by Laura Kleban

Created on: April 22, 2009

How to Marinate Chicken Breasts.

Who doesn't love chicken? I know that it is an absolute staple for several meals a week in my home. There are so many ways to cook chicken! Baking, broiling, frying or sauting, the variations on how to cook chicken are endless. Here in this article, I will give you a few simple ideas for how to marinate chicken in a few different spices.

Marinating chicken is a great way to not get bored with it. Chicken naturally picks up the flavors surrounding it, so have some fun with some different spices! All of the following marinade recipes will yield enough to marinate about four large chicken breasts.

If you prefer more tender chicken, it is a good idea to pound the breast first between two sheets of plastic wrap with a hammer or meat tenderizer. I always marinate my chicken in plastic Ziploc storage bags, but you can also just put the breasts in a large mixing bowl, pour over the marinade, seal the bowl with plastic wrap tightly, and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Chicken should be allowed to marinate for at least one hour before cooking to incorporate the flavors of the marinade into the breasts.

Basic Chicken and Herb Marinade:

2 TBS chopped garlic

1 cup chopped or dried herbs; such as basil, parsley, tarragon, oregano, rosemary, or snipped chives

1 tsp sea salt

Cracked black pepper

2/3 Cup Olive Oil

Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl, adding the oil slowly to the other ingredients. Pour over chicken breasts and marinate for 1 hour in refrigerator.

This basic marinade is the base for the following marinades.

Jerk Marinade: Using the basic recipe, season with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, tsp allspice, tsp cinnamon, and tsp black pepper.

Curry Marinade: Using the basic recipe, season with mint, cilantro and 1 tsp curry powder.

Middle Eastern Marinade: Using the basic recipe, season with mint, tsp cinnamon, tsp allspice, and 1 tsp cayenne pepper.

Southwest Marinade: Using the basic recipe, season with cilantro, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp turmeric, and one small chopped chili pepper.

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