The concern, “Can you marinate cooked chicken?” Has been one of the most asked questions by people who aren’t quite satisfied with the taste their poultry has acquired after cooking, and it’s a pretty common problem than you think it is.
Marinating your chicken is a great way to add flavor and moisture to the meat. It can make even the cheapest cuts of chicken taste amazing!
There are many kinds of marinades that you can use, and you can experiment with various spices and flavors until you find one that suits your tastes.
Furthermore, marinating your poultry will prevent you from making the classic mistake of overcooking your meat. With marinade, it’s easier to find a cooking time that is just right!
However, what about marinating an already cooked chicken? Is this something you can do? If so, how can you do it?
We understand your concern and take the time to write this blog post so you can learn about the possibility of marinating already cooked chicken.
Now, let’s get started!
So, Can You Marinate Cooked Chicken?
You may be staring at your finished dish of chicken wings and think the taste isn’t quite great as you expected it to be, or perhaps you just want to try out the new trend you’ve just discovered of cooking before marinating.
Regardless of the reason why you want to disrupt the common order of marinade before cooking, it’s good to know if this method is possible.
Cooked poultry is delicious and can be prepared in many ways, but when it comes to cooking your meat there are a few things that you should take into consideration and that is the way of preparing them.
Marinating, as you know, is the process of soaking the food in a mixture of spices and/or other substances such as oil or wine. It is an important process because it helps to retain moisture, flavor, add texture to your finished dish, tenderize it and keep bacteria from surviving on foods that are likely to spoil quickly.
Marinating can be done before cooking your chicken wings or after they have been cooked, but you most probably never heard of dipping already cooked poultry in a marinade…
However, to answer your question, marinating cooked poultry is indeed possible.
Yes, that’s right! You can marinate already cooked chicken, but you need to remember that when doing this you need to add ingredients such as soy sauce, red wine, and honey to the marinade, so your already cooked chicken won’t dry out.
Marinating a chicken that has already been cooked or grilled is actually practiced by a good deal of cuisine all around the world such as Thai, Indian, and other Asian cuisines.
Why Do People Marinate Cooked Chicken?
The reason why people love to do this to their poultry and all kinds of other meat is because it helps to infuse the meat with much more flavor, and it also tenderizes.
The process of marinating, in general, is a good way to make meats juicier because the acid present in the vinegar or lemon juice will break down some of its connective tissues, making them more pliable and moister.
This means that if you are going to cook your poultry and marinate it, you’ll be able to enjoy a chicken that’s more flavorful and moister than one that follows the standard cooking instructions.
Now that your answer has finally been answered, we can now head down to…
The Section Summary
We can’t deny the fact that we’ve learned a lot in this first section. Whether you’re still a starting chef or already a seasoned one, the information provided offers a lot of insight.
In this section, we’ve learned that marinating chicken after cooking is indeed possible and doing so will result in a chicken that’s more flavorful and moist than one which followed the standard cooking process.
We learned that marinating is an important part of meat preparation because it will help tenderize tougher cuts, add flavor, and make your food taste better.
It also helps to create a barrier between the meat juices and any surface it comes into contact with, as well as kills bacteria that may still be present in your meat.
With all of these things in mind, we’re sure you’ll be able to fix up a dish that is guaranteed to impress your family and friends.
But wait… how can you make that possible?
Well, don’t worry because we didn’t come empty-handed!
If you want to know what’s the best way to marinate an already cooked chicken, then head on below to find out!
How Can You Marinate Already Cooked Chicken?
As mentioned above, marinating an already cooked poultry is possible. But if you do this, there are certain things that need to be followed in order to ensure that the end result is perfect.
The first thing you need to remember is that marinating an uncooked chicken and a cooked one is different because they may require specific kinds of ingredients for the marinade.
An uncooked chicken needs to be soaked in an acidic liquid like lime juice while a cooked one can use other ingredients that will do the job of tenderizing it and adding more flavor to it such as red wine, barbecue sauce, or honey.
You also need to remember that the longer you marinate a cooked chicken, the more flavor it will have, and this is because of all these liquids being absorbed by its flesh.
The second point to keep in mind is that you may need to increase sodium levels by adding more salt because it was lost during the cooking process.
Now that you’re aware of the things to keep in mind, we can now head to the following recipe on how to marinade a deliciously cooked chicken.
Step #1: Take Out Your Poultry
The first step is to prepare your chicken. Take it out from the fridge and be sure you thaw it before cooking. Thawing is vital since it will make the cooking of your chicken much easier and avoid bacteria that may have formed during freezing.
Preheat a coal or gas grill (or a broiler) to a moderately hot fire. Once you get the perfect temperature, season your chicken with salt and pepper before cooking it in the gas grill.
Step #2: Prepare the Marinade
After your chicken has been cooked, it’s time to prepare the marinade. There are many ways to prepare the marinade, depending on what you want your chicken to taste like. In this method, we’ll go over the most common ones: honey mustard or ginger and soy sauce.
Honey Mustard:
To prepare a honey mustard marinade, start by whisking together honey and any type of mustard you have on hand. A teaspoon of lemon juice or a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar could also be used for extra flavor. Mix them together and set them aside.
Ginger And Soy Sauce:
This marinade is perfect for those that want something more unique in their chicken! To make this mix you’ll start by mixing soy sauce with brown sugar and add in some crushed ginger. The ginger can be substituted with any other type of spice you prefer or have on hand or even a little bit of garlic powder.
Step #3: Dip in Your Poultry
When your marinade is ready, transfer it into a big bowl that can be large enough to fit your whole chicken. Then take your poultry and carefully submerge it in the mixture. Make sure to use a spoon so you can cover it well on all sides and in every crevice!
Cover your bowl with plastic wrap or saran for best results, then let it sit in the fridge overnight. Once morning comes around, take your chicken out of the marinade and bake as usual or transfer it into a saucepan and cook it on the stove top.
Read Next: Can you defrost chicken in hot water?
Bonus Tip:
To make sure your chicken doesn’t dry out when cooking, pour in a few tablespoons of the marinade while it’s cooking.
Now that we’ve got that covered, let’s have the next part which is…
The New Learnings
Marinating chicken right after cooking is surely a life hack you should never miss out on. It gives your finished product all kinds of benefits such as adding flavor, tenderizing the meat, and of course a delectable look.
In this section, you’ve finally gotten an idea on how to marinate cooked chicken properly, so you can experiment on your own and create your very own marinading recipes that will turn out to be absolutely delicious!
Now before you head out to try your newly acquired knowledge, let’s finally have our…
Final Sayings
As we’re about to reach the end of this reading journey, you’re now aware about a couple of things and that includes the answer to “Can you marinate cooked chicken?” as well as how to properly do it.
We’re certain that with this, you can easily make your own marinading recipes and that you’ll be able to fix up a superb dish that will leave anyone who tries it wanting for more.
We hope that this article has helped you get the answer to your chicken marinading question and that it also gave you some tips on how to go about its preparation.
Thanks for reading, until next time!