What to do with 40 pounds of Chicken! PART TWO-Marinading

This "article" will be about marinading your chicken.  I have found several recipes for marinades that look awesome.  I am really excited to try some of them out when my chicken comes in!  :)  They are listed below.

To marinade your chicken, you will need plenty of gallon size freezer bags and a good amount of space in your freezer (enough to put a cookie sheet with bags of chicken and marinade stacked on it).

Choose the recipes that you would like to make.  After you make the recipe, label your freezer bag with what the marinade is, how it is to be served (salad, kabobs, with rice, etc.) if you want, and the date.  Prick whole chicken a few times with a fork to allow the marinades to penetrate the meat.  If you are making strips or cubes of chicken, this isn't as important because they are smaller "cuts."  Combine the chicken breasts and the marinade in the freezer bag(s) and knead the meat to circulate the marinade.  Put the bag into another freezer bag to make sure it doesn't leak all over your refrigerator when it defrosts.

Lay bags flat on a cookie sheet.  You can stack the bags on top of each other if you would like.  Doing this causes the bags to freeze in a way that is easy to stack.  You can also use old cereal boxes and put a bag in the box and freeze it.  Then remove the box and you have a square frozen block.  Place the pan (or boxes) in the freezer.  When frozen, you can remove the pan and/or boxes and put them in the freezer any way you would like. 

When you are ready to use the chicken, defrost it in the refrigerator.  Put the bags in a pot or pan just in case there is a leak in both bags.  Use thawed chicken within two days.  Discard the marinade or boil it for 5 minutes and use as a sauce.  NEVER eat uncooked marinade.

Some other marinading tips from about.com:

• Reduce oil in the marinade for more flavor. The best marinade (unlike the best salad dressing) is about half oil and half acid. 

• Use fresh herbs whenever possible. If you are using dried herbs, crush them between your fingers to release aromatic oils before adding to the marinade. 

• To cook marinated chicken, just lift out of the marinade and place on the grill or pan. Don't rinse or dry with paper towels. 

• You can brush some of the marinade on the chicken as it cooks, but be sure to stop adding uncooked marinade 3-5 minutes before cooking time ends for food safety reasons. 

Here some marinading recipes.  If you have any to add, please do!  Put your recipe in the comments section.  I would love to try it out!


Basic Marinade For Chicken (from allrecipes.com)

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced fresh parsley

 Citrus Chicken Marinade (from Cooks.com)

• 1/2 cup orange juice (juice of 1 orange)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (juice of 2 lemons)
• 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage or several leaves fresh, chopped
• 1 1/2 inch section fresh ginger, peeled, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• a few drops of Tabasco or 1/4 teaspoon hot salt

Jack Daniel' BBQ Chicken Marinade (from chickenmarinades.net)

• 1 1/2 cups of olive oil
• 3/4 cups of soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons of dry mustard
• 2 teaspons of salt
• 1/2 cup of Jack Daniel’s whiskey
• 1 tablespoon of black pepper
• 1/2 cup of wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup of lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of parsley
• 3 clove of minced garlic

Amazing Chicken Marinade (from food.com)

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• ground black pepper

Refreshing Lemon and Herb Chicken Marinade (from chickenmarinades.net)

• 1/2 an onion
• 3 teaspoons of oregano
• 3 teaspoons of thyme
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup of lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of oilve oil

Chicken Fajita Marinade (from allrecipes.com)

• 1/4 cup beer
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt to taste

South-East Asian Marinade (from chickenmarinades.net)

• 2 sticks of lemon grass, finely chopped
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 red chillies, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2.5 cm/ 1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons soft dark brown sugar
• 2 tablesoons chopped fresh coriander
• 150 ml/ quarter pint coconut milk

Balsamic Marinade (light)  (from food.com)

• 1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh pepper
• 2 garlic, minced

Citrus Spice Caribbean/Cuban Marinade (from food.com)

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 -4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 dash ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Hawaiian Chicken Marinade (from chickenmarinades.net)

• 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 3 tablepsoons of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup or 190mls or pineapple juice
• 1/4 tablespoons of sherry
• 1/4 cup or 60mls of soy sauce

Honey and Orange Marinade (from chickenmarinades.com)

• 2.5cm/ 1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and very finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• Finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honeyG

Greek Chicken Marinade (from food.com)

• 1 cup olive oil (or use 1/2 cup each vegetable oil and oilive oil)
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 -2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or 1 teaspoon mustard powder)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper (or use 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper)
• 1 -2 teaspoon honey (do not substitute sugar for the honey!) or 1 -2 teaspoon pure maple syrup (do not substitute sugar for the honey!)

Finger Lickin' Chicken Marinade (from food.com)

• 1 cup oil
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Miracle Whip or 2 tablespoons Miracle Whip light or 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise 
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon salt (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons thyme
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt

Chicken Tikka Kebabs (from chickenmarinades.net)

• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2.5cm/ 1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 150ml/ quarter pint natural yoghurt
• 1-2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Half teaspoon turmeric
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon salt

Honey Peanut Chicken Marinade (from food.com)

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon ground allspice

Tandoori Chicken Marinade (from about.com)

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or malt vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon peeled and grated or crushed ginger root
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Sweet and Sour Chicken Marinade (from food.com)

• 3/4 cup oil
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried ginger
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• salt and pepper  

Apple and Honey Mustard Marinade (from about.com)

• 1/3 cup apple jelly
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

"Make Ahead" Marinade (from food.com)

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt