Stop dumping your pickle juice down the drain! Save it to make this super easy Spicy Chicken Marinade. It tastes amazing and it’s so simple to make!
Oh have I got a recipe for you to try today! This Spicy Chicken Marinade is so easy to make and it tastes so good, you’ll never want to use one of those premade marinades again.
If you’re a pickle addict like me, you probably dump a whole lotta pickle juice down the drain throughout the year. It’s sad, really…to consider all that wasted vinegar, sugar and spices.
But guess, what? Now you don’t have to throw away your pickle juice!
All you have to do, is use up your favorite pickles and then, add a little olive oil and a few extra spices and herbs to the leftover juice in the jar. Then, just shake it up and pour it over your chicken.
It’s SO EASY!
When I made this Spicy Chicken Marinade, I had just finished up a jar of Spicy Maple Bourbon Pickles, made by the Hannaford brand “Taste of Inspirations”, so I used that.
I love these pickles so much and now, I love the chicken made with them, even more!
If you have a Hannaford around you, make sure you try these pickles. They are just so stinking good!
But, really, you could use any kind of pickle juice you have leftover! Just add additional spices to match the flavoring already in the pickle juice, add your oil and shake.
Oh and I forgot to mention above…there is NO MESS to clean up!
No sticky bowls, no knives and no silverware to wash! Just throw your chicken into a zipper bag (or better yet, directly into the pan you’re going to cook it in!), then mix up your marinade in the pickle jar and pour it over the chicken.
When you’re done, rinse out the jar and add it to your recycling bin. No dishes involved!
Let your chicken marinade for as long as you can – the longer the better!
Then, cook it however you like.
When I made this marinade, I ended up baking the chicken for about 30 minutes or so at 425 degrees. But, you could pan fry it, throw it on a sheet pan with some veggies (also covered in this marinade – yum!!) and I’ll bet it would be amazing on the grill!
If the snow ever melts so I can find my grill…I’ll let you know!
In the meantime, here’s the recipe that I made with my pickle juice – feel free to switch up the flavors, as desired
Spicy Chicken Marinade - Made with Pickle Juice!

Ingredients
- Remaining pickle juice, of any kind
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the pickle jar containing the remaining pickle juice.
- Place the lid on the jar and shake until combined.
- Pour over chicken and allow it to marinade for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Cook chicken as desired.
Enjoy!
You might also like:
- Homemade Chicken Nuggets for the Freezer: Your Kids Will Love These!
- BBQ Chicken Flatbread
- Easy Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Recipe
Have a Spectacular Day!
~Vanessa

Vanessa Hamlin is the owner and founder of Food Life Design and VLHamlinDesign. With her passion for frugal living and homesteading, Vanessa loves to write about easy recipes, making money, gardening, home remedies and everything else that a good life entails! When she’s not writing for Food Life Design or creating products for VLHamlinDesign, you’ll find Vanessa reading, drawing, gardening, cooking or spending time with her family.