A Can Of Sprite Is All You Need For A Flavorful Marinade

A good marinade is all about balance. These culinary baths for meats and veggies are generally comprised of three things: an acid, a fat, and some type of seasoning. A marinade can be sweet, savory, or a combination of both, but its ultimate goal is to tenderize and impart flavor to whatever is soaking in it. Soy sauce, Worcestershire, and vinegar are go-to ingredients to reach for, but if you are looking for an unusual meat marinade and aren't reaching for that leftover can of Sprite hiding in your fridge from a backyard party of yore, your food is missing out. 

Using soda for marinades is nothing new. In the 1950s, ham cooked in Coca-Cola became a thing, and it still persists. But Sprite is the perfect liquid to marinate your chicken, thanks to a key ingredient in this soda pop: phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid is similar to vinegar or lemon juice in that it breaks down the connective tissue in the chicken, making this meat beautifully tender and succulent. It also imparts a tangy, citrusy taste to this poultry with no need to squeeze a lime or a lemon. 

While this canned drink is going to tenderize, it is also going to sweeten your chicken. Sprite's high sugar content, which comes largely from its high-fructose corn syrup, also speeds up the caramelization process, giving it a sweet, crusty exterior and a moist interior. But Sprite alone cannot do the work. It needs some seasonings and a little oil to create a true marinade and to temper your marinade from being too sweet. 

This can come in the form of umami-packed soy sauce, oyster sauce, tangy buttermilk, or some of the aromatics, herbs, and spices tucked away in your pantry. Onion and garlic powder, along with some salt and pepper mixed in with your carbonated beverage, will help your chicken develop delicious layers of flavor as it roasts, grills, or fries. When crafting your Sprite marinade, remember that you want to stick to the basic ratio of three parts oil to one part acid to one part seasoning.

You will want to marinate your chicken for at least 30 minutes to get the benefits of this flavor soak. However, if you are going to marinate your chicken in Sprite, or any soda for that matter, make certain you do not leave it in this liquid for more than eight hours, or you may find the meat has turned mushy and unappetizing.

What if your soda is flat? That's okay. The acid and sweetener will still do their jobs to tenderize your chicken. In fact, if you want to transform it into a barbecue marinade, flat Sprite is perfect to mix with ketchup. Just mix equal parts, warm until it thickens, and you are in business to make an oven-barbecued chicken.

It's also important to remember that how you prep your chicken before you marinate matters, particularly if you are using chicken breasts. This portion of the chicken tends to be thicker than other pieces. For this reason, you should slice them in half so they are thinner. This extra step will ensure your chicken breasts get an even soak in your Sprite-based marinade along with an even bake.