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How Do I Choose the Best Baked Chicken Marinade?

D. Nelson
D. Nelson

A marinade is any liquid that is applied to meat before it is cooked; these mixtures are used to make tenderize meat and improve its flavors. Marinades usually include an acidic ingredient, such as vinegar, that allows seasonings to enter meat, making it flavorful throughout rather than just on the surface. To choose the best baked chicken marinade, you should decide how complex a recipe you're willing to execute. It is very simple to apply ready-made marinades to meats if you are in a hurry or inexperienced in the kitchen. Individuals who like to work in the kitchen might want to find marinade recipes.

When choosing a baked chicken marinade, you might also want to consider complementing the flavors of other foods you are serving with your meal. For example, if you believe that your meal can benefit from a little zest, consider using a marinade with a citrus base. Lemon and orange juice are popular choices for baked chicken marinades. If you are serving your chicken with a side of pasta with a pesto sauce, for example, then you might want to use a marinade with oil, vinegar, ground pepper, and oregano.

For a baked chicken marinade, consider the other flavors in the meal that will complement the chicken.
For a baked chicken marinade, consider the other flavors in the meal that will complement the chicken.

A baked chicken marinade can be easy to mix, even if you are not too experienced in the kitchen. If you are making a marinade for the first time, you can probably benefit from using a recipe. Most good recipes give readers an idea of the flavors they will impart and the foods they should be served with. While more experienced cooks can customize recipes to meet their needs, those who are still learning should follow instructions closely. Studying proven recipes is a great way to learn how to create your own marinade recipes.

Marinades usually include an acidic ingredient like vinegar to tenderize the meat and an oily ingredient to add moisture.
Marinades usually include an acidic ingredient like vinegar to tenderize the meat and an oily ingredient to add moisture.

It is common for a person to marinade a chicken for between thirty minutes ad a few hours before cooking. Some individuals even let their chickens sit in marinade overnight. This allows the meat to become even more tender and for the flavor really to sink in. If you find that you have not given yourself enough time to soak meat in baked chicken marinade, you can probably find a product or recipe that is effective for shorter periods of time.

Sumac powder is often used in Middle Eastern marinades and spice rubs to flavor chicken.
Sumac powder is often used in Middle Eastern marinades and spice rubs to flavor chicken.

A baked chicken marinade can really change your eating experience. Many cooks have several different marinades they can use to produce desired effects. If you know some experienced chefs, ask him or her for some marinading tips. You can also read how your favorite professional chefs and food writers prepare their baked chicken.

Discussion Comments

discographer

@burcidi-- Do you like Asian flavors? If so, you should try sweet and sour chicken marinade. I don't have the recipe for it, my husband makes it but I've watched him put it together before. It's really simple, it has peanut oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame seeds and sugar.

The only chicken marinade I prepare is the easiest one you'll probably encounter: equal parts of Italian salad dressing and light soy sauce! It sounds like an odd combination, but believe me, it turns out really good. My husband is the one to think about and plan twenty different ingredients for a marinade. I just put these two ingredients together and marinate the chicken from the night before. I think mine is just as good as his baked chicken though.

burcidi

@turkay1-- That sounds delicious! I will definitely give that a try sometime, thanks for the idea.

I haven't experimented with chicken marinades at all even though baked chicken is a common meal in our household. The only marinade I know to make is a lemon marinade with olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and some rosemary. It's very simple, but it works well.

The reason I love lemon marinade is that lemon juice gets rid of that typical chicken scent really well. And you don't necessarily have to keep it in the marinade for hours. Even when I don't have time for marinading, soaking the chicken in this mixture for about ten minutes gets rid of the chicken scent.

If anyone else has more chicken marinade recipes, please share them. I do need to experiment more with my baked chicken.

candyquilt

Growing up, my mom would marinate chicken in a mixture of olive oil, tomato paste, salt and oregano before baking. The outside of the chicken would be so delicious, but the inside was plain meat and lacked flavor. I guess she should have added some vinegar or lemon juice in it for the flavors to absorb better.

The marinade I use now for baking chicken is a mixture of plain yogurt, oil, lemon juice, onion, tomato and spices. I learned this from my Indian friend and the result was so delicious that it has become my staple marinade recipe. The spices I usually add in the marinade is saffron, chili, black pepper, masala powder (and or curry powder), salt, and a tiny bit of cumin.

Aside from the ingredients, the key to tasty chicken is definitely marinating it for long enough. A couple of hours is really not enough. The chicken should be left in the marinade in the fridge for overnight. And turning the chicken in the marinade a couple of times during the day helps a lot too.

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    • For a baked chicken marinade, consider the other flavors in the meal that will complement the chicken.
      By: Elzbieta Sekowska
      For a baked chicken marinade, consider the other flavors in the meal that will complement the chicken.
    • Marinades usually include an acidic ingredient like vinegar to tenderize the meat and an oily ingredient to add moisture.
      By: Picture Partners
      Marinades usually include an acidic ingredient like vinegar to tenderize the meat and an oily ingredient to add moisture.
    • Sumac powder is often used in Middle Eastern marinades and spice rubs to flavor chicken.
      By: Andrey Starostin
      Sumac powder is often used in Middle Eastern marinades and spice rubs to flavor chicken.