooked and checked for doneness according to the meat’s internal temperature.

MeatInternal Temperature
Breast165F (75C)
Wings175F (80C)
Thighs175F (80C)

For this reason, I recommend using a kitchen thermometer to check the meat’s internal temperature.

Grilling Spicy Chicken

This spicy chicken marinade is perfect for grilling too! There’s no better way to enjoy chicken with friends and family than gathering outside, grilling chicken on one side of the bbq and some grilled vegetable skewers on the other.

One important part of cooking chicken on the grill (or bbq) is to not move or “disturb” the chicken once you place it on the grill for about 5-7 minutes. This allows that side of the chicken to sear and seal at the same time as it cooks.

Lifting your chicken off the grill too soon will make your meat stick to the hot grill and break off some pieces. Always wait at least 5 minutes before turning the meat over and finish cooking the chicken according to the internal temperature chart above.

bag of chicken marinating

Can You Marinate Chicken Too Long?

Yes. You can over-marinate chicken in marinades that are high in acids, and it will dry out the chicken. This often happens when marinating chicken breasts since they are already denser and not as juicy.

Thankfully, this recipe isn’t one of them, so you can keep the chicken in the marinade all day or overnight.

I typically prep the marinade the night before in a zip bag. In the morning, I place the chicken in the bag and let it soak up all the flavors until I’m ready to cook it at dinner time.

What to Serve with Spicy Chicken

The possibilities are endless, but I always enjoy this recipe with spicy roasted cauliflower, shaved Brussels sprouts salad, or simple sautéed cabbage.

Spicy Chicken Marinade

plate of spicy chicken thighs
Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Marinating time: 4 hours hrs
Total Time: 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
The Spicy Chicken Marinade that’s not too spicy and not too sweet, full of flavor, and just right. Add up to 2lbs of chicken and enjoy.
4.99 from 85 votes
Print Pin

Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup red chili paste, or Sriracha
  • 2 tablespoons of honey⁠
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced⁠
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

Instructions

  • In a large bowl or directly inside a zip bag, whisk together the chili paste, honey, garlic, ginger, and lime juice. 
  • Add the chicken and toss to combine with the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.⁠

Notes

This marinade is enough for up to 2lbs of chicken. 

Equipment

Marinade Bags
two marinating tray
marinade tray

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.3g | Protein: 0.8g | Fat: 0.9g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 2.3mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 9.3g

More Marinades

  • three chicken and vegetable kabobs on a plate
    Chicken Kabob Marinade
  • a bowl of marinade for beef kabobs
    Beef Kabob Marinade
  • Pesto Chicken Marinade
  • large plate of three sliced greek marinated chicken breasts
    Greek Chicken Marinade

Comments

    4.99 from 85 votes (49 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Rachel says

    March 09, 2025 at 11:17 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious chicken marinade!

    Reply
    • Kim says

      June 16, 2025 at 9:14 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious and I wasn’t able to do it exactly as stated cause I didn’t have everything. I used Sriracha, substituted maple syrup for the honey, ground ginger for fresh, and pre-minced garlic and it was still fantastic. Can’t wait to try it as written and put one on a bun with chunky blue cheese.

      Reply
  2. Dayna says

    March 01, 2025 at 3:25 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic chicken marinade recipe.

    Reply
  3. Carla says

    February 27, 2025 at 1:37 pm

    5 stars
    So tasty!

    Reply
  4. Jackie says

    February 25, 2025 at 2:57 pm

    5 stars
    This marinade was incredible!

    Reply
  5. Allie says

    February 21, 2025 at 5:41 am

    5 stars
    This chicken was so tasty!

    Reply
  6. Sol says

    February 19, 2025 at 11:13 pm

    5 stars
    This chicken marinade had the right amount of spice.

    Reply
  7. Faye says

    February 19, 2025 at 4:44 pm

    5 stars
    The ultimate spicy chicken. Loved it!

    Reply
  8. Sar says

    February 16, 2025 at 5:09 pm

    5 stars
    Delish!!!

    Reply
  9. Jenny says

    February 06, 2025 at 7:13 am

    5 stars
    We are a spice loving family so this marinade was absolutely perfect for us!

    Reply
  10. Shayla says

    December 29, 2024 at 10:53 am

    5 stars
    This spicy chicken was incredible. Served it with rice and your spicy green beans.

    Reply
  11. Jan says

    December 17, 2024 at 9:36 am

    5 stars
    This spicy marinade made the most incredible chicken thighs. Yum!

    Reply
  12. Shelly says

    September 12, 2024 at 10:32 am

    5 stars
    My fam is in LOVE with the spicy sriracha in this marinade!

    Reply
  13. Joe says

    September 11, 2024 at 5:25 pm

    5 stars
    I used this spicy chicken marinade today to give plain o’le chicken breasts some flavor. They turned out really good. Will be using again.

