How To Marinate Chicken For Grilling

How To Marinate Chicken For Maximum Tenderness And Flavor

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How to marinate chicken. Almost anyone whos ever made chicken has Googled that exact phrase. Whether its grilled, smoked, pan-fried, or baked, chicken is one of the most marinaded meats out there.

As often as chicken is marinaded, its still a mystery to many people. Unlike other meats like beef or pork, chicken has a specific window of marination time to get this perfect.

If its marinated too long, it becomes soft and mushy. If its not marinated long enough, the flavor doesnt penetrate the meat fully or tenderize the chicken at all.

A Word About Boneless Vs Bone

As we mentioned earlier, boneless chicken doesnt take as long to marinate as the bone-in variety. However, I personally prefer to work with bone-in chicken because the meat will be more flavorful overall. Its also more forgiving in terms of cooking time and temperature. If you enjoy the taste of chicken that hasnt been overwhelmed by seasonings, opt for bone-in over boneless when grilling.

To help you make sense of the process, heres a guide to various chicken parts and their minimum and maximum cooking times.

Note: The table above refers to chicken that has had a chance to thaw completely. Marinating frozen chicken wont workthe mixture wont be able to penetrate the surface, so it will be labor wasted.

Take a look at this video tutorial to learn more about how to safely thaw frozen chicken.

Thai Satay Chicken With Peanut Sauce

A satay coconut marinade infuses the chicken with flavour before cooking on the BBQ then served with the most UNBELIEVABLE Thai Peanut Sauce! Skewering is optional, the peanut sauce is not. This is a fairly new recipe thats quickly become a firm favourite among readers!

Ingredients: coconut milk, red curry paste, peanut butter, curry powder, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar

Ideal for: Boneless chicken thighs , bone in thighs

Make this marinade! »

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Quick Tips For Grilling Chicken Breasts:

How long do I grill chicken breast?

Grill chicken breasts for around 9 to 10 minutes total, flipping halfway through.

How long do you grill chicken on each side?

Grill chicken breasts around 5 minutes on each side.

What’s the perfect grilled chicken temp?

Internal temperature of chicken breasts should be 165°F.

How hot should your grill be for chicken?

Heat your grill to between 425 and 450°F for chicken breasts.

What Is A Marinade

• A marinade is a mixture of ingredients that generally contains an oil, acid, and a variety of spices and is used for soaking cuts of meat prior to cooking.
• You can marinade meat for as little as 15 minutes or up to 24 hours, depending upon the marinade ingredients.

Below, youll find the key components of a stellar chicken marinade that you can tweak to suit the recipes youd like to use it in or what you have on hand.

• I like to cook a big batch of marinated chicken, then dice it up for salads, wraps, and grain bowls for lunches throughout the week.
• Chicken cooked with this marinade is also tender and tasty enough to enjoy on its own, a rarity for many chicken recipes.

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What’s The Difference Between A Brine And A Marinade

Both brines and marinades are meant to enhance plain meat, but they do it differently. A brine has more salt than a marinade, and meat gets totally immersed in a brine. It works because the salt penetrates the meat as the brine and the meat reach an equilibrium. Brining adds moisture to the meat that keeps it from drying out while grilling, helping it to come out juicy.

A marinade often contain oil, and the oil does not penetrate the meat. The meat is usually not immersed in a marinade. Marinade flavors only the outside of the meat so there’s a chance it will come out dry after grilling.

How Long To Marinate Chicken

• Typically, I find that marinating chicken between 5 to 6 hours is ideal for both texture and taste.
• I dont recommend keeping chicken in a marinade with citrus juice or vinegar for more than 6 hours, as its texture declines from there. After 12 hours, the meat may even start to break down.
• Chicken can rest in a buttermilk/yogurt marinade for up to 24 hours. So, this is the best choice for those who want an overnight chicken marinade.

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Chili Garlic Chicken Wings Marinade Recipes For Grilling

A fantastic marinade can make your chicken wings completely impossible to put down. This sauce is hot, sweet, and garlicky. It is the ideal mix to help keep you reaching for more. The best part, however, is the way caramelized and tacky they get from the oven.

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Type: Marinade And Grill Cuisine: American Yield: 4 Serving

Keyword: Chili Garlic Chicken Wings Grilling Recipe

Grilled Chicken Marinade Ingredients

All good marinade recipes have four main components: fat, salt, acid, and heat. In this recipe, we hit all four points oil , salt, acid , and heat . Below are some more details about the ingredients in this chicken marinade.

