Easy Chicken Marinades For The Summer Season
The last thing you want to do on a beautiful summer day is be stuck in the kitchen preparing while the rest of the family is outside having fun. Quick and simple is the key for cooking in the warm months and nothing is easier for summer meals than marinating some PERDUE® chicken and cooking it on the grill.
PERDUE® offers a selection of chicken products with no antibiotics ever that are perfect for summer barbecuing and chicken marinades are perfect way to go for your backyard gatherings.
Get Your Chicken Ready
To make sure you have time to be with your guests, have your chicken prepared the night before or morning of your barbecue. Remove the skin on chicken pieces for healthier meals, or purchase PERDUE'S® boneless and skinless thighs or breasts to save time.
Tip: If you are on a budget, purchase a whole chicken and clean and cut it up in advance. Then you can freeze the pieces in a sealable plastic bag. Just defrost the chicken before placing it in the marinade.
Keep It Simple
The best thing about chicken marinating for the summer season is that there are no rules. You can turn any of your favorite flavors into a marinade. Just put your chicken in a layer in a non-metal container or pan (metal can alter the marinade). *
For a marinade you can use any combination of these ingredients. Experiment and use your imagination.
- Barbecue Sauce
- Olive Oil
- Salad Dressing
- Wine
- Fruit Juice
- Herbs
- Salt (try different types of salt
You can also purchase prepared marinades in your supermarket, but be sure to check the ingredients so you don't end up putting your PERDUE® no antibiotics ever chicken into a sauce filled with excess salt, sugar, or chemicals.
*If you prefer to put the chicken in a sealable plastic bag with the marinade, be sure to seal it and turn it a few times so the liquid is distributed before placing it in the refrigerator.
Practice Safe Grilling
Once your marinade is on the chicken in a container, make sure it is sealed and put it into the refrigerator. If you are marinating overnight, you might want to turn the chicken in the morning so that both sides get covered in the sauce. Just remember that any forks or spatulas used on raw chicken need to go straight into the dishwasher or get hand washed immediately.
Whether you are preparing or grilling PERDUE® chicken, NEVER use a utensil or container on raw chicken also on cooked chicken. The same is true for the marinade. Dispose of the marinade used to soak the raw chicken. If you want some more moisture on your chicken as you grill, use fresh liquid that has never touched uncooked chicken.
Chicken Grilling Tips
PERDUE'S® line of No Antibiotics Ever chicken products and marinade make a perfect summer grilling pair without any fuss. You can dress up your chicken dinner platters with fruits and vegetables. Simply throw them on the grill for a few minutes to bring out the flavor.
Serve your chicken with a salad or baked potatoes, another simple summer grilling idea that's quick and easy if you prepare them in advance, wrap them in aluminum foil, and put them on the grill before the chicken.
Marcia Frost has been compensated by Perdue for her advice and honest opinions in this article.