This amazing chicken marinade is perfect for grilling or baking chicken thighs. It’s loaded with flavor and takes just minutes to prepare. Plus, it’s perfect for any occasion.
Say goodbye to dry and bland chicken thighs. The magic of this marinade lies in its ability to transform ordinary chicken into tender, juicy perfection. Each bite promises a succulent and delightful texture that takes your chicken game to a whole new level. This great recipe imparts so much flavor.
Asian Chicken Thigh Marinade
Using this marinate is one of my family’s favorite recipes. Every time I make this everyone is happy. It is so easy that I love it too.
The simple recipe has Asian flavors of soy sauce combined with Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup and garlic. It is a perfect balance of seasonings to bring out the best in the chicken.
Planning a dinner party or a casual get-together? This marinade is your secret weapon. It’s bound to impress your guests, turning a simple chicken dish into a culinary masterpiece. Be prepared for compliments and inquiries about your secret recipe!
What ingredients do you need to marinate chicken?
A combination of fat, sweet, and acid work the best for marinading chicken. Why? The trifecta will create delicious flavor, juicy, and tender chicken. This recipe uses lemon juice as the acid, maple syrup as the sweetness, olive oil as the fat. Add a combination of soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce for the flavoring to make this the perfect marinade. You can always dress up this recipe with other herbs and spices too.
Table of contents
Garlic Marinade Recipe for Chicken Thighs
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to add flavor to your chicken thighs, look no further than this simple marinade. If you’re a fan of garlic, you’ll love this marinade. Plus, the chicken thighs are nice and moist thanks to the marinade. Pro Tip. This marinade works for any piece of chicken: chicken breasts, boneless skinless chicken thighs, or a whole chicken.
- Olive Oil can use Avocado Oil
- Sesame Oil
- Soy Sauce
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Lemon Juice can use Lime Juice, balsamic vinegar, or rice vinegar
- Maple Syrup can use Honey, or Brown Sugar
- Garlic, Fresh minced garlic, or garlic powder
- Black Pepper
- Salt
How to Serve This Chicken Recipe?
This is delicious served with a side of rice, mashed potatoes, or cooked pasta. The marinade creates a delicious flavorful sauce that is amazing spooned over the sides. Yum! My husband makes sure to get all the sauce sopped up with his bread.
Chicken Marinade FAQ
Can you use Worcestershire sauce to marinate chicken?
Absolutely, yes! My recipe uses both Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. This enhances my chicken with a hint of salty and savory flavor. The maple syrup adds some rich sweetness and gives the chicken a bit of a crust when grilled. These ingredients work together so well to make the perfect chicken marinade.
How Long to Marinade Chicken?
You can marinate chicken from 30 minutes up to 24 hours. If you are in a hurry, you can mix up your marinade ingredients, cover the chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Put them in the oven to bake and they will have a pretty good flavor.
However, for best results, if you have the time to let them marinate for a few hours or overnight, they will have a deep flavor and the meat will be tender and juicy too.
If you plan ahead for dinner, in the morning, mix up your marinade and cover the chicken. Pop it in the refrigerator. When you are ready for dinner, cook them up by frying, baking, air frying, or grilling. Yum.
How long to cook chicken thighs?
Knowing how long to cook chicken thighs really depends on a few things. What size they are and how you are cooking them. If you plan on grilling the chicken thighs a good rule of thumb is 14-16 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Whether using bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, place them on the grill grates on direct heat for about 3 minutes. Then slip them to grill on the other side for 3 more minutes. After searing move to indirect heat to finish cooking. If you want more detail, you can find out more in this article, How Long to Cook Chicken on a Charcoal Grill.
Baking chicken thighs with the bone-in at 450 degrees Fahrenheit will take approximately 25-30 minutes to reach a safe temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the skin off and the bone out and it will take just 20-25 minutes to cook.
Want more browning and crisping on your chicken skin?
Bake on the top rack and bast at least once during cooking. This will help create that delicious crispy skin that is browned to perfection. Just 25-30 minutes at 450 degrees.
Basting Chicken Thighs. Pro Tip. If you have the time, baste the thighs in the pan juices at least once during cooking, it will keep the meat moist and help the skin brown.
How Long Should Chicken Thighs Marinate?
Minimum marinading time is 30 minutes and 24 hours is maximum marinading time. The ideal time is 4 to 8 hours. This will provide the best flavor and juiciest chicken.
Side Dishes to Serve with Baked Chicken
Pair this with a side of rice, mashed potatoes, or cooked pasta. Here are four recipes that are easy to make and pair well with baked chicken.
Amazing Marinade for Chicken Thighs Recipe
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken Thighs Bone-in Skin-on Chicken Thighs about 4 pounds
Chicken Marinade
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil can use Avocado Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice can use Lime Juice, balsamic vinegar, or rice vinegar
- 5 Tablespoons Maple Syrup can use Honey, or Brown Sugar
- 6 Cloves Garlic Minced
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a plastic bag or a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces making sure that the pieces are fully covered in the marinade.8 Chicken Thighs, 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil, 4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce, 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice, 5 Tablespoons Maple Syrup, 6 Cloves Garlic, ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper, 1 Teaspoon Salt
- Refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the chicken pieces and all the marinade to a baking dish. Bake with the skin side up uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Check with a digital thermometer and make sure that the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Baste the chicken once or twice during the cooking time to help keep the chicken pieces moist and juicy. This will also help the tops brown without drying out the meat. Cooking on the top rack of the oven will help with browning and crisping the chicken skin too.
Your Own Private Notes
Notes
Nutrition
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