Marinate Your Chicken With A Pantry Free-For-All

What's for dinner tonight? If you're like most people, that's a question that stumps you on a nightly basis. You don't want to order out every night, but sometimes it's hard to come up with something new and exciting to make at home. However, with a little creativity, you can whip up a delicious chicken marinade using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

Coming up with a tasty and unique marinade can take some time and experimentation, but it's definitely worth the effort. And it really is as simple as opening up your pantry to find what you have on hand and what might go well together. Maybe you have a pineapple that is just about to go bad but could actually be used to tenderize your chicken in a marinade. Perhaps you have a bunch of soy sauce packets from takeout sushi that you don't know what to do with. You might even have just a splash of bourbon left over from a weekend spent with friends that could give your chicken a bit of smoky flavor. (Honestly, those three ingredients could make a great marinade when combined!) 

Ideally, your marinade will want to have a fat, an acid, and some sort of flavoring elements (via The Protopantry). With that in mind, though, no matter what you have in your pantry, the key to making a delicious chicken marinade is to experiment and see what works.

You don't have to be a chef to create a delicious marinade at home. Some simple ingredients to get you started might include soy sauce, olive oil, garlic powder, ginger, or honey. Simply combine your ingredients in a dish or Ziplock bag, mix them together, and let the chicken soak in that delicious marinade. An effective chicken marinade should take no longer than two hours to be effective (via The Protopantry). If you're short on time, a 30-minute marinade should do the trick.

If you want to get really creative with your marinades, try experimenting with different herbs and spices that you have. Consider adding balsamic vinegar or lemon juice to give your chicken a tangy flavor. Or, try layering your marinade with different sweet and savory flavors, like honey and soy sauce or brown sugar and lemon zest. That leftover sriracha packet you have in the drawer? Toss it in with your chicken and see how the spiciness melds with the rest of the flavors.

Making your own marinade is a great way to add some fun to your dinnertime routine. Involve your family in the process and see who can come up with the most creative combination! As an added benefit, a pantry free-for-all can also help you save money on groceries (via Money Crashers). By only using ingredients that you already have, you can save money and avoid having to run out to the store when a last-minute dinner idea pops into your head.