• Vegetableoil: The oil keeps the chicken moist and juicy. I use vegetable oil since we use a lot of it in this recipe and its a lot cheaper than olive oil, but feel free to use olive oil instead.
• Lemon juice andred winevinegar: Acids break down the fibers to help make the chicken tender!
• Worcestershiresauce: This gives the chicken great umami, salty flavor.
• Honey: Honey balances the other ingredients perfectly and adds a very subtle sweetness to the chicken.
• Soy sauce: The soy sauce adds a good amount of salt and gives the chicken a great hit of flavor.
• Garlic, mustard, pepper, and parsley: Flavor enhancers that turn plain chicken into dazzling chicken.

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Barbecue Grilled Chicken Tips & Tricks

• Please trust me and try the bone-in and skin on chicken. You are going to consider boneless. skinless chicken breast to be dry shoe leather compared to this.
• How long can I marinate the chicken?According to the USDA, chicken can be marinated for up to 2 days safely.
• Can I use skinless, boneless chicken breasts? Yes, you can and it will still be delicious. I know that there are some of you that love skinless and boneless chicken better, so dont let me stop you!
• Usually cooking chicken on the top rack of your grill to prevent flare-ups is a good idea, but we have a double grate system, so we turn on the OPPOSITE SIDE of the BBQ for heat. This helps to prevent burning!

The Best Grilled Chicken

Sometimes in cooking the simplest dishes are the hardest to get right, and grilled chicken is a perfect example. Because boneless chicken breasts are so lean, they often turn out dry, rubbery, and bland. Contrary to popular belief, marinating alone will not save grilled chicken from drying out in fact, its often the marinade that causes the problem!

My technique and marinade ensure tender, juicy, and flavorful grilled chicken every time. You can serve the fillets on their own as a healthy main course , topped with cheese on a toasted bun, or, as I often do, sliced over a Caesar salad. Bonus: the recipe is quick and easy. You do all of the prep ahead of time and you wont even dirty a single bowl.

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Best Chicken Marinade Recipe

Years ago, we made grilled chicken legs using this marinade when my sister-in-law Karen, her husband Todd, and their three boys were on an RV trip with us. I knew that our son loved it and hoped that their boys would as well. We wont even talk about how much chicken we got all of the kids to eatso lets just say they loved it as much if not even more than Id hoped!

In all seriousness, Ive not fed anyone chicken made with this marinade that hasnt loved it.

How Long Do You Cook Chicken On The Grill

The answer to this question actually depends on the type of chicken, and the thickness. One thing to remember with any type of chicken is just like a good steak, you want to set the chicken on the grill, then leave it to cook and get those beautiful grill marks. Chicken breasts should register 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer, and chicken thighs and drumsticks should be at 180 degrees.

PRO TIP: If your grill has a thermometer gauge, use it. You want your grill to be between 350-400 degrees F when closed . Dont just rely on the knobs for low-medium-high temps. My grill run pretty hot, so those settings are pretty much useless.

Looking for a great grilling utensils set? Try this grilling set that includes tongs, a spatula and a basting brush! .

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How To Grill Chicken Tenders

Grilling the chicken tenders isnt hard and youll find that its a simple and easy process. The biggest thing after following the steps on the recipe is to ensure that the internal temp is at least 165 degrees and that youve used up all the marinade on the chicken while theyre cooking on the grill!

Enjoy this delicious and simple summer grilled chicken recipe!

Can You Reuse Marinade

Technically yes, a marinade can be reused, but only if the marinade has been boiled and cooked long enough to remove any bacteria that may be present from the raw meat. Otherwise, throw it out.

If we need more we elect to make a second batch of the marinade that has not been contaminated with raw meat and then we use that as a dipping sauce or for basting while cooking.

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Barbecue Grilled Chicken Marinade

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Need a fast and easy Barbecue Grilled Chicken Marinade that uses ingredients that you have in your cupboard? Look no further, this is the chicken marinade for you! It uses the convenience of bottled BBQ sauce that is then amped up with simple ingredients that you already have at home to make one delicious dinner! This is for those of you that love barbecue sauce chicken but are looking to spice it up!

How To Make Grilled Chicken Marinade

This grilled chicken marinade is easy to whip up! Heres how:

• Pound chicken to an even thickness. Place chicken breasts in-between two pieces of plastic wrap or I like to place my chicken in a large freezer size bag. Pound the chicken to an even thickness using the flat side of a meat mallet, rolling pin or side of a can.
• Make marinade. Whisk the olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and seasonings together in a large plastic bag. Add chicken, push out excess air and turn to coat.
• Marinate chicken at room temperature for 30 minutes if youre short on time or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator.

