Are you tired of the same old grilled chicken? Bland and boring, lacking that delicious kick of flavor that you crave? Look no further. With this easy Asian marinade, your chicken will be transformed into a mouth-watering dish that will have your taste buds dancing with joy.
Imagine succulent pieces of grilled chicken coated in a tangy, savory sauce, infused with aromatic spices. This is not your average marinade - it's a flavor explosion in every bite.
This recipe came from a dear friend who is of Cambodian and Vietnamese descent. The first time my husband tried this he swooned and asked her to give me the recipe. Even though I make it regularly, I think he likes hers better.
She cuts the chicken in long then strips and ribbons them onto a skewer after marinating. Sometimes, I pound the chicken flat and grill them without the skewers.
You can marinade for an hour, but longer is better. Even overnight.
Ingredients for Asian Marinade
This recipe is simple, with some basic ingredients you probably have on hand:
- fresh garlic
- soy sauce - I use low sodium tamari
- salt and black pepper
- sugar or honey - just a little sweet to balance the other flavors
The last two ingredients may be new to some of you:
- Shallots - go to the produce section of the grocery store where the garlic and onions are. See those things that look like garlic on steroids? Nope those white skinned ones are Elephant Garlic. The brown-skinned ones. Those are shallots.
- Oyster Sauce - find it in the Chinese food aisle of the grocery store next to the Black Bean Sauce and Hoisin Sauce (two of my favorites to cook with, so you might want to pick those up while you are there).
I have to hide the oyster sauce from my boys when I put it in this. They wouldn't eat it if they knew it was in there. I promise, if my picky eaters don't taste anything "fishy" your picky eaters won't either. But the added umami flavor is essential.
The amounts below were more than enough for a pound of chicken breasts, you could probably even do one and a half to two pounds.
More Grilling Recipes from #OurFamilyTable
Let's kick off grilling season with some flavor packed dishes:
Great Grilling Recipes for Father's Day
- Cajun Shrimp Kabobs from Art of Natural Living
- Easy Oven Baked BBQ Ribs from Jen Around the World
- Elote from Magical Ingredients
- Grilled Lamb Lollipops from Creaetive Cynchronicity
- Mustard Barbecue Chops from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
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Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot (sliced)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
Instructions
- With a mortar and pestle (or a bowl with a wooden spoon), smash garlic, shallot, salt and pepper to make a paste.6 cloves garlic, 1 shallot, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Put in a large bowl and add oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar/honey stir to combine.3 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
- Add chicken and marinate at least an hour. Grill or broil. Serve with rice and vegetables.
Notes
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more Asian recipes
Until next time, happy eating!
~Audrey
Carleta Vineys
So go look on Amazon and tell me which ones you like. It's a personal taste. They have many choices. I had a marble one. Think the granite might be a good idea. Let me know.
Winnie
This sounds great, as I love all those flavors. I adore shallots, and love to use them in a lot of things. My step son fries them crispy and puts them on top of mashed potatoes..oh my!
Administrator
Oh my, winnie, that sounds wonderful! This is the first time I have ever used them, and I don't really know why I have ever tried them before. I guess I just stick with tried and true garlic and/or onions and never thought to pick some up to try.
thejennyevolution
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Jennifer
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Radha
This sounds delicious and I am going to try it soon.