Asian Chicken Marinade
This easy and versatile Asian marinade adds bold, juicy flavor to chicken for stir-fries, salads, rice, and more.
Ingredients
- 4 finely grated garlic cloves
- 1 to 1 ½ peeled, finely grated pieces of fresh ginger
- ½ peeled, finely grated shallot
- ¼ cup Soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- Juice of 1 orange, about 3 to 4 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup Neutral oil
- ¼ cup Sesame oil
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons of coarse salt
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Up to 3 pounds of chicken- breast, thighs, drums, or wings
Instructions
Bowl Procedures:
- Add all the ingredients but the oil and chicken to a medium-sized bowl.
- Next, slowly drizzle in the oil while continually whisking until it becomes emulsified.
- Add the chicken directly to the bowl and thoroughly mix, or transfer the marinade and the chicken to a resealable plastic bag and mix to combine.
- Marinate it in the fridge for 2 to 24 hours, or up to 48 hours if necessary.
Blender Procedures:
- For these procedures, use half the amount of garlic and shallots.
- Add all the ingredients but the chicken to a blender and blend on high speed until emulsified.
- Transfer the marinade to a bowl along with the chicken, and thoroughly mix, or transfer the marinade and the chicken to a resealable plastic bag and mix to combine.
- Marinate it in the fridge for 2 to 24 hours. You can possibly extend it to 48 hours if necessary.
Cooking Procedures:
- To Pan Sear: I usually use a non-stick skillet and add in 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil. Turn the heat up to medium to medium-high and then place the chicken in and cook it for about 6 to 7 minutes per side. Be sure to keep an eye on the heat; you don’t want things to burn, you want the chicken and marinade ingredients to brown up. If you notice things are browning too quickly, then turn the heat down. White chicken meat should be at 165°F before removal, and dark meat should be at 175°F before removal. Take the chicken out of the pan and rest for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.
- To Grill: Preheat the grill to medium to medium-high, which is about 325 to 350 degrees F. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side, with the grill door shut. On the first seared side, I like to give it a 90-degree rotation halfway through just to give it those coveted grill marks. Finish it up on the grill until they’re cooked through. White chicken meat should be at 165° F before removing, and dark meat should be at 175° F before removing. Take the chicken off the grill and rest for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.
Notes
The key to making the best marinated Asian chicken is to give the raw chicken a long enough soak. While a quick 30-minute soak can impart some flavor, marinating your chicken for at least 2 hours or a maximum of 48 hours ensures the savory, sweet, and citrusy notes deeply penetrate the meat.
Reduce the aromatics when blending: Remember to cut the amount of ginger, garlic, and shallot, in half when following the blender method. Blending will make these aromatics extra potent, thus making the flavors in your marinade off balance.
Experiment with add-ins: Feel free to customize the marinade with chili flakes or Sriracha for heat, sesame seeds for crunch, or a splash of fish sauce for umami. You can add lemongrass for a citrusy note or star anise for a hint of licorice flavor.
Use it as sauce: Always boil the leftover used marinade for at least 5 minutes if you plan on reusing it as a sauce. Personally, I’d rather double the marinade and set the extras aside to use as a basting or finishing sauce for the cooked chicken.
Make-Ahead: You can make the marinade up to 2 days before using it. Simply keep it in an airtight jar in the fridge until it’s time to toss it with the chicken.
How to Store: If you have extra unused marinade, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The chicken can also be refrigerated in the marinade for up to 48 hours or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Calories: 606kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 74gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 218mgSodium: 1878mgPotassium: 1326mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 104IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 2mg