Make this simple, no fuss, Smoky Grilled Chicken Marinade to add extra flavor to your chicken before cooking on the BBQ. It’s good on steak, too.
I am always on the lookout for new recipes to try, and nine times out of ten, we end up enjoying them! This simple marinade is full of flavor, and is a cinch to make. The recipe makes enough to marinate 4 pieces of chicken (shown in my photos) or it can also be used to marinate 2 beef steaks. This recipe can easily be doubled for larger quantities of meat.
I found this recipe years ago in one of the old cookbooks in my collection, and changed a couple things, to suit our taste. The original author said it is a “copycat” recipe from Stuart Anderson’s steakhouse. They use it primarily on steaks, but we think it is a FANTASTIC marinade for chicken! We haven’t had a Stuart Anderson’s restaurant in our city for many years, but I knew their marinade recipe HAD to be good. Guess what? It IS good!
NOTE: The meat you use will need to marinate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) for the BEST flavor, so plan ahead. I usually put the marinated meat into the refrigerator first thing in the morning, and it’s perfectly marinated by dinner time! EASY PEASY! Here’s how to make this smoky grilled chicken marinade.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Making The Smoky Grilled Chicken Marinade Is EASY!
The ingredients in this marinade are Liquid Smoke (found in most grocery stores), garlic, oil, water, salt, red pepper flakes, and fresh parsley. Measure all of the ingredients (except for the meat) into a medium sized bowl. Whisk these ingredients well, for a couple minutes, until they become fully blended.
Marinating The Chicken Pieces
Place 4 pieces chicken (I used 4 thighs) in a container with a lid OR in a re-sealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the meat, and then seal the bag. Make sure some of the marinade covers all sides of the meat.
Place the sealed bag in the refrigerator and let the meat marinate for at least 4 hours OR overnight. Occasionally turn the bag over to re-distribute the marinade, for best results.
Onto The Grill They Go!
Remove the chicken from the marinade after it has marinated for at least 4 hours. You can discard any remaining marinade. Cook the chicken (or steaks, if using) on a hot BBQ grill until done.
Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (white meat) and 165°F (dark meat). **If using the marinade for steaks, cook them to your desired doneness. Once done, transfer the cooked meat to a serving platter.
Ready To Enjoy Some Delicious Grilled Chicken!
Now you’re ready to enjoy the chicken with it’s nice flavor from the smoky grilled chicken marinade. Serve the chicken (or steak) with a couple of your favorite side dishes and enjoy a delicious, simple meal.
I hope you’ll try this simple recipe for smoky grilled chicken marinade. It imparts a nice, “smoky” flavor to the chicken (or steaks, if using), which we really enjoy. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you’ll come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Have a great day!
Looking For More SAUCE Or MARINADE Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a variety of sauce recipes, both savory and sweet you might enjoy, including:
- Homemade Honey BBQ Sauce
- Southern Praline Sauce
- Mom’s Grilled Chicken Basting Sauce
- Homemade Teriyaki Marinade
Interested In More Recipes?
Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so. If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.
You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks
Recipe adapted from: the book “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes”, by Todd Wilbur, published 1997 by The Penguin Group, page 281.
Make this simple, no fuss, Smoky Grilled Chicken Marinade to add extra flavor to your chicken before cooking on the BBQ. It's good on steak, too.
- 4 teaspoons Liquid Smoke
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup water
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon minced, fresh parsley
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes , optional, but good
Measure all ingredients (except for the meat) in a medium sized bowl. Whisk well for a couple minutes, until fully blended.
Place 4 pieces chicken (or 2 steaks) in a flat container with a lid OR in a re-sealable plastic bag. Pour marinade into the bag/container; seal bag/container. Make sure all sides of meat are covered with some of the marinade. Place bag/container in refrigerator. Let meat marinate at least 4 hours OR overnight. Occasionally turn bag (or meat in container) over to re-distribute the marinade, for best flavor. When ready to cook, remove meat from bag or container. Discard marinade.
Cook chicken on a hot BBQ grill until done. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (white meat) and 165°F (dark meat). If using the marinade for steaks, cook them to your liking. Once done, transfer the cooked meat to a serving platter. Serve, and enjoy!
NOTES: The total amount of marinade is enough for 4 pieces of chicken OR 2 steaks, but can easily be doubled.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!