All Call: Chicken Marinade

[rvachewlover]

For the past two years when we have company over and we're preparing dinner I choose to go with a local favorite. I marinate the leg quarters typically for 12 hours and grill them on the second rack of the WSM for 45 minutes, flipping at 20 and 40. I start skin side up so that I can finish with a good kiss by the flames as the fat hits the live coals (no water pan inserted). It's a good recipe and good meal. I believe my biggest mistake is that I don't put any rub on the chicken and thus you have a bland piece of meat unless you get hit by a pocket of the marinade or some skin.

However, good is the enemy of great. Does anyone have any suggestions to kick up the recipe or your own to share? I'm going to start doing bone in chicken thighs as an experiment (cooking in the same barbecue/pit style) but want to try assorted marinades and ideas to find something killer.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

You could try adding about 3 Tbs of rub to a 1/4 cup of melted butter and work the mixture under the skin. You can inject the same mixture above or even your favorite marinade into the pieces of chicken too.
Injecting will deliver flavor deeper into the meat.

 

[tallbm]

For the past two years when we have company over and we're preparing dinner I choose to go with a local favorite. I marinate the leg quarters typically for 12 hours and grill them on the second rack of the WSM for 45 minutes, flipping at 20 and 40. I start skin side up so that I can finish with a good kiss by the flames as the fat hits the live coals (no water pan inserted). It's a good recipe and good meal. I believe my biggest mistake is that I don't put any rub on the chicken and thus you have a bland piece of meat unless you get hit by a pocket of the marinade or some skin.

However, good is the enemy of great. Does anyone have any suggestions to kick up the recipe or your own to share? I'm going to start doing bone in chicken thighs as an experiment (cooking in the same barbecue/pit style) but want to try assorted marinades and ideas to find something killer.

Does your marinade have salt?

If you HAVE salt in the marinade then no need to add any more if it is sufficient.
Pull your chicken out of the marinade and don't bother rinsing.
Season with a light-med coating of each Pepper, Onion powder, and Garlic Powder on both sides of the chicken. (This is POG)
This alone will solve your flavor problem provided your salt content is good from your marinade. You will be amazed at the flavor.

If NO Salt in the marinade then simply season with Salt then season with the POG like mentioned above. Dark meat chicken is super simple like this so experiment away and honestly you can almost not put too much POG so don't worry about those 3 seasonings. Just make sure you don't over Salt.

Welcome to the seasoning world of SPOG :D

I hope this info helps.

 

[chopsaw]

First I'll say I didn't read all of the above , but I've been doing the Dr. Bakers chicken thing . It's a sticky at the top of the poultry forum . Not sure if that fits what you're doing or not , but the smell that comes off the drippings hitting the coals brings the neighbors out of the house .

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

I really want to try out the Dr. Bakers method. That is on my to do list.

I just mentioned in a different thread about a chicken marinade. I use cheap store brand zesty Italian, some low sodium soy sauce, a little Worcestershire, garlic powder, and black pepper. Make a little extra and baste each flip on the grill. The smell is amazing and the chicken is always moist with great flavor!

 

[rvachewlover]

First I'll say I didn't read all of the above , but I've been doing the Dr. Bakers chicken thing . It's a sticky at the top of the poultry forum . Not sure if that fits what you're doing or not , but the smell that comes off the drippings hitting the coals brings the neighbors out of the house .

Dr. Baker's chicken is the original recipe and the linked recipe is essentially the same without the egg. Perhaps that would make a difference. Seems like the egg would help the mixture to adhere and probably bolster flavor. I also see that Jeff has a recipe in which he uses mayonnaise with his rub. I'm sure it's the same concept.

 

[bill ace 350]

Have you tried the original Cornell recipe?

 

[chopsaw]

Have you tried the original Cornell recipe?

I think that's the one I used .
It had eggs in it .

 

[bill ace 350]

I think that's the one I used .
It had eggs in it .

Eggs, vinegar, oil, poultry seasoning, salt if memory serves me.

 

[chopsaw]

Eggs, vinegar, oil, poultry seasoning, salt if memory serves me.

I used the Dr. Bakers chicken recipe from the link / sticky .

 

[gmc2003]

However, good is the enemy of great. Does anyone have any suggestions to kick up the recipe or your own to share? I'm going to start doing bone in chicken thighs as an experiment (cooking in the same barbecue/pit style) but want to try assorted marinades and ideas to find something killer.

Two thoughts come to mind. First you can trim your finger nails(don't ask) and put your rub under the skin as well as on top of the skin, or you can toss the chicken in your marinade after it's cooked. I do this when I make teriyaki chicken or Franks and butter chicken. .

Chris