Ha how’s that for the most original blog post title ever! Let’s diverge from Meatless Monday for a sec to talk about the Holy Grail of lean protein (if you’re a carnivore of course) that is chicken breast. Although often considered boring and flavorless, I appreciate chicken’s versatility. If anything, chicken’s blandness means it can take on various flavours and work in just about any meal. While the options truly are endless when it comes to marinating chicken, there’s one ingredient that I almost always use as the base:
Ginger-garlic paste
Living in an Indian household, our fridge is always stocked with ginger-garlic paste to add to traditional dishes. This recipe is similar to how we make it at home. Alternatively most supermarkets sell it too, which makes life cooking all the more convenient. I’m telling you guys, this single ingredient adds SO much flavor without being overpowering.
From chicken fajitas to tandoori chicken, chicken parmesan & Thai basil chicken, I’ve tried using chicken in a variety of cuisines and only had success. To shake things up and prevent meal monotony from kicking in, I try to constantly rotate my marinades. Aside from infusing the chicken with flavor, I find that marinating keeps it moist while cooking it. Otherwise it’s far too easy to end up with rubbery chicken- ick! In case poultry monotony has hit you, hopefully these 3 chicken marinades can give you some inspiration. For my vegetarians/vegans in the house, these marinades would taste wonderful with tofu and/or tempeh too. Let’s roll:
To avoid sounding repetitive, I will preface this by saying that I always marinate my chicken for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better). I prefer to pan fry my chicken over medium heat. Depending on the size of the chicken pieces/fillet, it usually 8-10 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink inside.
Sesame-Sriracha Chicken (Serves 2-3)
- 3 medium chicken breasts (300g)
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Generous squirt of Sriracha (about 1-2 tablespoons)
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped scallions
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Sesame seeds to garnish
Herbed Balsamic Chicken (Serves 2-3)
- 3 medium chicken breasts (300g)
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh (or dried) oregano
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh (or dried) basil
- 1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt to taste
Curried Chicken (Serves 2-3)
- 3 medium chicken breasts (300g)
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon turmeric (a.k.a. haldi)
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley (or cilantro)
- Salt to taste
Bon appétit!
What’s your go-to chicken marinade/recipe?
Believe it or not, I was JUST thinking about chicken marinades for Vishnu. I always do the same basic thing and wanted to find more flavorful combos. Definitely coming back to your recipes! He’d love all 3.
Oh amazing timing- hope Vishnu enjoys them :)!
I love marinating chicken for several hours and then cooking them on the grill outside – so good! My tip is to take the chicken off the heat just before it is ready, wrap it in foil and let it rest for 5-8 mins. The residual heat cooks the rest of it to perfection and allows the moisture to stay in the chicken! 🙂
That is a super tip, Jen- thank you! Totally going to try it out when I next make chicken!
These are some great recipes! Chicken gets a bad rap, but it can be really flavourful. My personal go-to marinade is soy sauce, garlic, honey and a little peanut butter.
Mmm seriously though- is peanut butter ever a bad idea ;)!!
These all sound great, but the sesame sriracha is especially calling out to me! I actually don’t cook chicken that much, but when I do I like to do a Greek marinade with lemon, olive oil, herbs, and garlic.
Yum that sounds delicious, Chelsea..even better if topped with feta ;)!