Chicken has a reputation for being a healthy, low-fat protein that, unfortunately, is often tasteless. This simple marinade made from ingredients you may already have in your pantry will add serious flavor to chicken cooked any way--grilled, sauteed or baked. You can use it for any chicken pieces: bone-in or boneless, skin-on or skinless. The acid in the lemon juice and Dijon mustard help to tenderize the chicken, while the honey adds a bit of sweetness and encourages the chicken to brown.
The recipe, from the NYT Cooking section, recommends an optimum marinating time of 2 to 8 hours. (I say, the longer the better.) Finally, there's a cure for bland chicken. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
This makes enough for 2 pounds of chicken.
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 Tbsp. honey or light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1 large garlic clove, minced or grated
1 tsp. dried oregano, rosemary or thyme, or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh
1 tsp. kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
½ tsp. black pepper
Combine oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, Dijon, soy sauce, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add chicken to the bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
Bring the chicken in the marinade to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Remove the chicken and brush off any excess marinade before cooking.