The Aldi Salad Dressing That Makes An 'Incredible' Chicken Marinade, According To Customers

Developing a good marinade takes practice — getting the timing and the perfect balance of flavors right is crucial for the best results. Marinating meat in oil, seasoning, and an acid not only adds a delicious flavor to the exterior but also perfectly tenderizes the meat. Tinkering on your own can be challenging, but Aldi shoppers seem to have found a simple yet sensational solution for poultry. While Aldi's Tuscan Garden Restaurant Style Italian Dressing is great on salads, customers say this reliable dupe for Olive Garden's signature Italian dressing is also an ideal chicken marinade. 

Shoppers say it has a sweet flavor with a touch of zestiness to it, and it's a fairly inexpensive buy at around $2 for a 16-ounce bottle. According to Aldi customers, the dressing makes such a satisfying, easy chicken marinade that it needs no extra seasoning. As one Reddit user wrote on a thread calling the product incredible, "[I've] been doing this for years with chicken. So convenient." So, if you're already shopping for summer grilling items at Aldi, you may want to consider picking up a bottle or two.

While a homemade marinade can require any number of seasonings, Aldi's Tuscan Garden Restaurant Style Italian Dressing is a handy shortcut that will make your life a little easier. To marinate your chicken with minimal cleanup, add the dressing to a bag with the meat, then let it sit for a few hours or even overnight (though no longer than 24 hours, or the proteins will start to break down from the dressing's acidity). You can use any kind of chicken for your marinade, but some shoppers have had major success with thighs and thinly sliced chicken cutlets, since regular chicken breasts are known for being a tough cut to grill.

When your chicken is marinated properly and cooked to your liking, you can enjoy it simply with a side of veggies or use it as an ingredient in more complex dishes. Some shoppers even suggest turning the marinated chicken into super-flavorful fajitas. You could also drizzle a little extra dressing over whatever dish you've cooked for extra flavor.