I'm looking for a chicken marinade for grilling, either commercial or homemade, that is low in sodium, fat, and sugar. The one i was using was loaded with sodium.
Posted by: Pylon
The sodium will be high in just about all commercial marinades, but there is a reason for it (aside from the normal reasons.) The salt gets into the meat and creates an equilibrium that allows liquid to move in an out of the cells freely. That lets the flavor move into the meat, along with liquid, which makes the chicken juicy and flavorful.
If you are wary of the commercial amounts of sodium, mix one up yourself. Here's a quick marinade (tho it has a bit of salt). Keep in mind not all the salt ends up in the meat.
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1/2 gallon iced water
Dissolve the salt in the broth over heat, then add the rest. Soak your chicken for a couple of hours. (Yes, it's a big batch, but you need space for the liquid to move around.)
