Chicken Marinade

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 lime – juice only
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 3 to 4 lbs chicken

Instructions:

• 1- Whisk all ingredients for the sauce in a mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
• 2- Place chicken inside a durable zip-top bag and pour the marinade into the bag with chicken. Get air out of the bag and zip it closed.
• 3- Lay the bag on its side inside a rimmed baking dish or another container and place it in the refrigerator. Let it marinate for 4-6 hours or overnight.

Cooking chicken on the grill:

• 1- Clean and set up the grill for two temperature zones. Preheat the grill first for about 10 minutes over medium heat. Take the chicken out of the marinade and spray it with some cooking spray on all sides. (Don’t spray or oil hot grill, it can cause flare-ups.)
• 2- Place chicken over direct heat. Let it cook for a few minutes on both sides and then move it over to the cooler side to finish cooking if needed. Bone-in chicken will need more time and will most likely need to be moved to the cooler side, while chicken breast is fine to cook over direct heat.
• 3- Use a digital read thermometer to check if chicken is done. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165°. (Check the temperature in the center of the thickest part of the chicken.)

Baking chicken in the oven:

• 1- Preheat the oven to 450° if cooking chicken breast or 425° if cooking bone in chicken. Cover a heavy rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease it.
• 2- Take chicken out of the marinade and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Make sure to leave some space between each piece of chicken.
• Breast – Bake chicken breasts at 450°for 14-18 minutes, depending on the thickness of chicken.
• Bone-In chicken – For bone-in chicken, bake at 425° for 25 minutes, flip each piece over, and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Use a digital read thermometer to check if the chicken is at 165°.

Cooking chicken in a pan:

• 1- Preheat a cooking pan over medium heat until hot and add a couple of tablespoons of oil. Take chicken out of the marinade and add it to the hot pan.
• 2- Breast – Cook chicken breasts on one side for about 5-7 minutes, depending on the size. Don’t move or touch the chicken until ready to flip. Flip chicken and cook on the other side for another 5-7 minutes. Use a digital read thermometer to check if the chicken is at 165°.
• 3- Bone-In chicken thighs – preheat the pan to medium and add some oil. Place chicken thighs in the pan skin side down first and cook for 15-20 minutes. Turn them over and cook another 10-15 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°.
• 4- Chicken drumsticks – To cook chicken drumsticks in the pan, cook them over medium heat and turn them a quarter of the way every 10 minutes or so. Again, internal temperature of the chicken when done is 165°.

To make sauce out of leftover marinade:

• 1- Pour the marinade into a sauce pot and simmer it over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Make sure to stir from time to time.
• 2- You can use the sauce to brush the chicken while it’s grilling or to top off cooked chicken.

source:willcookforsmiles.com