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Marinades enhance the flavour, juiciness and tenderness of your chicken. They consist of cooking oil, an acidic liquid like vinegar, wine, tomato, or citrus juice, and seasonings like garlic, molasses, honey, fresh herbs, and spices. Oils help retain moisture while cooking, acids break down protein for tender meat and seasonings enhance flavour.
Discover the secrets of perfectly marinated chicken with our techniques and tips. We'll guide you through the process to achieve perfectly marinated chicken for flavourful results every time.
How to marinate chicken
Learn how to make a great chicken marinade with Tasty's tutorial video.
If you're pressed for time, here are the essential points:
- A good marinade has four key elements: fat, acid, sugar and seasoning.
- Fat is a crucial component of any marinade. Fat is essential because it moistens the meat during cooking and holds onto any seasoning you add to the marinade. This recipe uses olive oil, but you can also use canola, sesame or coconut oil.
- Next, we'll need acid. The acid helps cut through the fat and brightens the dish. You could use lime juice, vinegar, orange juice or mustard – this marinade contains lemon juice.
- Then we'll add something sweet. You could use brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave or granulated sugar. This recipe uses honey. Sugar aids caramelisation, resulting in that beautiful brown colour.
- The last thing we need to do is add seasoning. This is an essential part of the marinade, where your creativity can shine. The seasoning process helps develop layers of flavour. You can use oregano, salt, pepper, chilli powder, red pepper flakes, curry and garlic. This recipe uses a simple garlic, lemon and pepper marinade.
- Now that your marinade is ready, it's time to add the chicken. You can use any cut – this recipe uses chicken breasts. Make sure that every part of the chicken is fully coated. Once you coat it, cover it and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes for up to 4 hours. As you cook your chicken, whether on the grill, the oven, or the stovetop, all the incredible flavours will come to life.
Chicken marinade recipes
If you want to transform your chicken dishes into culinary masterpieces, here are a few easy and tasty chicken marinade recipes for inspiration.
For a tangy and smoky flavour, try our chicken kebabs marinated in a lime-infused barbecue sauce and grilled to perfection. Or, for a taste of the Caribbean, this Jamaican recipe offers a perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and savoury goodness. And for a tropical twist, give our honey and chilli marinated chicken wings a try, paired with a sweet and sour mango dip. Finally, indulge in the complex flavours of our Japanese-style garlic and hoisin chicken wings, finished with a savoury soy and vinegar sauce.
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