Fresh garlic seems like an obvious ingredient for chicken marinade, but it can create a problem once the chicken reaches a hot grill. Small pieces that cling to the surface can scorch before the meat finishes cooking.
I started using garlic powder instead. It mixes through the marinade without leaving chopped garlic stuck to the chicken, so I still get garlic flavor without as many burnt bits on the outside.
Garlic Powder Distributes Through the Marinade
Fresh minced garlic doesn't disappear into a marinade. Pieces remain suspended in the liquid and can stick to the chicken when it comes out of the bag.
Garlic powder disperses through the mixture, making it a useful choice when the chicken will cook over direct heat. The chicken marinade from Mom On Timeout uses garlic powder for this reason, noting that fresh garlic can burn on the grill.
That doesn't mean fresh garlic has no place in marinades. For grilled chicken, though, powder removes the pieces most prone to scorching.
Build the Marinade Around Oil and Acid
Garlic powder is only one part of the mixture. The marinade combines extra-virgin olive oil with balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, rosemary, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
Oil coats the chicken while balsamic vinegar and lemon juice bring acidity. Soy and Worcestershire add savory flavor, while brown sugar balances the sharper ingredients.
Everything gets whisked together before the chicken goes in.
Reserve Some Marinade Before Adding Raw Chicken
One step needs to happen before the chicken touches the marinade.
Set aside about half a cup of the fresh mixture first. That portion can be used for basting during cooking because it hasn't been in contact with raw poultry.
Pour the rest over the chicken in a resealable bag, seal it, and work the marinade around the meat. The recipe calls for at least 30 minutes of marinating and up to 24 hours.
Let Excess Marinade Drip Off Before Grilling
Heat the grill to medium-high, oil the grates, then remove the chicken from the bag and let excess marinade drip away.
Leaving a heavy coating on the surface can encourage ingredients in the marinade to char before the chicken is done. Use the clean portion you reserved earlier when you want to baste as it cooks.
Chicken should reach 165°F at the thickest part before coming off the grill. Let it rest for at least five minutes before slicing.
Fresh garlic still goes into plenty of dishes I cook, but grilled chicken marinade is one place where garlic powder makes sense. I get the garlic flavor throughout the marinade without sending little pieces of minced garlic onto a hot grill.
Do you use fresh garlic or garlic powder in chicken marinade?
Leave a Reply