My Tips for Juicy Grilled Chicken
+ favorite fresh corn recipes
I recently learned a trick that has upped my grilling game this summer, and it relies on an ingredient we all have at home: water. Adding a bit of water to any marinade recipe ensures chicken will stay juicy during the grilling process. This works best if you let it marinate at least a few hours and up to overnight.Â
If you don’t have time to marinate chicken before grilling, using a post-cooking marinade is a great way to impart flavor. Simply season the chicken with salt and pepper, and grill until cooked through. Add the meat hot off the grill to the bowl with the marinade, turn to coat, then cover and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The chicken will release juices as it rests while also soaking up flavor from the marinade.
I recommend not getting too caught up in following a recipe when it comes to making a marinade. Instead, let your sense of taste guide you, along with a few principles. You want to add an acidic element, and dried spices, fresh herbs or a combination of both to add flavor. I add a fat of some kind, too, usually olive oil or avocado oil. Approach it as you would making a vinaigrette salad dressing.
August is upon us, and just yesterday I realized I’ve only enjoyed fresh corn once or twice this summer. I need to rectify that this week with a trip to the farm stand. Below are some of my favorite corn recipes from years past, including a sweet corn & lemon thyme ice cream. If you’re not up for making your own ice cream, and happen to be near Saugerties, Alleyway Ice Cream currently has a sweet corn ice cream flecked with fresh bits of corn that is delicious (their honeycomb chocolate swirl is also a current obsession). —xo, j.
