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Post by roundtwo on Aug 20, 2014 20:16:21 GMT
Silly question I know but this is a new recipe and it says to "marinate chicken for minutes at room temp or up to 4 hours in the fridge". If it matters there are no unusual ingredients in the marinade, just the standard lemon juice, oil and spices.
I need it for dinner tomorrow and will be at work so I can't just do 4 hours and there are people coming shortly after I get home so I really don't want to be messing with chicken as they come to the door.
I normally marinade overnight, it's so easy to pop it in the fridge and have it ready to go when I walk in the door. I'm such a recipe follower though and these directions kind of threw me.
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akathy
What's For Dinner?
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Jun 25, 2014 22:56:55 GMT
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Post by akathy on Aug 20, 2014 20:20:09 GMT
I think you can marinate fish too long but I think pork, beef and chicken can be marinated a lot longer. I'd marinate chicken overnight no problem and have. It's been my experience that the longer you marinate things, the more tender and flavorful they get.
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Post by roundtwo on Aug 20, 2014 20:22:28 GMT
Thanks, akathy, that was my thought but as I mentioned, I have difficulty deviating from recipes. I would never make it on those Food Network cooking shows, lol!
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marianne
Pearl Clutcher
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Jun 25, 2014 21:08:26 GMT
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Post by marianne on Aug 20, 2014 20:25:58 GMT
It depends on what's in the marinade. Lemon juice, for instance. You have to be careful because it actually starts 'cooking' the meat/fish, depending on how much and how long you marinate. Other acidics - vinegar - can do the same. Just be mindful.
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Post by roundtwo on Aug 20, 2014 20:28:55 GMT
It depends on what's in the marinade. Lemon juice, for instance. You have to be careful because it actually starts 'cooking' the meat/fish, depending on how much and how long you marinate. Other acidics - vinegar - can do the same. Just be mindful. I had never heard that. Now I'm back to hesitant.  |
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Post by papersilly on Aug 20, 2014 20:31:03 GMT
I marinate meat and chicken for up to 2 days to get a good infusion of flavor. I never marinate for less than a day.
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Post by bc2ca on Aug 20, 2014 20:46:29 GMT
There really is a sweet spot in marinade time to get the most flavor, but not have the meat go mushy or tough as the acid breaks down the protein.
I'd prep everything the night before and add the lemon juice while I wait for the oven/grill to heat up.
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Post by shevy on Aug 20, 2014 21:13:30 GMT
There really is a sweet spot in marinade time to get the most flavor, but not have the meat go mushy or tough as the acid breaks down the protein. I'd prep everything the night before and add the lemon juice while I wait for the oven/grill to heat up. Take it from me, the lemon juice does what bc2ca says. I marinated chicken breasts in a greek marinate with lemons for 24 hours. The chicken wasn't pink any longer, it was a weird white shade and rubbery. It was still rubbery when it grilled up and never crusted up like it should have. |
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Post by Basket1lady on Aug 20, 2014 21:21:31 GMT
How much lemon juice is in the recipe? I have a recipe that calls for two tablespoons and it's just fine. I even freeze the chicken in the marinade. But any more lemon than that and I think overnight would be to long to marinate the chicken; it would start to break down.
Have the marinade made up and the chicken prepped. Combine them just before you leave in the morning or just when you (or the first person home) walks in the door.
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Post by roundtwo on Aug 20, 2014 21:29:19 GMT
I did not know how the lemon (I assume it is the acid) affected chicken until this thread - thank you so much for the advice and knowledge! There is a half cup of lemon juice, so a fair bit. I am going to do as suggested and put them in the marinade in the morning. Thanks again for the help!!!  |
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Post by anxiousmom on Aug 20, 2014 21:32:18 GMT
It is fairly common around here to make ceviche, which is seafood that is "cooked" in lemon or lime juice.
I would think that the same mechanism that allows the seafood to "cook" in the citrus juices would do the same to poultry and/or meat.
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Post by jmurray on Aug 20, 2014 21:43:05 GMT
Same thing applies to any marinade that contains yoghurt or other milk based products. The meat starts to break down. So if you're marinating chicken in a tandoori yoghurt mix you really should keep that to no more than an hour, or else the chicken will start to look fluffy / grainy.
But if there's no acid or milk then it's safe for a day or two.
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