• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Vindulge

BBQ and Grilling Recipes with Wine Pairings

  • Home
  • About
    • About Mary
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work With Me
  • Cookbook
  • Wine
    • Food and Wine Pairing
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Resources
    • Fundamentals For Learning How to Grill
    • Guide to Pellet Grills – Common Q and A
    • Best Pellet Grill – MAK Two Star General – Versatile American Made Pellet Smoker
    • Blogger Resources
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop Wines
  • Cookbook
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Wine Guides
  • Blogging Resources
  • Connect with us!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You are here: Home » Food » Recipes

    Grilled Chicken Marinade – How To Make a Marinade

    March 2, 2020 By Mary Leave a Comment

    Sharing is caring!

    73 shares
    • Facebook2
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe
    grilled chicken marinated in the perfect marinade - pinterest text

    Grilled Chicken Marinade is a great way to infuse chicken with flavor. But you may have wondered what does a marinade do? Or how does it work? This basic guide walks through our chicken marinade, the basics to creating any marinade and a simple recipe that can be easily modified based upon your personal preference.

    Then check out this grilled chicken guide for a comprehensive step by step on perfect grilled chicken.

    And use this marinade on these chicken kababs!

    The best marinade for grilled chicken
    Jump to:
    • Is it Marinate or Marinade?
    • Does A Marinade Work?
    • So what is a Marinade?
    • How does a Marinade Work?
    • Preparing Meat for a Marinade
    • How to make a Grilled Chicken Marinade
    • How long should I marinade Chicken?
    • Can you reuse marinade?
    • Grilled Chicken Recipes
    • Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe
    • Grilled Chicken Marinade

    There are many ways to add flavor throughout the cooking process. Dry rubs can help in forming a bark when smoking, or a specific savory or sweet element, injections or brines can infuse flavor the interior of large cuts of meat, and bastes or sauces can add just that finishing touch you are looking for after the food is done.

    But another way to start the process before you even turn on the oven or grill, is to marinate.

    Is it Marinate or Marinade?

    The easiest way to remember is that the act of seasoning is to marinate. The actual product created is the marinade. Don’t worry, a lot of people wonder the same thing.

    Does A Marinade Work?

    If you scan the internet you’ll see a number of well-respected sites talk about the myth of marinades.

    America’s Test Kitchen says a marinade barely flavors the outer portion of any meat. True, but when you think about how a marinade works, you can actually use that to your advantage – as in – cut up the meat into smaller chunks, or be sure you buy smaller or thinner cuts. Also highlighted is not confusing a brine with a marinade (they are two different things).

    Cooks Illustrated highlighted that marinating makes meats mushy versus the idea that it tenderizes, or breaks down the meat making the bite through texture more tender. It also highlights our opinion that the most effective way for a grilled chicken marinade (or any marinade) to work is to use smaller cuts of the meat to enhance the flavor.

    What do we think? We believe marinades definitely do work, when you use it for smaller cuts (like cubed chicken breasts), or thin cuts (like flank steak).

    So what is a Marinade?

    A marinade is a sauce that includes oil (fat), herbs and spices (aromatics), fresh ingredients, and liquids that add flavor to a meat or vegetable. By soaking meat in the sauce, the flavors from the combination of those ingredients infuse into the meat and tenderize giving them extra flavor when you cook them.

    How does a Marinade Work?

    Whether a grilled chicken marinade, steak, squash, or even shrimp, the idea behind a marinade is the same — Adding a balanced profile of flavors will allow acid and enzymes to interact with the protein and tenderize or soften the cells. Aromatics bring the flavor into the meat, and a fat or oil helps emulsify or bind together the components of the marinade.

    Preparing Meat for a Marinade

    Based upon how to marinate and how it works, there are some best practices to follow when selecting what cuts work best for a marinade and which may need some additional preparation.

