After dozens of absolutely delicious chicken recipes, we can tell you for sure that a well-cooked chicken doesn't compare to a chicken that has been well-cooked and marinated beforehand. And it's easy to imagine how chicken kept in well-thought-out spice mixtures has a richer taste and stronger flavors than chicken put directly into a pan or baking tray. This is also the case for marinated chicken thighs, which will turn out much tastier than thighs that haven't sat in a chicken meat marinade beforehand.
Marinated chicken is easy to prepare and cook, and much easier to enjoy with your loved ones. All you need to do is carefully choose the ingredients and follow certain preparation steps. Before we reveal how to marinate chicken drumsticks, however, we will tell you a little about what marinating chicken entails, as well as the reasons why it is advisable to marinate chicken meat.
What does marinating chicken meat involve?
Marinating the chicken refers to the process of keeping the chicken meat in the refrigerator, under vacuum, for at least two hours, in a combination of ingredients belonging to different categories:
- An acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice or vinegar;
- A fatty ingredient, like any type of oil;
- Season to taste, such as herbs or powders;
- Optionally, enzyme-type ingredients that thin the marinade, such as honey or yogurt.
Why marinate chicken?
Marinating has the role of giving the chicken meat an extraordinary flavor, which you cannot obtain without leaving the meat to marinate. If you hurriedly chose the chicken thighs for dinner, then maybe you should leave the marinating for another occasion, but you will certainly lose some of the taste and flavor of the dish.
In addition, preparing the marinade takes just a few minutes to mix the ingredients and at least two hours to let the mixture soak into the chicken. The purpose of marinating is so that, when the chicken drumstick recipe is finished, you can enjoy a richer flavor, whether you’re grilling, pan-frying, or baking the drumsticks.
Ingredients for marinating chicken meat
Chicken marinade is a blend of oils, spices, and acids that acts on the meat. For an average amount of about 6 chicken thighs, the spices should be used in amounts of one teaspoon each, the liquids around 3 tablespoons, while half a teaspoon of salt will be enough. Here are the ingredients you will need for the tastiest chicken marinade:
- Fragedo skin-on chicken drumsticks;
- 1 cup of plain yogurt;
- 1 teaspoon of oregano;
- 1 teaspoon of mint;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- Grated zest from one lemon;
- Salt and pepper, to taste;
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil;
- Freshly chopped parsley.
How do we marinate chicken thighs?
Now that you have all the ingredients on hand for this delicious chicken marinade, we will show you how we marinate the chicken drumsticks in the simplest and tastiest way possible:
1. Mix the ingredients
Given that the marinade for the chicken thighs includes garlic, it will need to be minced for a more intense flavor. Start mixing the ingredients with the dry spices, then you can continue with salt and pepper, after which you can add the yogurt, minced garlic, lemon zest, and green parsley. Leave the olive oil for the end.
2. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade
Add the Fragedo chicken thighs to the mixture and make sure the marinade is evenly distributed over the entire surface of the thighs. Of course, if you’re using a different type of marinade, you can brush the mixture onto all sides of the chicken using a pastry brush, then wrap the chicken in aluminum foil and refrigerate it.
3. Empty the bowl containing the chicken thighs and place the marinade in the refrigerator
We chose to add the chicken thighs to the marinade, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and put everything in the refrigerator for at least two hours. The average duration of a successful marination is between 2 and 12 hours, so you don't need to worry if you left the chicken thighs in the fridge.
This is how you will get some tender and tasty marinated drumsticks, no matter how you choose to prepare them further. We chose to transfer the chicken drumsticks and marinade to a heat-resistant dish and cook them for 45 minutes in the oven preheated to 170 degrees Celsius. The result was savory!
Useful tips for marinating chicken thighs
Next, we will also offer you some useful tips on preparing and cooking the marinated chicken, to make sure you get the most appetizing and tasty chicken drumsticks. Here are our recommendations:
- Don't forget to always cover the bowl of marinade and the chicken thighs with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, because vacuum-marinating tends to open up the pores of the chicken, which allows the flavors to penetrate more deeply;
- Marinate the chicken thighs in glass or plastic containers and avoid using metal, as some ingredients may alter their flavors when they come into contact with it;
- If you make a marinade using ingredients other than those listed, and the recipe isn’t baked in the oven, avoid using the mixture as a sauce, since it hasn’t been cooked and could lead to food poisoning;
- Don't put just any marinated chicken thighs on the grill. For example, sugar and honey burn very easily and can affect the taste and appearance of the chicken thighs.
Marinated chicken thigh recipe ideas
Here are a few recipe ideas featuring marinated chicken thighs that you can try. Of course, the marinade will vary depending on the type of recipe:
- Coq au vin;
- Tuscan chicken;
- Chicken with chili pepper jam;
- Chicken with horseradish and sour cream;
- Chicken with coconut milk.
Marinated meat works wonders with chicken thighs—and not just them. Keep our tips and recommendations for marinating chicken in mind and enjoy the delicious flavors it brings out in the meat. From now on, chicken thigh recipes are sure to be your family’s favorites.
