Asian Chicken Marinade

There are marinades that are just fine, marinades you never want to make again, and then there are the ones that immediately earn a spot in the repeat rotation. This one? Definitely a repeat.

This chicken wasn't even on my menu for the week. I had a chicken breast sitting in the fridge that needed to be used, so I figured I'd throw it in this marinade and save it for lunch the next day. But once I started thinking about it, I decided to just make it for dinner and worry about tomorrow's lunch when tomorrow actually got here. Honestly, I wish I’d had a couple of chicken breasts ready to go because I would have happily marinated both.

There was, however, one little detail in the recipe that I completely overlooked. The marinade is supposed to be cooked before it goes on the chicken. I didn't realize this until I had already mixed everything together and poured it over the chicken.

Then I spotted the cornstarch.

"Wait...what's THAT for?"

A quick reread of the recipe answered my question. Ahhh. The cornstarch and water were meant to be added after the marinade was cooked, turning it into a thicker, stickier sauce.

Well...too late.

I skipped the cornstarch and water entirely and just used the marinade as-is. And you know what? I'm actually glad I did. The chicken turned out great, and I don't think I needed a thick, sticky coating on it anyway. Sometimes accidentally ignoring part of a recipe works out just fine.

Asian Chicken Marinade

Recipe from Oh Sweet Basil

Serves 4

• 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
• 2 teaspoons Ground Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 6 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon Sweet Chili Sauce, found in the international section of the grocery store
• ⅔ Cup Soy Sauce, reduced sodium
• ⅔ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• ⅔ Cup Honey
• ⅔ Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon Water
• 4 Chicken Breasts

Make the Sauce: Whisk all the ingredients for the sauce together in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it comes to a boil. When it starts to boil, whisk in the cornstarch and water mixture. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until thickened. Then let it cool completely.

Marinate the Chicken: Once the sauce is cool, pour half of it over the chicken in a ziploc bag. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Reserve the other half of the sauce for later.

Grill the Chicken: Heat a grill to medium-high heat, then add the chicken and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 5-6 minutes then flip and grill for 5-6 minutes more.

Marinate for at least 1 hour, but for best flavor, let it sit for 4–12 hours. You can marinate overnight for even deeper flavor.