12 different ideas for marinating chicken

Marinating chicken allows you to transform it into new and original recipes every time. Here are ten different ways to do it.

Chicken breast is, in all likelihood, one of the most used cuts of meat in the kitchen. Much appreciated especially by those who pay particular attention to their figure , it can be cooked in many different ways without increasing its calorie intake but at the same time making it a little tastier . To do this, we are about to reveal ten ways to marinate chicken and transform it into a different recipe each time.

• How to marinate chicken
• Recipes
  • Lemon and citrus
  • Vinegar, beer, wine or spirits
  • Milk, coconut milk or yogurt
  • Spices
  • Soy sauce or honey
• How to cook marinated chicken
  • Oven
  • Grill or griddle
  • Pan

How to marinate chicken

Marinating chicken, like any marinade for meat in general, requires some care. Let's try to summarize how to do it correctly before going on to discover our ideas.

First of all, when marinating meat you need to use two components, an acidic one which acts as pre-cooking, and a fatty one which enriches the stringier cuts. The marinade must then take place in the refrigerator (a couple of hours are enough for chicken) and preferably in a glass container with a lid. Finally, last but not least, always cook the meat after bringing it back to room temperature.

12 recipes for marinating chicken

With that in mind, here are our favorite ways to marinate chicken meat. Naturally, it will then be up to you to modify or adjust our recipes according to your taste. Once you have discovered the secrets of the marinade, customizing it will be a breeze .

Chicken marinated in lemon and citrus fruits

1. Combined with oil, salt and pepper, it is undoubtedly the most classic and most appreciated method. In fact, the simple taste of lemon goes perfectly with that of chicken meat. Be careful not to use too much lemon, 1 part of citrus fruit for every 3 parts of oil may be fine, then enriched with aromas and spices to taste.

2. Citrus fruits . In addition to lemon, no one is stopping you from using the juice of other citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruit or lime.

Chicken marinated in vinegar, beer, wine or spirits

3. Vinegar . Also in this case, together with the oil, we use an acidic component such as vinegar. We advise you to prefer apple cider vinegar, with its more delicate flavour, and to add some aromatic herbs.

4. Beer . Another great classic, as simple as it is tasty, consists of emulsifying oil and beer (choose your favourite: all the aromas of the drink will transfer to the meat) and to make it even better, add garlic, chilli pepper and chopped aromatic herbs.

5. Red wine . As unusual as it is apt, red wine gives chicken meat an incredible flavour, especially when accompanied by spices and aromatic herbs. Our advice is to use sage, rosemary, bay leaves and cloves: you will taste the flavor!

6. White wine . White wine is also suitable for marinating chicken. Place the meat in a bowl, then add a glass of wine with oil, salt, pepper and aromatic herbs to taste for a tasty result.

7. Hard alcohol. If you don't have much imagination, use some classic cocktail combinations to season your chicken breast: tequila and lemon (or lime), rum and cola, and so on. You'll make a great impression!

Marinate with milk, coconut milk or yogurt

8. Milk or coconut milk . If you love exotic flavours, chicken marinated in coconut milk is the right recipe for you but don't forget to add some spices: curry, turmeric, cumin and cardamom are perfect for this purpose. You can also do the same process with normal cow's milk.

9. Yogurt . Lighter than coconut milk, yogurt will also allow you to obtain tender but tasty chicken. Also in this case, green light for spices and aromas: they will make the difference!

Chicken with spices

10. Spices . Add a generous amount of spices to the oil and lemon, choosing between curry, paprika, coriander and cumin or creating your own mix and you will get a truly incredible and different spicy chicken every time.

Marinate the chicken with soy sauce or honey

11. Soy sauce . Once again, oriental cuisine forcefully enters our home, giving us a truly incredible second course of meat. To obtain it, marinate the chicken in soy sauce together with oil and honey . Add a pinch of five spice powder and leave to marinate for a couple of hours before proceeding with cooking.

12. Honey . A variant of the marinade with soy sauce is the one with honey. Add 2 parts of soy sauce and one part of honey, add flavorings or spices to taste and then massage the meat well with this mix which will give it an almost glazed and sweet and sour result.