When I was in Culinary School, the day we learned the technique of Grilling it was 110 degrees outside, and the air conditioning in our classroom has unexpectedly stopped working. The thermostat in the classroom read 120 degrees, and to say I wanted to melt on the floor was an understatement. I couldn’t even enjoy learning about the proper grilling techniques because all my brain could process was “must stay alive and not die of heat stroke”.

Due to this unfortunate introduction to grilling, I avoided grilling for the next few years, having flashbacks to the Sahara Desert Kitchen I was in, and assuming that all grilling experiences felt like you were on the surface of the sun. Silly as it sounds, that’s how traumatic that day in school was for me.

Fast-forward a few years now, and I LOVE grilling. Sitting outside in the fresh air, glass of cold wine in hand, smelling the amazing smells that only a grill can produce, it’s truly one of my favorite activities. When we moved down to New Jersey a few months ago, I was so excited to see that our new apartment building had the most beautiful state of the art grills that I could cook on. Last night, the weather seemed pretty iffy, but I was determined to make my new favorite chicken marinade recipe that I have been cooking on the grill. When it came time to cook, the rain decided to come too, and I was at a bit of a crossroads. This marinade I make is great because on the grill it chars up and the sugars crystalize and make a beautiful sweet crust, and this was just not something I could achieve in an oven.

Au Contraire.  Enter the Broiler in the oven (cue halleluiah chorus).

Your broiler on high is equivalent to a high setting on a grill….and while you may not get the grill marks, the broiler can do the trick when a grill is not available. Having cooked this recipe both on the grill and on the broiler, I can say the broiler was a great substitute in inclement weather! But I would also suggest trying this recipe out on the grill if you can!

Enjoy!

The Best Chicken Marinade

Prep Time

2 Hour 30 Minutes
Cook Time

20 Minutes
Total Time

2 Hour 50 Minutes
Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 Cup Canola Oil
  • 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 T Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 2 T Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice (fresh)
  • 6 T Brown Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 2 1/2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (About 5-6 Breasts)

Directions

  • Combine all ingredients, except for the chicken, in a large measuring cup and whisk together. (Remove half a cup of marinade and reserve for basting the chicken later on).
  • Place chicken in a large, ziploc bag and pour marinade over the top and seal the bag - make sure all of your chicken is coated in the marinade. Marinate in the fridge for an hour - every so often shaking the bag to make sure all parts of the chicken are marinating.
  • Preheat your oven broiler on high and put the oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler flame. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and place a wire baking rack on top. Place the chicken on the baking rack and broil for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, baste with the reserved marinade, turn the chicken over, and baste the other side. Cook another 8-10 minutes under the broiler until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Remove from oven, and allow chicken to rest 5 minutes before slicing.