How to Marinate Chicken

Info_lover | May 13, 2010 |

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Whipping up a good meal consisting of tasty chicken meat will depend on how well the chicken is marinated. What seems like a simple cooking procedure can often be messed up by novice cooks. It leaves the chicken tasting rather bland. What happens is that those served will have to splash more sauce on the meat after it is cooked. If you want your chicken to taste right, then you should read on to learn how to marinate chicken breast.

Instructions on how to marinate a chicken

First, you will have to thaw the chicken. This is done to open up the pores in the meat so that your chicken meat can soak up the marinade.
Next, prepare your marinade. It may be as simple as a bottle of Italian dressing, or as extravagant as a reduction with herb butter, but get it ready.
Place the chicken inside a container which could be plastic tupperware or a glass casserole dish. You should steer clear of metal containers as it can sometimes inject a little metallic taste into the chicken meat.
Pour the marinade over the chicken and make sure the sauce completely covers the chicken.
Cover the marinated chicken in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. You should refrigerate it for at least 8 hours. The longer the chicken is kept in the refrigerator the better it will taste, obviously.
Lastly, cook your delectable chicken and serve it to your friends and loved ones. You will be glad to hear their compliments about your cooking skills!

How long to marinate chicken

When you are learning how to marinate chicken wings or chicken breasts, it is advisable that you leave an acidic marine on the chicken for only around an hour. A buttermilk or dairy-based marinade can be left on for up to twelve hours. If you are using something with strong enzymes such as melon or pineapple, this can make the chicken mushy so you should only leave the marinate on for around one hour.

If you are using only spices and oil for your marinade, you can marinate the chicken up to a day before cooking it. Most recipes for marinated boneless chicken will tell you how long to leave the marinade on for. Make sure you store the marinated chicken in the refrigerator so that the chicken meat can fully soak up the essence and taste of the marinade.