Recipe

5 Lip-Smacking Chicken Marinades For The Grill

Get grilling chicken in style - 5 lip-smacking chicken marinating recipes

If you are getting your grill fired up, what better way to delight family and friends than with classic grilled chicken. Grilling chicken is always a crowd pleaser, full of flavor, versatile and quick to cook. In addition the innate savory flavor of chicken is only enhanced by a wide range of seasonings and marinades that add an additional dimension to your menu.

Here we share the top 5 marinades for grilling chicken on your BBQ as well as tips and tricks to bring the very best out of your BBQ.

Benefits of marinating chicken

Any BBQ aficionado will tell you that your meat or chicken will taste better if has been marinaded. Seasoning and preparing a marinade for your chicken has the following benefits:

1) Stop your grilled chicken from drying out by slathering on a marinade. It helps the meat retain its natural flavor-filled juices while cooking.

2) A marinade is great for tenderizing your chicken, starting the process of breaking down the tissues for added succulence.

3) Thorough marinading can reduce the cooking time of your chicken.

To brine or not to brine

In addition, you may want to brine your chicken for even more succulence and tenderness. Brining is soaking meat in salt water prior to preparation. The salty water aids the penetration of water into the chicken for added moisture prior to cooking. A simple brine can be be prepared with 4 tablespoons of salt per quart of water, adding peppercorns and herbs for added taste. 

How long should you marinade chicken

The answer is controversial, given everyone has their own style, hand-me-down family recipe or ideas about marinades for grilling chicken. Without causing an uproar, we advise a generous time range of between 30 minutes and 12 hours depending on the depth of flavor you want to achieve. 

Here are our top 5 marinates for grilling chicken

1) Greek - Lemon and Garlic  Wow the crowds with this classic all-round pleaser. Without excessive chillies and pepper it will keep those with a sensitive palate cool. Simply combine liberally greek yoghurt, lemon juice and zest and thyme with one or two peppercorns for a tender and zesty chicken grill. 

2) Peri-peri-  For those with an asbestos-clad tongue, the Mozambique native peri-peri (also known as piri-piri) forms the basis of this African-Portuguese marinade that has taken the world by storm. Create yours by blending African bird's eye peppers, garlic, paprika, cilantro olive oil and lemon juice. Go as hot as you can stand with this moreish dish. 

3) Tandoori - Bring on some Eastern flavor with this Indian classic that brings together garam masala, cumin, garlic, coriander and yoghurt or buttermilk for a flavorsome entree. 

4) Jerk- This Caribbean marinade originates in the foothills of the Blue Mountain, Jamaica and is 100% all right. Not for the faint-hearted the seasoning is underpinned by the fire-hot scotch bonnet pepper which is combined with cloves, demerara sugar, white vinegar, thyme and garlic, alongside local or family twists that are always kept close. Slather this on when grilling chicken for an authentic island spice pepper. 

5) Oriental - 5-spice 'Chinese'-style chicken can be created with liberally marinating in soy, 5-spice, honey and sliced chili peppers. 

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Comments

Ohioren Aigbokhaevbo
Feb 4, 2020 at 22:03:41
I marinate my chicken for 2 hours before grilling... Same great taste, but after seeing this article I, I'll definitely keep your tips at heart. Thanks for sharing.