14 Unhealthy Chicken Marinades You Should Leave At The Store

If you're looking to boost the wow factor of your standard weeknight chicken breast, a store-bought chicken marinade makes for an easy solution. (You don't even have to let it marinate to enjoy big, crowd-pleasing flavor.) But before you grab the first bottle you see on the shelf, take a minute to check out what ingredients are hiding behind the brand. Even if you nail the food-safe way to marinate a raw chicken, you can still do some real damage with high sodium and added corn syrup.

Chicken marinades typically lean toward lighter, more herbaceous flavors compared to other types of bottled condiments like Bobby Flay's favorite Bone Suckin' Sauce or your average store-bought Alfredo. But that doesn't mean these fresh, vinaigrette-like drizzles inflict any less nutritional pain on your beautiful beating heart.

I took my nutrition label-reading talents to the back of the bottle and scoured each of these store-bought chicken marinades for their greatest nutritional blunders. Whether it comes down to eye-popping sodium, gut-busting amounts of added sugar, or head-turning ingredients that you might never expect, you can leave these unhealthy chicken marinade brands at the store where you found them.

Maybe you crave this citrus-forward flavoring on everything from lemon pepper wings to zingy lemon feta dip. But don't just randomly grab the first Walmart house brand you can find. Walmart Great Value Lemon Pepper Marinade packs extra amounts of sodium and high fructose corn syrup — two items that don't exactly complement a healthy dinner menu.

What's so bad about high fructose corn syrup? Since it only adds 1 gram of added sugar per tablespoon serving, it might not seem like a big deal. But Hartford HealthCare reminds us that consuming large amounts of high fructose corn syrup can lead to increased body fat, which can then develop into insulin sensitivity — or insulin resistance , notes the Cleveland Clinic — when your body no longer reacts to sugar in healthy ways. All in, it's a lot of extra baggage for what was supposed to be a light, healthy meal.

Over on the saltier side of things, the sodium content of 330 milligrams per tablespoon doesn't qualify as the worst offender on this list, but it's higher than that of the average bottled chicken marinade. Since you can almost guarantee you won't be limiting yourself to a single tablespoon serving, it might be better to skip this brand altogether.

This brand's apparent savory richness might be easier to spot from a distance, but as delicious as Nong's Khao Man Gai Sauce may taste, it's definitely not the healthiest chicken marinade on the shelf. Not to yuck on the yum when it comes to the family recipe, but somewhere someone's teeth are falling out just from the list of added sweeteners in a single bottle.

With the total sugar content clocking in at 6 grams, including 5 grams of added sugar per 2 tablespoon serving, this sauce was designed to be sweet. These traditional Thai flavors rely heavily on classic sweeteners including cane sugar, brown sugar, and coconut palm sugar. While it's not actual candy, excessive amounts of added sugars can lead to a host of health issues that affect your heart, weight, and liver, and can also lead to overall inflammation in your body, warns Harvard Health. It's yummy on your lips, but terrible on your hips and just about everywhere else in your system.

Of course, succulent sauces like this also come with a higher sodium content. At 410 milligrams per 2 tablespoon serving, this recipe isn't overloaded on salt, but it still hits higher than others on this list. Another thing to watch out for is the allergen label warning which includes soy, wheat, and coconut.

This chicken marinade takes all the other sauce recipes on this list and eats them for breakfast. Stubb's Citrus & Onion Chicken Marinade bills itself as gluten-free, kosher, and free of high fructose corn syrup, but it doesn't get its savory, citrus tang without a little help from some sweet ingredients.

A quick peek at the nutrition label reveals 2 grams of sugar per tablespoon serving, which isn't the highest content of the bunch. But, even so, that sweetener comes from less-than-stellar sources. While you might expect brown sugar, cane sugar, and molasses from an authentic Texas barbecue sauce company, the use of "natural" flavoring that includes corn syrup solids is a bit less appetizing.

While it doesn't get the same bad press as its high fructose cousin, regular corn syrup is bad for your health in larger amounts. Excessive consumption can lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, advises the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. And while your body can use some of that sugar as energy, any extra sugar will likely be stored as fat. This blend also features preservatives as well as a soybean allergen warning due to the use of organic tamari sauce.

In some kitchens, there's no such thing as a well-stocked pantry without a shaker of Goya Adobo all-purpose seasoning. But when it comes to the brand's sauces, there are a few ingredients you'll want to watch out for. Goya Mojo Criollo Marinade, for example, offers fragrant onion, garlic, and citrus notes to dress any meat protein, but it also packs preservatives along with a hefty amount of sodium.

Just a 2 teaspoon serving features a whopping 540 milligrams of sodium. This shouldn't be a total surprise since salt is listed as the second ingredient after water. Of course, the human body needs some salt to survive. But with most Americans taking in roughly 3,400 milligrams of salt every day (when most adults shouldn't eat more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day), it's smart to minimize your salt intake wherever you can.

