Marinating Chicken

[CarolPa]

I found a recipe that calls for making a marinade that includes beer and then using the marinade to baste the chicken while it's grilling. I thought I heard long ago that you should not use a marinade that has been used to marinade raw chicken. What do you think?

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!

Divide the marinade. Use half for marinating the chicken, then throw it away. Use the remaining half for basting.

 

[CarolPa]

Duh! (Smacking myself in the forehead!)

 

[Andy M.]

Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!

Divide the marinade. Use half for marinating the chicken, then throw it away. Use the remaining half for basting.

...or, after marinating the chicken, bring the marinade to a quick boil and it's safe to use as a basting liquid.

 

[Kayelle]

I found a recipe that calls for making a marinade that includes beer and then using the marinade to baste the chicken while it's grilling. I thought I heard long ago that you should not use a marinade that has been used to marinade raw chicken. What do you think?

That's a dangerous recipe Carol, and glad you know better. Where did you find that recipe? Many people will do just as they are told and it would be good for you to set the author of the recipe straight on the matter. Just a thought.

 

[Vinylhanger]

If you are grilling won't it get hot enough to kill any bacteria?

I usually split the marinade just because it makes it more sanitary at the grill where you can't constantly wash your hands or utensils.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

You may kill the bacteria, but not eradicate the toxins that bacteria leave behind in the marinade.

 

[CraigC]

...or, after marinating the chicken, bring the marinade to a quick boil and it's safe to use as a basting liquid.

This! I use the homemade mojo as a marinade, then as a glaze and dipping sauce. I heat Spanish olive oil until it starts shimmering then add the reserve marinade, off the heat. It initially looks like boiling, bubbling caldron when the liquid is added to the hot oil.

 

[tenspeed]

You may kill the bacteria, but not eradicate the toxins that bacteria leave behind in the marinade.

Sorry, but I'm not following this. If there are toxins in the marinade, wouldn't there also be toxins in the chicken? I can see problems developing if the marinade was not kept refrigerated for a period of time, though.

 

[medtran49]

I will NEVER forget the party we went to where the host was given a tray of chicken fresh out of a mojo marinade such that there was liquid that came off the chicken in the bottom of the tray. He takes it out to grill and Craig goes with him. They're outside for a while and the hostess asked me to go check and see how much longer it will be. Just as I get out there, the host and Craig decide it's probably done. The host grabs a piece of chicken and plops it right down on the same tray he brought it out on, unwashed, still with marinade in it. You should have seen Craig's face. I immediately said David, you can't put cooked chicken back on that tray. He gave me a funny look and asked why. I had to explain to a 65 plus year old man, who is a physician, though working in corporate and not practicing any longer, why. His wife wasn't too happy with him when I went back in asking for a clean tray and told her what he'd done.

 

[GotGarlic]

Sorry, but I'm not following this. If there are toxins in the marinade, wouldn't there also be toxins in the chicken? I can see problems developing if the marinade was not kept refrigerated for a period of time, though.

I think she was thinking the marinade would not have been refrigerated. Continuing to baste chicken on the grill with a marinade that had not been boiled or refrigerated could be brushing toxins on the food and toxins are not inactivated by heat.

 

[GotGarlic]

Wow, med, good thing you and Craig were there. That could have been a disaster.

 

[jennyema]

Sorry, but I'm not following this. If there are toxins in the marinade, wouldn't there also be toxins in the chicken? I can see problems developing if the marinade was not kept refrigerated for a period of time, though.

]I agree. If there are toxins in the marinade, they'll be on the chicken.

I will use a marinade as a baste without boiling because direct heat from a grill is hotter than the boiling point of the marinade. And I'm a food safety stickler.

Think about it... you are pulling raw chicken out of a bag of liquid marinade. The liquid has become contaminated by the bacteria in the raw poultry. This contaminated liquid is all over your chicken. But you throw it on the grill and the heat from the grill destroys the bacteria.

If you brush the chicken with the marinade shortly after the chicken goes on the grill I don't see it as any more unsafe than the marinated chicken itself. The bacteria is killed by the heat of the grill and, like I said above, direct heat from a grill is hotter than the boiling point of the marinade.

If you leave the marinade out for 2 hours in the hot sun before you use it, then that would be a problem

 

[Kayelle]

For those who insist it's ok to baste your cooking chicken with contaminated marinade, exactly when must you stop basting before it's safe to take it off the grill?? Just boil it first and stop guessing. Nothing hard about that.

 

[tenspeed]

For those who insist it's ok to baste your cooking chicken with contaminated marinade, exactly when must you stop basting before it's safe to take it off the grill?? Just boil it first and stop guessing. Nothing hard about that.

I think we're looking at seconds here. Assuming that the marinade was kept properly, all you need to do is to bring it up to 165 F to instantly kill any bacteria (source: http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast.html#safe ). The surface of the chicken is going to be hotter than that, and the grill environment is even hotter. The thin layer of basted marinade is going to exceed 165 F in short order.


The marinade should be boiled if used in a serving sauce. Splitting the marinade for use in making a sauce is safe as well.

 

[jennyema]

I think we're looking at seconds here. Assuming that the marinade was kept properly, all you need to do is to bring it up to 165 F to instantly kill any bacteria (source: http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast.html#safe ). The surface of the chicken is going to be hotter than that, and the grill environment is even hotter. The thin layer of basted marinade is going to exceed 165 F in short order.


The marinade should be boiled if used in a serving sauce. Splitting the marinade for use in making a sauce is safe as well.

I'm totally with you on this one. A grill is likely going to be above 350 and will kill bacteria very quickly

 

[roadfix]

I think we're looking at seconds here. Assuming that the marinade was kept properly, all you need to do is to bring it up to 165 F to instantly kill any bacteria (source: http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast.html#safe ). The surface of the chicken is going to be hotter than that, and the grill environment is even hotter. The thin layer of basted marinade is going to exceed 165 F in short order.


The marinade should be boiled if used in a serving sauce. Splitting the marinade for use in making a sauce is safe as well.

This is my belief as well.

Curious.......I wonder how the judges from "Chopped" would react if a contestant did this....

 

[Kayelle]

I think we're looking at seconds here. Assuming that the marinade was kept properly, all you need to do is to bring it up to 165 F to instantly kill any bacteria (source: http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/07/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-sous-vide-chicken-breast.html#safe ). The surface of the chicken is going to be hotter than that, and the grill environment is even hotter. The thin layer of basted marinade is going to exceed 165 F in short order.


The marinade should be boiled if used in a serving sauce. Splitting the marinade for use in making a sauce is safe as well.

I don't mean to be nit picking here, but how long is "short order"?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Sorry, but I'm not following this. If there are toxins in the marinade, wouldn't there also be toxins in the chicken? I can see problems developing if the marinade was not kept refrigerated for a period of time, though.

Not everyone knows that using the marinade can be dangerous and they leave it out while using it. Just because we are savvy to the problem does not mean that others reading our posts know about not using marinade as a basting liquid unless it's refrigerated or boiled.

 

[GotGarlic]

Not everyone knows that using the marinade can be dangerous and they leave it out while using it. Just because we are savvy to the problem does not mean that others reading our posts know about not using marinade as a basting liquid unless it's refrigerated or boiled.

+1..