Grilled Coca-Cola Chicken

Grilled Coca-Cola Chicken – seriously delicious! Chicken marinated in coca-cola, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and lime juice. Mix the marinade together and let the chicken marinate overnight in the refrigerator. We make this all the time! It is seriously delicious!!!

Originally posted September 9, 2010

plate of grilled coca-cola chicken

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Easy Cola Chicken Marinade

This Grilled Coca-Cola Chicken is seriously delicious! It is one of our go-to marinades for chicken. This is a little sweet, a little salty, and a whole lotta delicious! The marinade only has a few simple ingredients and takes a minute to mix up. You can let the chicken hang out in the marinade for a few hours up to a few days before throwing it on the grill. Leftovers are great on a salad or in a sandwich wrap. Give this a try ASAP. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

grilled chicken in a cast iron grill pan

How to Make Grilled Coca-Cola Chicken

The marinade was super simple to throw together.  Whisk together Coke, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, brown sugar, and lime juice. Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag and pour the marinade over it. Refrigerate the chicken a few hours to overnight. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.

  • For a gluten-free marinade, use a gluten-free soy sauce.
  • You can use this marinade on any cut of chicken you prefer – tenders, breasts, thighs, or legs.
    • Can use boneless or bone-in chicken. Adjust the cooking time to ensure an internal temperature of 165ºF.
  • We like to let the chicken marinate overnight to achieve maximum flavor. I whisk up the marinade before I go to bed and the chicken is ready to grill for lunch or dinner the next day.
  • My #1 tip when grilling chicken is to pound the chicken breast to an even thickness. We put the chicken in a ziplock bag and use a flat meat mallet to carefully pound out the hump. This ensures that the chicken cooks evenly and you don’t have juicy chicken and half-dry chicken.
  • No grill? No problem! You can cook the chicken inside. Pan sear the chicken breasts in a skillet for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 400ºF for 10 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
plate of grilled coca-cola chicken

What to Serve with Grilled Chicken

This chicken is a favorite at our house. We’ve been making this for years! We usually serve the chicken with a potato casserole and some asparagus. This makes a lot of chicken. As I said, the leftovers are delicious on a salad, in a sandwich wrap, or on top of nachos. Give this a try the next time you fire up the grill!

Need more side dish ideas? Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this easy grilled chicken:

plate of grilled coca-cola chicken

Grilled Coca-Cola Chicken

Yield: 6 people
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Grilled Coca-Cola Chicken – seriously delicious! Chicken marinated in coca-cola, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and lime juice. Mix the marinade together and let the chicken marinate overnight in the refrigerator. We make this all the time! It is seriously delicious!!!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Coke
  • cup soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 6 chicken breasts

Instructions:

  • Combine all ingredients but the chicken in a medium-sized bowl. Stir to incorporate well.
  • Place chicken in a large gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Pour marinade over the chicken. Seal tightly and store in the fridge for 4-24 hours.
  • Discard marinade and grill until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.

Notes:

  • You can use this marinade on any cut of chicken you prefer – tenders, breasts, thighs, or legs.
    • Can use boneless or bone-in chicken. Adjust the cooking time to ensure an internal temperature of 165ºF.
  • We like to let the chicken marinate overnight to achieve maximum flavor. I whisk up the marinade before I go to bed and the chicken is ready to grill for lunch or dinner the next day.
  • My #1 tip when grilling chicken is to pound the chicken breast to an even thickness. We put the chicken in a ziplock bag and use a flat meat mallet to carefully pound out the hump. This ensures that the chicken cooks evenly and you don’t have juicy chicken and half-dry chicken.
  • No grill? No problem! You can cook the chicken inside. Pan sear the chicken breasts in a skillet for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 400ºF for 10 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF. 
  • For a gluten-free marinade, use a gluten-free soy sauce.

Steph

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grilled chicken in a cast iron grill pan
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Comments

  1. Tried this yesterday with 1/2 a chicken but cooked it in the crockpot because it was too hot in SW Georgia to grill! Just drained, sprayed crockpot with Pam and put the chicken in to cook. This is definitely a marinade I will continue to use. The chicken breast was so juicy. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes.

    1. I’ve never tried this with Diet Coke, so I can not say how it turns out. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.

  2. I’m going to try it on my George Foreman grill since it is so hot outside. It looks delicious.

  3. Hey, Steph if you liked this try the coca cola ribs. Oh, holy cow is that GOOD! If you want I can get you the recipe.

    I'm gonna pick up a can of coke and give it a try!
    ~ingrid

  4. Do you guys actually ever DRINK soda? ha ha

    I've done coca cola chicken before but the recipe isn't the same. I'll try yours.

      1. I’ve never tried this with Diet Coke, so I can not say how it turns out. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.

  5. What a handsome piece of chicken. I may have to make that for dinner!

    That marinade looked familiar, then I realized I have a similar recipe that calls for Sprite or Seven Up. It's made in the Crockpot so the chicken slow cookes in the sweet sauce. It's good, but yours looks better.

  6. Sounds like a wonderful recipe. I'll be sure to try this one. I have discovered (probably been there all the time) boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They are so easy to cook. Did some last night, just pounded them out flat like a breast, double battered with egg and flour and fried. Was delicious. Love your blog. Try to read it everyday. Hope you have a blessed day.
    Jo

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