Sour Cream Chicken Marinade

Marinating is a fantastic cooking technique for adding flavor and moisture to all types of meats. By placing chicken, pork, fish, beef, or shellfish in different types of mixtures made out of fat, acid, and seasonings, the muscle fiber tenderizes and soaks up the flavor of your marinade. Most marinade recipes have an acidic component that aids in breaking down the tough fibers of different cuts of meat. That's why flank steak and chuck are usually marinated before cooking, to ensure a juicy and tender piece of meat. Our easy and flavorful sour cream marinade uses the acidic nature of the cream, enhanced by a splash of white vinegar, to achieve this effect. This delicious mixture is great on chicken and fish and adds a lot of flavor with little effort on your part. Simply mix the ingredients in a bowl, place the protein of your choice in it, and pour the marinade over, letting it do its magic for 3 to 4 hours. Plan ahead and allow the mixture to work on the chicken or fish before grilling or baking.

When marinating, the trick is to have a good balance of fat, acid, and seasonings. Too much acid and the cuts will turn mushy because the muscle fiber can tenderize too fast and lower the quality of the protein you're serving. On the other hand, too much spice and your protein will taste exactly like that, over-spiced, losing its naturally delicious flavor in the process. Always think ahead to find a balance. Not every spice or herb you have will go well with the marinade, so having a flavor profile in mind before making it will yield tastier results. Our marinade works with the acidic nature of the sour cream, pairing it with tangy mustard and pungent green onions. But you can design your own by using a basic oil, such as canola or olive oil; an herb profile, like cilantro or parsley; and an acidic touch such as lemon, orange, or vinegar. Simple is always best, and once you've experimented you can start adding other flavors into your mixtures.