Chicken is a hard-working ingredient for many of us in the kitchen, but it needs some friends (read: spices, herbs, sauces) to be tasty and satisfying night after night. These colorful marinades add variety to your cooking, and can help you get ahead. Fill a few bags with chicken and these recipes, and you can have dinner tonight and be prepped for many nights in the coming month by tossing some in the freezer.

This marinade comes together with ketchup, light brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, ground cumin, paprika, garlic, and salt and pepper.

Marinate 4 boneless chicken breasts or 8 boneless chicken thighs for at least 2 hours in the fridge or freeze for up to 1 month. Then grill until cooked through and lightly charred.

For this marinade, combine parsley, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, scallions, garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, and salt and pepper.