    Reply
  14. Ella says

    September 11, 2024 at 9:17 am

    5 stars
    My husband and I love anything spicy! Gave this spicy chicken marinade a try on a whim and I am so glad I did!! Absolutely delish!

    Reply
  15. Brittany says

    September 01, 2024 at 8:04 am

    5 stars
    Was looking for something with a little bit of a kick and this spicy chicken marinade hit the spot!

    Reply
  16. Radha says

    July 17, 2024 at 2:09 pm

    5 stars
    This is a flavor packed meal that would be loved by everyone in the family. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  17. Liz says

    July 17, 2024 at 1:18 pm

    5 stars
    Love how easy this recipe is but it still has tons of flavor! We love spice at our house so this is a great one!

    Reply
  18. Mel says

    July 17, 2024 at 1:09 pm

    5 stars
    This made the chicken so tender and juicy. The flavor was amazing.

    Reply
  19. Tayler says

    July 17, 2024 at 1:05 pm

    5 stars
    This is one of my favorite marinades! We used it when we grilled chicken the other night and it was so flavorful!

    Reply
  20. Melissa says

    July 17, 2024 at 12:54 pm

    5 stars
    This marinade has upped my chicken game! It adds so much flavor and I can make it ahead of time which I love.

    Reply
  21. Petra says

    July 17, 2024 at 8:57 am

    5 stars
    My favorite chicken marinade recipe! This was perfect spicy marinade!

    Reply
  22. Heather says

    July 08, 2024 at 6:41 am

    5 stars
    This Spicy Chicken Marinade is fantastic! It adds just the right amount of heat and flavor to the chicken. Easy to make and perfect for grilling. Thank you for the great recipe!

    Reply
  23. kushi says

    July 08, 2024 at 6:16 am

    5 stars
    Drooling over this chicken recipe. Looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  24. Harriet says

    July 08, 2024 at 12:08 am

    5 stars
    A great marinade with that fresh garlic and ginger flavour. Loved it, thanks!

    Reply
  25. Gabby says

    July 07, 2024 at 9:17 pm

    5 stars
    I generally find even mild spice hot, but this was perfection! Just the right amount of heat/warmth for us. Loved it.

    Reply
  26. Gianne says

    July 07, 2024 at 6:34 pm

    5 stars
    The perfect blend of heat and flavor made our grilled chicken incredibly succulent and mouth-watering. I can’t wait to make it again and share it with friends at our next BBQ!

    Reply
  27. Jess says

    June 26, 2024 at 3:01 am

    Can you freeze this marinade with the chicken?

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes says

      July 04, 2024 at 3:46 pm

      Absolutely! I have this post that shares how I freeze chicken and marinade together.

      Reply
  28. Smokedhoney says

    May 29, 2024 at 1:14 am

    Has anyone tried putting it in the air fryer? If so, how long did it put it for, and at what Fahrenheit?

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes says

      June 16, 2024 at 12:06 pm

      Are you looking for chicken thighs or breasts?

      Reply
  29. Toni Dash says

    April 15, 2024 at 9:31 am

    5 stars
    This was a huge hit at my house! Everyone at my family loved it! I like the spiciness and sweetness!

    Reply
  30. Kim says

    April 15, 2024 at 9:04 am

    5 stars
    I loved the combination of flavors in this chicken. I served it with rice and a little more sriracha.

    Reply
  31. dana says

    April 15, 2024 at 8:59 am

    5 stars
    Sriracha and lime are a match made in heaven! This is such a great marinade. Thanks for sharing! We will be using it a lot 🙂

    Reply
  32. Chenee says

    April 15, 2024 at 8:57 am

    5 stars
    I make a sauce to go over chicken that is very similar to this, but I’ve never considered marinating it in it. Can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
  33. Ned says

    April 15, 2024 at 8:46 am

    5 stars
    Oh my this marinade is the best! I love the kick of heat with the chili paste! Thank you for this yumminess!

    Reply
  34. MR NIGEL SILCOCK says

    October 10, 2023 at 9:02 am

    4 stars
    Was really good chicken.

    Reply
  35. Yaseen says

    May 12, 2023 at 12:47 am

    5 stars
    Hi I tried your spicy chicken really superb thank you very much
    Me yaseen

    Reply
  36. Sid Olivarez says

    August 15, 2021 at 4:57 pm

    5 stars
    I don’t believe you listed how much chicken to use in this recipe.

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes says

      August 19, 2021 at 12:44 pm

      Hi Sid, this marinade is good for up to 2lbs of chicken. Enjoy!

      Reply
  37. Kim says

    August 10, 2021 at 10:09 am

    5 stars
    Love this spicy chicken! Such an easy marinade to pull together too.

    Reply

Hi! I'm Laura.
Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, mom of three, and the woman behind the world’s best pancakes—here to help you ditch the mealtime drama with recipes your family will actually eat.

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