Orange and lemon juices lend 1 extra gram to the minimal 1 gram of added sugar in this recipe. But it's also important to note that this bottle includes the preserving agents sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. While these additives are listed at less than .1% of the overall content, it's still something to consider if you're looking for an all-natural marinade.

Chef Merito's mustache belies his excessive use of salt in his recipe. (Apologies to the chef.) In a serving size of just 2 tablespoons of Chef Merito Chicken Marinade, you'll be gifted a whopping 765 milligrams of sodium. For anyone keeping track, that's about 32% of the recommended daily sodium for adults. Anything beyond 2 tablespoons of this sauce, and it'll be almost as if you're curing your organs from the inside. 

Once you read past water as the first ingredient, and then a very complicated orange juice concentrate recipe, the third ingredient you'll find on the nutrition label is salt. Shortly after, you'll see monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG. While MSG got the short end of the stick back in the day, it's merely an amino acid sodium salt that brings an umami-like flavor to any dish. But yeah, it's still sodium.

Unfortunately for Chef Merito, this blend also features a wealth of preservatives and colorings. Enjoy Yellow 5? (It's an FDA-approved food dye that has been known to cause allergic reactions.) If you want a chicken marinade without artificial ingredients and additives, say adios to Chef Merito and shop for a more natural sauce.

This 30-minute marinade might seem appealing for a quick weeknight dinner, but Tony Chachere's Creole Style Chicken Marinade bottles up some odd ingredients in its signature recipe. It's a bummer for fans of this popular South Louisiana-style sauce that features a blend of Italian spices, creole seasoning, and soybean derivatives.

For every tablespoon serving, this recipe also dishes up 440 milligrams of sodium, landing it high on this list, regarding the salt content. With a breezy read over the nutrition label, you'll find salt listed as an ingredient in something called "seasoning," plus the blends for chili powder, and soy sauce. There is also a small amount of added sugar sprinkled into the mix.

If you're looking for the soy-related ingredient lineup, make a note of the soybean oil along with the soy sauce, which in tandem lands this bottle an allergen warning on the label. Wheat is also featured in this soy sauce blend. For anyone looking to skip out on the gluten, you might want to choose another bottle on the shelf.

Lupo's Lemon-Garlic Marinade claims it's best enjoyed after a two-day soak in the fridge. But before setting the meat timer to a chill 48 hours from now, check out the ingredients hiding in this bottle. (Spoiler alert: It's not just tangy lemon and spicy garlic.)

A multi-generational brand, Lupo's marinades accompany a decades-long history of deli meat sales. And, having gotten its start in the mid-twentieth century, it's not a total shocker to see corn derivatives listed in the ingredients. Topping the pops is corn oil, along with hydrolyzed corn protein. While corn oil is known for boasting antioxidant-powered vitamin E, Healthline notes that most of the benefit is likely lost in heavy processing, leading to a refined oil that's better known for omega-6 fats which lead to inflammation. Hydrolyzed corn protein is also bad for your health and has been known to cause allergic reactions like nausea and headache.

At 300 milligrams of sodium per single tablespoon serving, Lupo's doesn't go light on the salt, either. (Just put this bottle back on the shelf and I won't have to mention the preservatives in it, too.)

Love some fresh ginger for an aromatic take on cooking? Then you might be naturally drawn to G Hughes Sugar Free Orange Ginger Marinade at the store. But before you hit the checkout, take a quick look at what kind of sweetener is in this sugar-free recipe. (As Homer Simpson said it, "D'oh!")

While G Hughes goes all in on the keto-friendly, award-winning, sugar-free branding, there's a sweetener throwing a wrench in the works: sucralose. Maybe this item sounds familiar, but sucralose falls into a category of sugar substitutes that includes everything from aspartame to stevia. At roughly 600 times the power of regular sugar, just a little will do ya. The molecular structure of sucralose doesn't allow it to break down in your body like table sugar does, making it a favorite for dieters. 

As for why sucralose isn't required to be listed as added sugar on the nutrition label, that's because the FDA doesn't consider it to be sugar. While more research is needed to determine how this ingredient truly impacts your health, in the meantime, you'll want to be mindful of how much sucralose you really consume.

This bottle is for anyone with fresh herbs from the farmers market taste, and not-leaving-the-house-right-now energy. Get all the fresh rosemary you could ever want (along with punchy garlic and citrus flavors), bottled by Stonewall Kitchen. Except, as part of the Stonewall Kitchen Garlic Rosemary Citrus Sauce recipe, you'll also get an extra helping of added sugar.

Hold onto your sweet tooth, this recipe dishes out 10 grams of added sugar per 2 tablespoon serving. Where is all this sweetness coming from? It doesn't take long to locate the perpetrators on the nutrition label. Right behind pineapple at No. 1, you'll find pure cane sugar, brown sugar, and candied ginger which is, of course, sugar-sweetened ginger. Just a single serving already hits at 20% of the daily recommended sugar allowance for adults (and nobody's marinating a chicken breast with a scant 2 tablespoons of sauce).

