Copycat Chiavetta’s Marinade Recipe (The Best Chicken Marinade!)

copycat buffalo ny chiavetta's chicken marinade recipe featured image

Copycat Chiavetta’s Marinade Recipe (The Best Chicken Marinade!)

In Buffalo and the Western New York area, Chiavetta’s chicken is a summertime staple! This foolproof marinade is made from common kitchen ingredients, and it yields tender, moist, and juicy meat every single time. You probably have everything to make it in your kitchen right now!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Buffalo Food

Keyword Chiavetta's, Chiavetta's BBQ, Chiavetta's Chicken, Chiavetta's Marinade, Chiavetta's Marinade Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Marinate Time: 1

Servings servings

Calories 75kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil or avocado oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 large cloves garlic crushed
1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Marinade:

Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine.

Marinate the Chicken:

Use this amount of marinade for about 2 pounds of chicken. (TIP: Because of the potency of this marinade, I don't recommend letting your meat marinade at room temperature for longer than 15 minutes. If you want to let your meat marinade longer than that, either marinade it in the fridge for the entire time, or transfer it to the fridge after marinating for 15 minutes at room temperature.)
Marinate boneless skinless chicken breasts in Chiavetta’s for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Marinate bone-in skin-on chicken in Chiavetta's for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Cook the Chicken:

Cook the chicken on a medium-high grill (about 400F) or in a 375F oven until fully cooked. It should reach an internal temperature of 165F for white meat (breast pieces) and 175F for dark meat (leg quarters). Boneless, skinless chicken takes about 15 minutes to grill. Bone-in, skin-on chicken takes about 35 to 50 minutes on the grill or in the oven, depending on the size of your chicken.

Notes

Recipe Yield: This recipe makes about 3/4 cup of marinade, which is enough to marinade about 2 pounds of chicken.
To Thicken the Marinade: If you want a thicker marinade, whisk in 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum. (I don't bother with this, but I wanted to mention it because it's an ingredient in the original recipe.)
Apple Cider Vinegar Substitute: You can use white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar in this recipe.
Baste the Chicken as it Grills: This makes it smell absolutely incredible (and takes me right back home to Buffalo!), and also helps the chicken develop a beautiful char on the outside that's typical of Chiavetta's chicken.
Marinade Storage: Store the marinade in a covered glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 month before using it to marinate meat or vegetables.
Grilled Chicken Storage: After cooling to room temperature, store Chiavetta's grilled chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Net Carbs: 2.9 grams per serving

Nutrition