    • Chicken – Cut chicken breasts into bite sizes adding more surface area for flavor. Or consider marinating boneless thighs or cutlets. Another option is to pound flat the thicker part of chicken breasts so they are thin.
    • Steak – We elect not to marinate many of our steaks instead focusing on buying great quality steak. But some cuts do lend to a marinade. Skirt Steak is one great example, and it is thin and very easy to cut into smaller pieces. Flank and hanger are two other great examples that take well to a marinade. Beef scraps, or sirloin cut into small pieces, also take well to marinades, like these Steak Skewers.
    • Fish – Fish can benefit from a marinade, but acid is important to pay attention to. If too much acid, the delicate nature of fish may actually “cook” like ceviche. So make sure to keep any marinating of fish to shorter time spans and with slightly less acidity.
    • Pork – Pork can also benefit from a marinade, like with this Grilled Pork Collar. The collar is a smaller cut then it’s shoulder cousin. If we were to do a shoulder or large cut we would brine.
    • Other Meats – The same principle applies to other meats as well. And don’t forget Tofu! Tofu is as boring a flavor as you can get, so it really benefits from marinades to give it flavor.
    Marinade for Grilled Chicken

    How to make a Grilled Chicken Marinade

    When creating a chicken marinade we focus on balance and simple flavors that follow the basic components:

    • Acid – We make sure we have some type of acid which can include wine, vinegar, or citrus. We may combine 1-2 different acids for flavor.
    • Aromatics – This includes spices, rubs, or freshly cut herbs. Shallots, Garlic, Onions, Dried Sage, or any other number of these types of ingredients add an aroma and flavor element.
    • Fat or Oil – Olive Oil (typically extra virgin) is our go to.
    • Heat – We like to consider some heat element, like fresh jalapeno, cayenne pepper, or red chili pepper flakes.
    Ingredients for Grilled Chicken Marinade

    What about salt? With so many competing flavors, we go light on salt in the marinade and you can leave the salt out should you wish without compromising the flavors. To best use salt, leverage in your dry rub or with a dusting of finishing salt at the end.

    Troubleshooting Your Marinade: Using the principles above, if you have too much acid, then you can offset that with more oil. If the marinade tastes bland and consists of too much oil, then add more aromatics, acid, or heat. If the marinade is too spicy, add more acid or oil. There are infinite combinations, but know that you can always offset any overpowering flavor by balancing it with something else.

    How long should I marinade Chicken?

    Marinade between 4 and 8 hours for best flavor and be sure the chicken is cut into smaller cubes or pressed flat.

    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.

    Grilled Chicken Recipes

    • Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Citrus Marinade (this exact marinade!)
    • Perfect Grilled Chicken
    • Apricot Glazed Grilled Chicken
    • Grilled Chicken Salad
    • Sugar Free Chicken Seasoning
    • Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade

    Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe

    chicken in baggie of marinade

    Grilled Chicken Marinade

    A simple and easy chicken marinade great for grilled chicken, plus the components for a great marinade!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 2 cups
    Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge
    Cost: $10.00

    Equipment

    • 1 Gallon Plastic Baggie

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about one medium size orange)
    • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
    • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
    • ½ tablespoon honey
    • ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon orange zest
    • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Combine all ingredients into a 1 gallon zipper baggie and stir to incorporate. Adjust seasoning to taste.
    • If marinating chicken, cut up chicken into 1 inch cubes and place into the baggie. Marinade for up to 8 hours. Discard marinade after one use.
    Find the perfect wine pairing at the Vindulge Wine Shop
    Tried this recipe? We would love to see!Mention @vindulge or use the hashtag #vindulge

    « Smoked Turkey Meatballs with Bacon Paste – The Secret Ingredient
    Smoked Beef Brisket Nachos (perfect for leftover brisket) »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

    Learn More...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Fire and Wine Cookbook Cover.

    Get Ready for Summer

    Smoked Brisket

    What’s on our Grill

    Tri Tip fajitas and peppers in a cast iron skillet.

    Easy Grilled Tri-Tip Fajitas Recipe

    Verde chicken tacos on a serving platter

    Super Easy Verde Chicken Tacos

    Vegetarian Chili in a bowl with cheese and a spoon.

    The Ultimate Vegetarian Chili Recipe

    Pulled pork breakfast hash in a cast iron pan.

    Pulled Pork Breakfast Hash

    More

    As Seen On

    Products we love

    taking the temperature of a porchetta roast on the grill
    We use Thermoworks Signals BBQ Alarm to monitor the internal temperature of the meat while it’s cooking, then double check with an instant read thermometer, like the Thermapen One.

    Vindulge Wine Club

    join the wine club side bar

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Vindulge

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    73 shares
    • 2