EASY Chicken Marinade Recipe - I Heart Naptime (2024)

FAQs

How to marinate chicken quickly? ›

Marinades can be effective in as little as 15 minutes. If you're short on time and need to marinate your chicken quickly, you can poke holes in the chicken or slice it thinly to help the marinade penetrate in as little time as possible.

Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.

Marinades are an easy way to add extra flavour to your chicken, but a good marinade will help prevent the meat from drying out. Making a chicken marinade at home is fast and simple. Marinades are usually 2 parts oil to 1 part acid (something like wine, lemon juice or vinegar), and some salt.

Dry brining – seasoning chicken with salt and letting it rest for a long period – also works the same way. Salt is absorbed by the meat and helps it retain moisture while adding flavor. So, if you have an extra day before you cook your chicken, simply reach for the salt instead of a whipping up a fancy marinade.

Salt pulls out moisture from ingredients, so get too heavy-handed, and you'll be dousing on the sauce at dinner to compensate for a dry bird. Same goes for overly acidic marinades, says Carla Lalli Music, BA's food director. Be mindful of how much citrus and vinegar you add.

Add the chicken pieces and submerge them in the marinade. To ensure that the flavor gets into the meat, you could slash the meat a few times with your knife beforehand, but it's not essential. Close the container and transfer it to the refrigerator to marinate for a maximum of 24 hours.

Lemon Zest and Juice: Lemon adds brightness, acidity, and a burst of citrus flavor. The zest gives an extra zesty punch, while the juice is crucial for tenderizing the chicken.

A typical marinade is made up of three essential components: an acid (such as vinegar, wine, or citrus), an oil (such as olive oil or sesame oil), and a flavouring agent (such as herbs and spices). These elements work together to transform the taste and texture of your dish in different ways.

Marinades typically feature an oil and an acid — but the sky's the limit for creativity: For your oil base, try olive, peanut, truffle, sesame, walnut, or chile oil. You can also use milk, coconut milk, buttermilk, or yogurt. For acids, experiment with different types of vinegar, wines, beers, lemon, or lime juice.

Traditionally, marinades contain salt, water, and various acidic components, such as wine, vinegar, and fruit juice. Phosphates and sodium are generally used to enhance the quality and characteristics of meat.

Why is my chicken hard after marinating? ›

In fact, marinades with high acidity may actually end up toughening chicken that has been left too long. For that reason, it's arguable that a quick soak is the best way to marinate chicken, especially if you're using a cut like chicken breasts, which contain less fat.

Remove Marinade Before Cooking: To prevent flare-ups on the grill and ensure properly browned meat when sautéing or stir-frying, wipe off most of the excess marinade before cooking. Keep just a little marinade on the meat surface to maximize flavor.

For easy cleanup, use food-safe plastic bags during storage, and discard the bags after marinating. Food grade plastic, stainless steel, or glass containers may also be used to marinate food. Cover poultry during storage in the refrigerator.

Even 30 minutes in a marinade can make a difference in the taste of the final dish; the flavors just won't be as present as they would be if the chicken had been allowed to marinate for a bit longer.

You can marinate chicken anywhere from 2 hours up to 24 hours, though marinating chicken for even 15 to 30 minutes can impart flavor and moisture into smaller pieces of meat. Generally, bone-in cuts of chicken, such as wings, drumsticks and breasts, will require a longer marinade time than their boneless counterparts.

The easiest way to marinate faster is to cut the meat into smaller chunks so more surface area is being marinated. However, this only works if you can cook the meat in chunks, if for example you wanted to sear a steak it's not possible to cut it before cooking.

Pounding the chicken is one of the greatest do-it-yourself ways to tenderize chicken before cooking. This is because the pounding breaks the fibers in the chicken, allowing for faster cooking. Ensure you cover or wrap the chicken in plastic wrap or a sealable bag.