On the flip side, this bottle boasts plenty of non-GMO, gluten-free ingredients, and a remarkably low sodium content of just 75 milligrams per serving. But after a few bites of chicken dressed with this marinade, you might find yourself craving a little more salt to balance out the sweetness.

Sadly, there's no world in which this uber-indulgent gourmet sauce won't be loaded with sugar. Crafted to be fabulously sweet, and spicy, Robert Rothschild Farm Roasted Pineapple & Habanero Glaze and Finishing Sauce pulls no punches on its ingredients label.

Cane sugar douses the natural sweetness of pineapple, mango, and lemon juice with a whopping 16 grams of added sugar per 2 tablespoon serving. While this blend is branded as a fruity, tropical sauce that packs a little hot pepper heat, it could be stocked in the candy aisle where it would be easier to make a rough estimation on its sugar content.

Sadly, other than the massively bloated sweetener situation, this brand hits some high notes in other ways. It's done what no other brand on this list could accomplish by serving up zero sodium content. You'll also find zero fat, no brow-raising preservatives, and only 70 calories per saucy serving. But is it actually just a bottle of pineapple-flavored sugar? If you're watching your daily consumption of empty calories, steer clear of Robert Rothschild and his pineapple glaze.

Since the branding for Chiavetta's Barbecue Marinade asserts that this family recipe stands up to just about any type of meat, you might assume that this recipe pours out like a thick, rich sauce loaded with sugar. Except it isn't full of sugar at all. Instead, this recipe's only downfall is its higher-than-average sodium content.

An enticingly minimal list of ingredients that need no refrigeration features just five items: vinegar, salt, spices, fresh garlic, and xanthan gum (which is commonly used to add texture to sauces). The combination of vinegar and salt works to break down animal proteins, which makes this recipe an excellent tenderizing agent. But it's the salt itself that heightens the sodium content which ends up clocking in at 460 milligrams per single tablespoon serving.

Is this chicken marinade famous near its hometown of Buffalo, New York? Oh yes. Is it packing a little too much salt content to make it the healthiest option at the store? Yes, again. If you're looking for loads of flavor with less of a sodium bomb, leave Chiavetta's Barbecue Marinade right where it was, on the shelf.

Citrus and pepper sound relatively innocent, but Rib Rack Citrus and Pepper Chicken Marinade features added sugars and frowny-face ingredients. For this one, you're going to want to do a deeper dive into what's really involved in "grill flavor."

The most obvious offender here is the sugar. With a relatively low amount of added sugar at 3 grams per tablespoon serving, it can be smart to investigate what sources this sweetener comes from. Over on the ingredients label, you'll quickly find turbinado sugar listed as the second ingredient after water, followed further down the list by molasses. While turbinado sugar is minimally processed, with some sources claiming it's a slightly better option than white sugar, the fact is, it's still sugar. And with molasses also being a source of sugar, just a few tablespoons of this marinade will pile on the sugar, fast.

Another thing worth noting is the ingredient called "grill flavor." While it sounds delicious and like it would taste great on anything, this particular grill flavoring comes from sunflower oil. And regular consumption of sunflower oil can lead to weight gain and cancer risk, cautions WebMD. Make it easy on yourself and stick to ingredients that you know will do your body good.

For a teriyaki sauce, Kinder's Organic Sweet & Spicy Teriyaki Marinade does a relatively good job of reigning in the numbers on its nutrition label. That being said, the brand still goes heavier on sodium and added sugar than other bottles on this list.

The baseline recipe for traditional teriyaki sauce is soy sauce, Japanese cooking wine (or mirin), sugar, and sake, so no one will be surprised to find any of those ingredients in this bottle. The numbers worth noting are the sodium content, at 340 milligrams per tablespoon serving, as well as the 5 grams of added sugar per serving, which starts you off at 10% of the daily recommended allowance for adults. Sugar is listed as the second ingredient, right behind water, with salt coming in at number six. 

But another ingredient to keep in mind is the soy sauce itself. While soybeans and wheat are separately featured in this recipe — and may be known allergens for some people — the soy sauce is likely also made with wheat. Kinder's Organic marinade might source sustainable, minimal ingredients, but they might not always be friendly to every eater.

I have to confess I love the play on words but don't let the clever name distract you from the mission. (This list is about being healthy, not witty.) While there are plenty of different kinds of soy sauce varieties out there, Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Marinade gets its signature ginger and garlic flavor from "veri veri" high sodium content and a bunch of added sugar. Oy vey! (Sorry, had to.)

I'll lightly breeze over the fact that this brand obviously features soy sauce as an ingredient, which likely knocks out diners with soy or wheat allergies from going anywhere near this bottle. But for the rest of us (including vegans, since this brand follows suit), the 7 grams of added sugar and 580 milligrams of sodium per single tablespoon should raise a flag.

Want to get a healthy chicken marinade going, yourself? Step up your weeknight dinner with a yogurt-based marinade for the juiciest chicken ever.