Marinating Grilled Chicken is one of the best ways to make sure the chicken stays moist and full of flavor. Chicken Marinades don’t have to be complicated. You can use whatever spices you have on hand along with garlic, herbs and a hint of acid.
If you are looking for a Poultry Brine then I have you covered for that as well.
Why You Should Marinate Your Grilled Chicken
Chicken is a blank canvas that takes on the flavors you add so if you want the most flavorful chicken you need to submerge it in flavor. Salt and pepper are the foundation of a good marinade along with an oil, some fresh ingredients like herbs, garlic and lemon. You can keep the flavors neutral or you can lean towards certain style cuisines like Asian, Italian, Caribbean or Tex Mex
This recipe is simply the foundation and then you can add whatever additional spices you like to customize the flavors.
Ingredients
- Avocado Oil- This is my favorite oil to use because of its neutral flavor and high smoke point but you can also use olive or canola oil.
- Lemon Juice- Fresh is best but use what you have. Dont go overboard or it can discolor the meat.
- Vinegar- I use apple Cider or red wine vinegar most of the time but you can use white wine vinegar as well, I would Avoid Balsamic vinegar due to the high sugar content.
- Mustard-I use Dijon but any mustard you like will be fine. Mustard helps thicken the marinade and prevents it from separating. If you don’t like mustard you can leave it out. The marinade will just be a little thinner.
- Herbs- For this recipe Im just using parsley and scallions but feel free to add thyme, basil, oregano or rosemary.
- Spices: I am keeping simple so I am only using Granulated Garlic, Onion and Paprika. Again go wild with any spices you would like to add.
- Salt & Pepper- I recommend using kosher salt and coarse ground pepper because its easier to control the amounts instead of using table salt and fine ground pepper.
- Garlic: Im a fan of fresh minced cloves but I wont judge if you use “Jarlic”
How Long Should You Marinate Chicken?
My golden window for Marinating Chicken is normally 4-8 hours. you can marinate chicken less but it wont have the time to fully absorb the flavors. If you go overnight or longer the chicken can become discolored from the acid in the lemon juice. You can leave the lemon juice out if you intend to marinate longer and the chicken will be fine.
Preparing the Marinade
To prepare the marinate you can either combine all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Or you can just toss everything in a bag and toss it around. Blending the marinade will emulsify the ingredients and prevent the oil from separating. If you just mix things in a bags you will just need to give it a shake every few hours.
Tips and Tricks
- If you need to marinate the chicken fast you can vacuum seal the chicken which will remove the air and push the marinade deep into the meat.
- To prevent discoloration you can leave the lemon out and then add it back in a few hours before grilling.
- We all like to add a little sweetness to the chicken but it can burn when cooking at high temps. you can always drizzle on honey after the chicken is cooked or add it to a finishing sauce to brush on before serving.
FAQ
Brine normally is water, sugar and salt that permeates the meat through the process of osmosis. Marinades have oil, herbs and spices and flavor the outside of the meat more.
Dry brining involves seasoning the meat with salt and sugar along with other seasonings and leave uncovered in the fridge to dry out the exterior of the protein.
Marinating Chicken for 4-8 hours is ideal but you can go longer if you don’t add any lemon juice.
Yes, Pork, fish and seafood work great with this marinade recipe. It will work on steak but I like to add Worcestershire and soy to my beef marinades.
Grilled Chicken Marinade
Equipment
- Blender
- Sealable bag or Container
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Water or chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 4 Cloves Garlic Fresh or 2 tbsp Pre Minced
- 1 Tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ Tsp Coarse Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Parsley Fresh Chopped
- 1 stalk Scallions Thinly Sliced
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients In a blender
- Pour marinade over chicken and massage to coat on all sides
- Store in a ziplock bag or sealable container
- Marinate Chicken for 4-8 hours. Grill Chicken to 160 degrees F. discard any remaining marinade.
Notes
- If you need to marinate the chicken fast you can vacuum seal the chicken which will remove the air and push the marinade deep into the meat.
- To prevent discoloration you can leave the lemon out and then add it back in a few hours before grilling.
- We all like to add a little sweetness to the chicken but it can burn when cooking at high temps. you can always drizzle on honey after the chicken is cooked or add it to a finishing sauce to brush on before serving.
Josh
What happened to the old recipe?