Chicken Marinade
This is a very basic marinade for chicken that can be used in a wide variety of applications. I usually buy a large bag of chicken breasts, use this marinade, bake or grill them, and then stick them in the freezer for whenever I need to toss some chicken into a recipe. Works great!
This is a very basic marinade for chicken that can be used in a wide variety of applications. I usually buy a large bag of chicken breasts, use this marinade, bake or grill them, and then stick them in the freezer for whenever I need to toss some chicken into a recipe. Works great!
- Carbohydrate 123.697637259583 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 83.9816739563528 g
- Fiber 18.6052464017823 g
- Protein 213.507394456766 g
- Saturated Fat 6.26539350834127 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (2182g)
- Sodium 113870.015923678 mg
- Sugar 105.0923908578 g
- Trans Fat 1.68141534914985 g
- Calories 1973 calories
Step-by-step
- Whisk all the ingredients above in a bowl thoroughly.
- Cut about 6 to 7 semi-frozen chicken breasts in half length-wise. (Semi-frozen breasts are easier to cut, and whole breasts are too thick to grill evenly.)
- Place chicken breasts and marinade in a 13 x 9 glass baking dish and cover with foil. Or, put both in equal proportions into 1 quart zip-closed bags. Place flat in the refrigerator and allow to sit for at least 6 to 8 hours, but over night is even better, flipping the chicken over periodically.
- To cook: Preheat oven to 350° F. Place baking dish with chicken, covered, in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink inside. You won't believe how tender and juicy the chicken is! (Discard the marinade.)
- Or, fire up the grill and cook the chicken over medium heat for about 4-6 minutes per side (depending on how high your heat is).
- Either serve immediately with your favorite side dish, or as I like to do, allow them to cool and then place in freezer-safe bags and store until you need them!
- I love using this chicken for pastas, home-made pizzas, grilled sandwiches, you name it!
Limited freezer space and tight prep schedules demand efficient flavor profiles that double as preservation prep. Combining high-sodium soy sauce with neutral vegetable oil creates a dual-action system: salt breaks down outer muscle proteins to retain moisture during high-heat cooking, while oil distributes fat-soluble aromatics evenly across the meat surface. Acid from lime juice further tenderizes exterior fibers during an extended six-to-eight-hour soak. Cutting semi-frozen breasts lengthwise ensures uniform thickness before heat hits the protein.
Judging Doneness Without a Digital Thermometer
Visual indicators replace instant-read probes when assessing poultry doneness on the grill or in the oven. Clear juices emerging from the thickest part of the breast signal that internal moisture has reached roughly 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Opaque white flesh throughout indicates the completion of the denaturation process, entirely replacing pink translucency.
- Grayish-yellow exterior char means grill temperature is too high; lower the heat to medium to prevent burning the soy sugars before the interior cooks.
- Rubber-like resistance under a spatula indicates overcooking; pull the meat earlier to maintain tenderness for later freezing.
