Grilled chicken marinade

10 years ago

I came across an article that said do not add the acid to the chicken marinade as it doesn't tenderize but "cooks" the chicken. Instead, they said just to add the rind for flavor. I've been doing that now, and I have to admit, I find the chicken to be more tender and juicy.

Grilled chicken breasts

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Lars/J. Robert Scott

10 years ago

Another innovation of the past 10-15 years is the replacement of brining with a dry salt method, but some people are slow to catch on, especially at ATK. Once I started dry salting meat, I stopped wet marinades and went with dry rubs, although I make what I consider a "damp" marinade because it has fresh garlic and chilies in it, with oil or butter, but no liquids other than oil. I agree that lemon juice is best added at the end, but I will put lemon zest in my damp marinade/rub. I make garlic marinades in a mortar and pestle, mashing the garlic with a bit of Kosher salt to make a paste, and then I add herbs to that, depending on what I am making.

One exception is that occasionally I will make a marinade for fish that includes soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and chili or wasabi, but no vinegar or lemon juice. Sometimes I add sesame oil to this, but more often I use avocado oil, sparingly. I never marinate fish more than 30 minutes, and I generally use this marinade on tuna or opah - it is too overpowering for salmon.

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Comments (6)

sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
10 years ago
I so agree. Remember the 90's when everything was marinated in balsamic vinegar?. Just made any meat mealy and overly 'sauced'. Every recipe had rich cheap balsamic doused and marinated in/on everything.

I do use AC vinegar and fresh lemon but only/sometimes the last 1/2 or an hour for a bright flavor but no longer than that.

Best to save the acidic flavors for the end as a drip/drizzle fresh flavor. What balsamic was always intended to provide. A hint not a dousing or a marinade.
stir_fryi SE Mich
10 years ago
I buy bottled of dry packet marinade for grilled chicken. For some reason, none of the "homemade" marinades I made "stick" to the chicken like the prepared ones. They just seem to impart more flavor...
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fawnridge (Ricky)
10 years ago
Wet marinades are so last century! Dry rubs are much better for flavor control and ease of application.

Original Boca Boys - use this on pork, chicken, and lamb
- 6 tablespoons Granulated Garlic Powder
- 2 tablespoons Chili Powder
- 2 tablespoons Paprika (I use Szeged Hot Hungarian)
- 1 tablespoon Garam Masala - an Indian spice blend, made by McCormicks and others
- 1 tablespoon Cayenne Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Turbinado Sugar
lindac92
10 years ago
There is nothing in a prepared marinade that I can't put in my own marinade but preservatives.
True, lemon juice or vinegar will "cook" a boneless skinless chicken breast...turns it white. But, one of my quick like a bunny meal preps is marinating skin on bone in chicken thighs in my honey dijon balsamic salad dressing for an hour or so. I think the acid makes the skin crisper....but maybe it's just my imagination.
User
10 years ago
I make an marinade for chicken thighs using fresh squeezed orange juice and zest not to tenderize, but add flavor. Same with the "so last century" balsamic or white vinegar marinade I use on flank steak. ;)

Speaking of dry salt brining ... had intended to finally pull that boneless turkey breast from the freezer last week, but it's just too hot to even think about roasting even with central a/c.

Grilled chicken marinade

Lars/J. Robert Scott

Comments (6)

sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)

stir_fryi SE Mich

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fawnridge (Ricky)

lindac92

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