Poultry Marinade

Can I just say--I love marinated chicken! It really doesn't take too much extra effort and the tender, tasty chicken is a big reward! If I broil a simple boneless, skinless chicken breast it inevitably ends up tough and tasteless.  Preparing a simple marinade is the answer!

This is also a great solution for summer-time cooking.  It's perfect for grilling.  This recipe is also wonderful for preparing chicken or turkey for large groups of people--a party, family reunion, or a church dinner.
Poultry Marinade
1 cup oil
1 cup soy sauce
2 cups 7-Up (lemon-lime soda)
1 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. horseradish, optional

Blend the ingredients together.  Pour over 5-10 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breasts in an airtight container (or zip-top bag).  Refrigerate and allow to marinate for 24 hours (or up to 3 days).  Grill for 10 minutes on each side (or longer depending on the thickness of the meat).  Or bake on a foil lined pan in a 375 degree oven about 30-40 minutes or until done.

Tiffany's Notes: This recipe is from grandma Beverly Wessman. It was originally called "Turkey Marinade" for the obvious reason that it was used with turkey breasts.  However, it is wonderful with chicken as well. If my memory is correct I remember that she used an even larger batch of this for a big church party. In fact, marinated chicken breasts made with this recipe and grilled by her children were served at the family luncheon after her funeral.

When I recently made this I followed the recipe as is--except I used two cans of lemon-lime soda instead of two cups.  (I guess I don't know how to read!)  It worked just fine.  I also don't have horseradish so I didn't add it. I marinated about 6 pounds of chicken breasts.  I trimmed them and sliced each breast horizontally to make two thinner pieces of meat out of each breast.  I was using the chicken for sandwiches and I don't like a big, thick piece of meat on a sandwich. It worked great. I seemed to have a lot of marinade. In the future I might half the recipe for 5 pounds of chicken and keep it this size for 10 pounds.
If you don't need to make such a large batch you can certainly half the recipe: 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 cup/can 7-Up, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. horseradish.

I (sadly) don't have a grill so I baked the chicken.  I lined a large cookie sheet with foil and baked them at 375 degrees until they were done.  I turned them over half-way through the baking time to keep them a little more moist.  I also added a small amount of the marinade over the chicken before baking.

This chicken makes a great sandwich! I served it with large buns and lettuce, tomato, and other toppings. We had guests for dinner so I felt a little self-conscious taking a photo at the table...but, here's a quick snapshot of the sandwich.
A fun topping is sliced pineapple!

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