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How To Marinate Chicken

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Marinating chicken infuses it with flavor and keeps it moist while you cook it. To marinate chicken, you’ll need to make a marinade using oil, vinegar or another acidic ingredient, and plenty of seasonings then, combine the marinade with the chicken for four hours to overnight before cooking it. While there are many great marinades for chicken, some popular options include mustard-based, Italian-style, Chinese-style, and spicy chipotle.

Is It Ok To Bake Chicken In Its Marinade

After raw chicken has marinated in any kind of liquid, that liquid is no longer safe to consume. However, you can baste the chicken early on in the cooking process because that marinade will get cooked along with the chicken.

If you want to use marinade that has touched raw chicken, boil it vigorously for 1-2 full minutes in a separate pot. Use a clean basting brush or spoon to add it to the cooked chicken.

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How To Marinate Chicken Flavoring

The flavor possibilities are almost endless when it comes to marinading chicken. There is almost no end to the combinations that you can use.

That being said, there are some basic flavors that everyone knows and loves. These are:

• Teriyaki
• Citrus
• Buttermilk

The most important thing to remember when choosing your flavors is to be cognizant of whether theyre an enzymatic or acidic ingredient. You want to choose one kind of marinade or the other so you have more control and know exactly how long to marinate the food. Acidic and enzymatic marinades not only work differently but also require different timing.

What To Serve With Grilled Chicken

This chicken is a favorite at our house. Weve 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:

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We Are Shooting To Pull The Marinated Chicken Breasts Off Of Our Grill At A Temp Of 155 To 160 Degrees

After removing chicken breast from the grill, place on a plate and tent with tinfoil for an additional 5 minutes. This should bring the chicken up to a safe 165 degree internal temperature.

When you know how to grill marinated chicken breast correctly I am sure you will do it all the time. We do around here. It also keeps from complaining that the wife keeps buying boneless skinless chicken.

How Long Does It Take To Grill Whole Chicken

We used an outdoor gas grill for this recipe. Once spatchcocked, our grilled chicken will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour over indirect heat.

While the grill is heated to 400 degrees F, the burner directly below the chicken will be turned off, the other burners surrounding it will be on. That’s what we mean by indirect heat here .

Why indirect heat? Grilling whole chicken over indirect heat is the secret to juicy, well-cooked chicken. The indirect heat essentially roasts the chicken to perfect doneness without dealing with flare-ups, burnt chicken skin, or underdone meat.

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Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken Tenders

Easy Marinated Grilled Chicken Tenders are such an easy summer dinner! If youre looking for a simple summer grilled chicken recipe, get ready to fall in love with this one!

These Chicken Tenders are made using a simple marinade that will have your taste buds dancing and craving more. And best of all? Youre never going to have to search for more summer grilled chicken recipes because this one is the best!

These delicious grilled chicken tenders are so good but make certain to check our Baked Chicken Parmesan recipe and our Homemade Chicken Pot Pie as well!

How Long Can Chicken Marinate For

Most recipes tend to get better the longer you marinate, but this grilled chicken marinade is an exception. Ive tried all different kinds of marinating times and around 4-6 hours yields the best end product.

Honestly though, even 30 minutes of marinating will give you deliciously flavored chicken! I dont recommend marinating for more than 6 hours because the acid begins to cook the chicken.

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My Back Pocket Chicken Marinade

This is the chicken marinade I make the most often because its made with pantry standbys. It tenderises, adds savoury flavour with a touch of sweet, and its quick to make. Its my emergency marinade!

Ingredients: brown sugar, olive oil, soy sauce*, lemon, Worcestershire, garlic, oregano, pepper* The secret ingredient, acts as brine and adds flavour but does not make this taste Asiany at all!

Ideal for: Brilliant for chicken breast, also great for any cut of chicken.

Make this marinade! »

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

Sweet and Tangy Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken is perfect for a summer BBQ. Tender chicken with a flavorful honey dijon sauce.

Since grilling season is upon us, I am sharing some of our favorite chicken marinade recipes. If you haven’t tried My Best Chicken Marinade Recipe, you need to put it on the list too!

Honey and mustard go together like peanut butter and jelly. The tanginess of the dijon mustard and natural sweetness of the honey are the perfect marriage. This honey mustard sauce serves as both a marinade and a sauce. The chicken is left to marinate in a portion of the sauce and the remaining sauce is brushed on while grilling. This helps to flavor the chicken from within.

The key is to let the chicken sit in this honey mustard marinade for at least 30 minutes. By poking small holes with a fork in the chicken, it allows the marinade to penetrate the chicken. Once the chicken goes on the grill, have the extra sauce you set aside ready to go. A brush is always handy since it makes brushing the marinade on the chicken, while cooking, a breeze.

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