My Favorite Chicken Marinade

This is probably one of the only frozen  marinades that I have enjoyed.  Of course it is really good fresh too!  The acid in many other freezer recipes always tears up the chicken and makes it disgusting to eat.  The chicken sits too long in the acid.   I tested this one in the freezer as well as a BBQ marinade, lemon marinade and green pepper marinade, however, they all tore the chicken and/or beef up even when I made sure to cook them right after they thawed out.

This chicken is great by itself or in a fajita and tastes good grilled or cooked on the stove.  We’ve been using it for years and haven’t found one that tastes better yet!

It’s called Fajita Marinade just because I had to name it.  You don’t have to use it in fajitas if you don’t want to.  It tastes good all on its own.

Fajita Chicken Marinade
yield 4 servings

2 cups water
1/3 cup soy sauce (reduced sodium works too)
3 Tb. sugar
2 Tb. salt
2 Tb. white vinegar
1 and 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (or less for kids)
2 tsp. hickory smoke flavoring (this stuff is awesome and near the BBQ sauces in the grocery store usually)
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground black pepper

4 bonless, skinless chicken breasts

1.  Mix everything except chicken in a large plastic bag.  Seal and shake it up.
2.  Add chicken and marinade for 2 hours.  Don’t let it sit too much longer or the acid will make the chicken tough.

For Fajita Roll Up:

Pico de Gallo:
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 tsp. lime juice
2 tsp. minced fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

4 large flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
4 cups shredded lettuce

To Make Chicken Fajita Roll Up:

1.  Combine the pico de gallo ingredients in a bowl.  Cover and let mingle in the fridge.
2.  Grill chicken on the stove or medium/high grill outside.
3.  Heat a large skillet on low heat and place the flour tortilla on top.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheddar and monterey jack cheese combined.  After the cheese starts to melt, remove from skillet and lay on a large plate.
4.  Sprinkle lettuce, 3 Tb. of pico de gallo and sliced chicken breast on top.  Roll it up, cut it on the bias in the middle and eat.
Recipe from Todd Wilbur’s Top Secret Recipes