This Chicken Marinade May Be Your Grilling Go To Sauce

I’ve never been a big fan of BBQ sauce, but I recently discovered a marinade for grilled chicken that has made me reconsider that statement. 

The other day I was looking for some kind of sauce or marinade that might “jazz up” some chicken pieces I had thawed out for dinner. And that’s when I ran across a recipe online…but of course I had to change it up a little bit.

Most BBQ sauces contain lots of sugar, and that sugar tends to burn very quickly on the grill. SO the first thing I did was to decrease the amount of sugar that was called for in the online recipe I found. And after several more tweaks I was ready to make up a batch of that marinade and give it a try.

Simply mix up all the ingredients and pour the whole works into a zip lock bag. Then throw in all of your chicken pieces and make sure all the pieces are coated completely. Place the plastic bag on a rimmed plate and place in the refrigerator for at least several hours, or even over night. And be sure to flip the bag over several times to allow the sauce to coat the chicken evenly. (The reason for putting it on a plate is to make sure no juices leak from the raw chicken and contaminate any other items in the refrigerator. Salmonella is NOT a good thing to spread around.)

When I was ready to grill, I poured the marinade from the bag into a small saucepan and I boiled it for several minutes to kill any bacteria. Then I turned the heat to simmer to reduce and thicken the sauce. When the sauce had reached the consistency I wanted, I removed the pan from the heat and set it aside while I headed to the grill.

I preheated the grill on Medium heat and I seared the chicken pieces on all sides. Legs and thighs take longer to cook than chicken breasts, and I moved the pieces from the hot part of the grill to the upper rack when they began to “burn” from the small amount of brown sugar I left in the recipe. Next time I might even reduce the brown sugar even more. Don’t walk away from the grill or this chicken will burn. (FYI…the blackened bits on this chicken did NOT taste burned.)

I removed the chicken from the grill after it was partially cooked, and I finished it on a foil lined cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes while I prepared the rest of the meal. That was a GREAT idea, since it kept the pieces from drying out. And I poured some of the reserved, boiled sauce over the pieces too.

I must say…the flavors in that marinade are amazing! Just a touch of sweetness, and that coarse ground mustard is off the charts delish.

Not a bad dinner on a beautiful winter day in the Sunshine State. 

So when grilling season arrives where you live…give this marinade a try. I think you (and your chicken) will be glad you did!

5 from 1 vote

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Marinade For Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 3 Tblsps. Whole Grain Mustard Don't substitute here!
• 3 to 5 Cloves of Garlic (Peeled and Minced)
• 1 Lemon (Juice Only)
• 2 Tblsps. Brown Sugar Maybe even less next time!
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 6 Tblsps. Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a ziplock bag and add chicken pieces. Coat evenly and place on a rimmed plate in the refrigerator for at least several hours or overnight. When ready to grill, pour marinade into a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil for a few minutes to kill any bacteria. DO NOT SKIP THIS BOILING STEP. Then turn heat down to simmer to reduce the sauce. Set aside. Next, grill chicken pieces until fully cooked and brush with the boiled sauce, OR place the partially cooked chicken in a 350 degree oven to finish cooking. Drizzle sauce over the chicken pieces in the oven or when serving. ENJOY!