Everything You Need To Know Before Marinating Chicken For The First Time

A simple marinade can transform a plain chicken breast into a flavorful, juicy meal worthy of a restaurant dining room. There are many different ways to create the absolute best marinated chicken, so it's easy to feel overwhelmed if you're tackling the task for the first time. There are a few things to consider before diving right in, but the process is pretty straightforward once you know a few simple tips and tricks. The first thing you need to think about? The fact that chicken is not the same as red meat.

"Chicken is more delicate and absorbs flavors faster than red meat," chef Courtney Luna, author of the bestselling cookbook "Carnivore in the Kitchen: A Fresh and Fun Approach to Meat-Based Meals," told Tasting Table. "Chicken marinades should focus on adding flavor, while red meats often aim for tenderization." So, while a slow-roasted rib roast or a slow cooker birria recipe would benefit from an hours-long wait time, this isn't always the case with chicken. "Over-marinating in acidic ingredients, such as vinegar and citrus, can make chicken mushy," Chef Luna said. A good rule of thumb? "Marinate for at least 30 minutes but no more than 12 hours," she says.

If you're worried that this won't be enough time for the meat to absorb the flavors of your marinade, Luna has a recommendation. "For a deeper flavor, make small cuts in the chicken or pierce [it] with a fork before marinating," she said. This trick works especially well for oil-based marinades, but it will help vinegar and buttermilk-based marinades soak up more flavor, too. 

No matter what type of marinade you opt for, you want to lift the chicken out of it and discard the remainder before cooking in the interest of food safety. Chef Luna also suggests patting the chicken dry with a paper towel after it's finished marinating to "help with browning." This will create a gorgeous, caramelized crust around the edges of the chicken, especially if it's pan-fried or roasted. Try it out with a roasted lemon chicken recipe or this expertly-marinated baked chicken and we promise you'll never look back.