The Best Methods and How Long to Marinate Chicken for Tasty Meals
Learn how to marinate chicken using our easy methods, and you’ll look forward to adding this budget-friendly lean protein to your menu.
Most chicken, especially boneless, skinless chicken breasts, are known for being dry, boring "diet food." But once you master the basic techniques for marinating and how long to marinate chicken, you'll realize this affordable, versatile, lean protein can be just as succulent and crave-able as its richer counterparts, like steak and pork chops.
BHG / Sonia Bozzo
If you're looking for the best options for how to marinate chicken, our Test Kitchen pros swear by these two options:
A dry marinade
A wet marinade
This guide for how to marinate chicken explains when to choose one or the other and how to make both. Plus, we're sharing some essential food safety tips that will help keep you and your family safe.
Warning
If you're washing your raw chicken, please stop! Washing raw chicken isn't necessary or sanitary.
Related: The Food Safety Tips Every Home Cook Should Memorize
How to Marinate Chicken
As we mentioned, a basic chicken marinade can be made in two ways: dry or wet. They both work wonderfully to tenderize and infuse the meat with flavor. Your desired cooking method will help you decide which to choose.
How to Marinate Chicken with a Wet Marinade
Wet marinades generally consist of:
Cooking oil to moisten and add flavor.
An acidic liquid, such as vinegar, wine, tomato, yogurt, or citrus juice (or a natural enzyme like ginger or pineapple), breaks down the dense protein to tenderize it.
Various seasonings and/or sweeteners, including garlic, molasses, honey, fresh or dried herbs, and spices to amp up the flavor.
Related: Our Top 9 Chicken Dishes According to Pinterest Users
Wet chicken marinades should be thin in consistency to penetrate the meat and infuse it with flavor. The marinade infuses about ¼ inch into the surface of the meat, so it won't reach the meat's interior, but the surface will be uber-tasty. This concept is at play in these slices of Turmeric-Ginger Marinated Chicken below.
To marinate chicken in a wet marinade:
Place the chicken in a shallow dish or a gallon-sized zip-top bag. Add your homemade marinade (such as Roasted Red Pepper Marinade, Avocado-Buttermilk Marinade, or Garlic Soy Marinade) on top. If using a bag, place the bag inside a shallow dish or large plate to catch any drips. Seal the bag, if using, and place the chicken in the refrigerator.
Turn the bag occasionally so the marinade is distributed evenly over all sides of the food, or if using a dish, use tongs to flip the chicken a few times during the marinating time (being careful not to drip any raw chicken juices around your kitchen).
Use tongs to remove food from the marinade. Some of the marinade will stick to the food. Discard the remaining marinade.
Test Kitchen Tip
Never marinate chicken directly inside a metal container, as the acidic mixture can react with the metal.
How to Marinate Chicken with a Dry Rub
BHG / Sonia Bozzo
A dry rub is similar to a wet marinade minus the liquid. The mixture of herbs and spices creates a crust on the chicken, which seals in moisture and amplifies its flavor. Cayenne pepper, red chile flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, sage, thyme, rosemary, basil, and brown sugar are common stars.
To marinate chicken in a dry rub:
In a bowl or shallow dish, combine the dry rub ingredients. (Need some flavor inspiration? Try our Smoky Rub, Lavender Rub, or Double Pepper Barbecue Rub.)
Use paper towels to dry the surface of the chicken well, then coat the chicken's exterior with the dry rub.
Use your clean fingers to massage the spice rub into the chicken, then thoroughly wash your hands.
Related: Make These BBQ Rubs for Your Most Flavorful Grilling Season Yet
How Long to Marinate Chicken
BHG / Sonia Bozzo
For dry rub marinades, 30 minutes to 2 hours is how long to marinate chicken to allow the flavors to penetrate enough of the chicken to add flavor.
For wet marinades, we know it can be tempting to let them swim for a bit—if a little soaking is good for tender, tasty meat, more must be better, right? When deciding how long to marinate chicken, this is one situation in which you actually can overdo it; allowing boneless chicken to marinate for more than 2 hours or bone-in chicken to marinate for more than 12 hours will leave you with mushy meat. (The acidic ingredients can begin to "cook" the chicken and make it tough, too.)
As a general rule of thumb, follow these timelines as you perfect your skills in how long to marinate chicken:
Boneless chicken: 30 minutes to 2 hours
Bone-in chicken breasts, drumsticks, wings, or thighs: 1 to 12 hours
Food should be cooked immediately after marinating. Marinating does not extend food's shelf life, including the day of purchase and thawing time. If you're searching for how to marinate chicken for another day, try one of our foolproof freezer chicken recipes.
Test Kitchen Tip
If you forgot to marinate before preparing your chicken dinner, it's not too late! Consider a "reverse marinade." After cooking your chicken thighs or breasts as you normally would—grilling, roasting, searing, etc.—soak them in a chicken marinade for about 5 minutes, right after the meat has come to temp. (Reminder, the safe internal cooking temperature of chicken is 165°F.)
How to Marinate Chicken Safely
Steer clear of cross-contamination by following these important steps.
Keep it cool. Marinate foods in the refrigerator; never leave them on the kitchen counter. Place them on the fridge's bottom shelf to rule out any possible leaks or spills onto the foods below, and if you're marinating in a zip-top bag, place it in a larger bowl, plate, or baking dish to catch any drips.
Don't mix your meats. Do not return cooked meat to the unwashed plate you used to carry the raw marinated meat to the oven or grill. Marinated meat is still raw and should be handled accordingly.
Dump the marinade. Never reuse marinades to prevent the risk of contamination that can lead to food-borne illnesses. Before adding the marinade to the raw meat, set some aside for basting or as a table sauce if you'd like.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is too long to marinate chicken?
As a rule of thumb, you can marinate chicken anywhere from 15 minutes to 12 hours for bone-in chicken or 2 hours for boneless. Past 12 hours, you risk the ingredients of the marinade (such as sugar, acid, and salt) breaking down the muscle fibers in the meat, causing it to go overly soft or mushy.
Do you need to poke holes in the chicken when marinating?
While poking holes in your chicken while marinating it can be helpful, it's not mandatory. Mostly, this method helps if you don't have several hours to spare when marinating your poultry. Poking holes in your chicken can allow the marinade to penetrate better in a shorter period.
How can you marinate chicken quickly?
Marinades can be effective in as little as 15 minutes. If you're short on time and need to marinate your chicken quickly, you can poke holes in the chicken or slice it thinly to help the marinade penetrate in as little time as possible.
For more Better Homes & Gardens news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Better Homes & Gardens.
