The Best Liquid Base For Your Chicken Marinade Is Already In Your Fridge

Well, well, well. If it isn't time for dinner. Again. Just when it feels like you unlidded one of your finest one-pot meals only moments ago, it is almost always, somehow, time for a do-over. And while some nights call for something like Julia Child's favorite coq au vin, others, well, don't. So if you're wondering how to wing it when the night's menu necessitates a simpler chicken dish, Chowhound plucked some exclusive cooking tips from Matt Abdoo, executive chef and co-founder of Pig Beach BBQ, with locations in NYC, Boston, and Florida. And if you've got both chicken and an equally everyday drink in your kitchen, you're well on your way to a recipe.

Unexpectedly, Abdoo suggests making a chicken marinade with a sweet-and-sour beverage as your base. "Lemonade has everything you want in a good marinade base, especially if you add a bit of salt," he says. "It provides acidity to help break down muscle fibers, sugar to promote browning and caramelization, and water to support moisture retention when combined with salt. Plus, its bright citrus flavor naturally complements chicken, adding a subtle sweetness and depth that lemon juice or vinegar alone can't provide."

Now, you'll still want to combine lemonade with a few more pantry staples in an airtight container and let them all mingle for a bit. Here, the lemonade is a good start, but you still want to fill it out with other essential marinade components: an oil, basic seasonings like black pepper, and aromatics like garlic, onion, and fresh herbs. You needn't even whisk; a good whirl in a resealable plastic bag should blend it enough to coat your chicken.

Just like you want to cook with wines that you'd more or less want to drink, so, too, should you only incorporate other decently palatable beverages into dinner. "When using lemonade as a marinade base, quality matters," Matt Abdoo says. That means skipping the obviously fake purported lemonade that may or may not be most commonly sold in vending machines. 

"Avoid using inexpensive lemonades that are overly sweet or made with artificial lemon flavoring, as they can make the chicken taste cloying and unbalanced," Matt Abdoo advises. Homemade, of course, would be great, he notes, but at least try to stick to the actual fruit-derived varieties made with real sugar for a shot at proper caramelization once the bird hits the heat. You should also avoid making a marinade with lemonade that's been lingering in your fridge for too long. "The fresher the lemonade, the better the result," Abdoo says.

This little bottled kickstart that you probably already have on hand can move your poultry from notion to plate in around 30 minutes in a 400-degree-Fahrenheit oven. Pair your lemonade-marinated protein with one of the best side dishes to serve alongside chicken, like a quick kale Caesar salad, and it will seem like you've been planning this meal all day.