This weekend I am taking a platter of chicken over to a friend's. We're having a good old-fashioned cook-out, and I am already thinking of moist, flavorful grilled chicken. I have my eye on a couple of recipes, but I'd love to know: What do you think are the best recipes for marinades or glazes for tender grilled chicken?
Here are a few recipes that I have been considering:
• Rosemary, honey, and mustard marinade at MyRecipes
• Jerk chicken marinade at Epicurious - This crowd isn't afraid of heat, so some spice might be nice.
• Chicken with Sriracha glaze - at MyRecipes
But what is your favorite, most trustworthy marinade or glaze for grilled chicken? Do you have any tips on getting the perfect flavor and texture?
Related: Kitchen Magic: How to Cook Moist and Tender Chicken Breasts
(Image: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr for Cooking Light)
Straw Mat from The ...

I love using thawed orange juice concentrate with a bit of fresh lemon juice, orange juice & salt. Throw in some fresh herbs (rosemary or tarragon work well) & your set!
Also, The Homesick Texan's Dr. Pepper glaze is fantastic & I'm sure it would be delicious on chicken. Here's the recipe: http://www.clovesandcream.com/2009/07/fourth-of-july-feast-rubbed-bbq-ribs.html
we love this tandoori style chicken marinade from about.com - and it is divine when grilled but works ok in the broiler pan too. My boyfriend is indian and says it is very authentic and is one of the best tandoori recipies he has had since he came to america. we first found it on about.com and later found out it is from Savoring India by Julie Sahni for Williams Sonoma. We bought the book and it is an amazing resource of recipes and technique.
we like it very spicy so we usually add extra spices, about 1.5x what is called for.
about.com recipe: http://homecooking.about.com/od/chickenrecipes/r/blchicken2.htm
Book: http://www.amazon.com/Savoring-India-Recipes-Reflections-Williams-Sonoma/dp/084873162X
I had to make a large batch of drumettes a few weeks ago without the time to make my own sauce. I ended up periodically basting them with Mrs Dash Apple Mesquite sauce. It was incredible. You could reverse engineer your own if you really want to make your own version.
This is the one i've been using lately- it's super easy and it's my aunt's. I usually end up marinating it for a few hours. You can heat it on the stove if you don't have a microwave, which is what I do.
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
Salt
Pepper
Ground allspice
Combine ingredients in a glass mixing cup or a stainless steel saucepan and bring to a boil. Heat for about one minute (I do 1 minute at power level 8 in the microwave). Pour over the meat (chicken, beef or pork) and let sit for 15 minutes or longer. Broil, BBQ, Roast or fry the meat. Baste with marinade until cooked. Serve marinade as a sauce.
I just copied and pasted that from an email she sent me, and it looks like she forgot to include the ginger, which should be about 1/2 a tbsp grated.
Definitely this recipe for spicy honey chicken, which has been dubbed "magic chicken" around the vicinity of my back yard:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1591042
It says to broil them, which is good, but the real magic happens on the grill.
lime juice, sesame oil, grater ginger, grated garlic and some ground pepper.
Will give a nice tangy summer flavor. Made it this past weekend with grilled corn.
Sorry forgot Worcestershire sauce too.
An Asian marinade from Anne Lindsay's Lighthearted cookbook: black bean sauce, soy sauce, honey, fresh ginger (am I missing something...?).
Also, I've made Filipino Adobo chicken, marinating it in the vinegar marinade and then grilling, and it has been awesome.
greek yogurt, cumin, lemon juice, hot sauce, evoo, garlic. YUM.
Equal parts dijon mustard and honey, mixed together and brushed on the chicken. Careful, though - the honey causes flareups on the grill, but its worth it!
I usually go for a classic bbq sauce, like this one http://bit.ly/rHr4Q
For dark meat, I love John Ash's Moroccan marinade more than anything else except the occasional barbecue-style
:
For about 3/4 cups of marinade:
2 tsp. toasted coriander (I just use ground, but if you have the means, toast the whole spices and then grind)
2 tsp. toasted cumin (^ditto^)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, mint, parsley, or your preferred mix between the 3
1/2 tsp. ground ginger (better to use a tablespoon of fresh, grated ginger, but I just don't like the stuff)
2 tbs. chopped garlic
2 tsp. sweet paprika
2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice, or a mix of lemon and lime
3 tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1 tbs. sugar
2 tsp. bottled hot pepper sauce (more or less to taste; I like Cholula)
Put everything into a food processor or blender and blend till smooth. This is a perfect time for using a mason jar on your blender. Store in the fridge up to 3 days.
Good for about a pound and a half of legs/thighs.
Spicy Grilled Citrus Chicken - an old recipe of my dad's that has long been a family favorite!
Check it out here: http://lauraxlei.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/spicy-grilled-citrus-chicken/
I recently made a batch of rhubarb syrup, and gave it to a friend who is an amazing chef, he used it as a glaze while cooking, but the key is to put it on at the end. It is amazing
My family likes the marniade below which I got out of a newpaper for a ranching community. It's intended for flank steak, but we like it on chicken, and pork. It seems to work best when only marinated for a few hours.
Teriyaki Steak Marinade
1 cup beef broth
1/3 cup soy sauce
¾ teaspoons season salt (ie Lawry’s)
¼ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lime juice
½ cup brown sugar
Hands down - Tequila Glazed chicken with Jalapeno, made with chicken thighs and cooked on the BBQ. Great flavor, not too hot but still had a nice kick - very light tequila flavor.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tequila-Glazed-Chicken-with-Jalapeno-239067
Great with a cold sweetish macaroni salad (recipe here http://community.tasteofhome.com/forums/p/608728/5067720.aspx) and fresh steamed corn.
Made this a couple of weeks ago and it was spectacular.
BTW, I made that Epicurious Jerk Chicken recipe this last Monday. If you make it, be careful about the heat. I used 1/2 of a habandero and it was HOT HOT HOT (and I can usually take a lot of heat). I also found it a little heavy handed on the allspice for my taste.