With barbecue season ablaze, many of us are eager to toss some chicken on the grill and enjoy a juicy burger, or some wings and kabobs. But don't heat up your grill just yet. With our easy-to-follow chicken marinade recipes, you'll discover many different ways to add extra spice and zest to your meat. And if your barbecuing for family and friends, you'll be able to show off your cooking skills and impress them with new, delicious flavours.

The best way to add flavor to your chicken is by mixing up a quick marinade and letting the chicken bathe in all the fabulous flavors. If you want to add an exotic taste to your barbecue, you'll definitely want to try the Tandoori Yogurt Marinade or the Caribbean Seasoning, which is perfect for a last-minute barbecue.

Looking for a milder flavour for your chicken? Dress it up with delicious Creamy Maple Mustard Basting Sauce. Or, whisk together some lemon juice and peppercorns and lather your chicken with Lemon Pepper Marinade. Or try our Yogurt-Spiced Chicken With Grilled Tomato Kabobs. The options are endless!

Best marinades for chicken:

1. Tandoori Yogurt Marinade
Mellow yogurt teams with exotic spices to give an Indian flair to this marinade, which is suited to chicken and lamb. Red colouring is often added to give the iconic red hue, but we chose to omit it here.

2. Apple Cider Shallot Marinade
The apple flavour makes this marinade a great fit for chicken. If you can't find apple cider, you can use apple juice. This marinade is also amazing with pork chops and ribs. 

3. Caribbean Seasoning
Most jerk seasonings are wet mixtures that need to be refrigerated, but this dry mix will keep in your pantry for a barbecue. This seasoning is fabulous on chicken or mild-flavoured fish, such as tilapia. A squeeze of lime or lemon juice just before serving brightens the flavour.

4. Universal Spice Rub
Keep this simple all-purpose rub on hand for a last-minute flavour boost. You can rub it onto ribs, brisket, steak, chicken, fish or seafood before putting them on the barbecue.

5. Creamy Maple Mustard Basting Sauce
This mild sauce is not only excellent for basting, but it's also delicious to serve at the table for dressing up any grilled mains. It pairs well with chicken, pork or fish.

6. Chili Orange Marinade
Love the taste of orange? Try whipping together orange juice, orange rind, tomato paste and chili powder for a flavour-packed marinade, perfect for grilling chicken or steaks.

7. Lemon Pepper Marinade
This zesty mix of lemon rind, lemon juice, garlic and peppercorns makes a delicious marinade for grilling chicken and steak.

8. Tangy Apple Thyme Marinade
This easy-to-make marinade for chicken and steaks can be made-ahead for up to 24 hours. Just whip together some apple juice, thyme, mustard and cider vinegar.

9. Red Wine Garlic Marinade
A perfect marinade for wine lovers. Just whisk together a few tablespoons of red wine with bay leaves, garlic cloves and vegetable oil.

10. Moroccan Marinade
Got a pantry of spices? Stir together a few tablespoons of cumin and paprika with cinnamon, garlic and lemon juice for a flavour-filled marinade.