The Ultimate Marinade

Chicken

This sweet, savory, garlicky marinade is my favorite for grilling season. It creates juicy, flavorful chicken, steak, and pork with ingredients I almost always have on hand. Make a batch ahead of time and let the marinade do all the work for an easy, delicious meal.

Ingredients

4–6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 2–3 pounds of steak or pork)

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

⅓ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce

¼ cup honey (or hot honey for a little kick)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

6 garlic cloves, minced

½ large yellow onion, roughly chopped

1 large knob fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

Directions
  1. Place the meat in a large zip-top bag or shallow dish.
  2. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, onion, and ginger to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
  3. Pour the marinade over the meat, making sure it is evenly coated. Seal the bag (or cover the dish) and refrigerate.
  4. For chicken, marinate for at least 6 hours, but 24 hours is ideal. For beef or pork, marinate for 24–48 hours for maximum flavor and tenderness.
  5. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 20–30 minutes before grilling.
  6. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates.
  7. Grill the meat until cooked to your desired doneness. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
  8. Let the meat rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing and serving.