Favorite seasoning for Chicken

DancingLady

DancingLady

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I prepare chicken with rosemary a lot, and it's very good, but I have realized I am not very adventuresome when it comes to chicken seasonings. I've done salt and pepper, and lemon and pepper. But I'd love some new ideas.

What herbs and slices or combinations do you like?
 
Are you talking about whole roast chicken or pieces of chicken? How about Saffron? A little expensive but worth it for the magic. Here's a recipe for whole roast chicken and saffron:

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Roast-Chicken-with-Saffron-and-Lemons

I've just had a flick through my recipe book. Here's a few more ideas:
If using chicken pieces, I often make a Tagine using Saffron and Pickled Lemons (you'll find lots of recipes for Chicken Tagine on-line).

Chicken Sabra (adapted from Search of Plenty by Oded Schwartz):
Mix together 125ml of white wine, 125ml of orange juice, the julienned rind of one orange, salt and paprika. Marinate 1kg (2 lbs) skin-on chicken pieces for several hours. Meanwhile fry one large sliced onion slowly until it is caramelised. Remove onions. Pat dry and fry chicken in same pan until golden. Add the marinade, the onions and simmer for 35mins. Remove chicken pieces and keep warm. Add 8 salty black stoned olives to the sauce and boil until it starts to thicken. Pour over chicken and serve with chopped mint on top.

Tequila Chicken (own recipe):
Marinate skinless chicken breasts overnight in the following: I Tbsp. olive oil, 1tsp. Chilli powder, 100ml Tequila, the zest of one lime, I Tbsp.crushed garlic, 100ml orange juice, 1 chopped red chilli (omit this if you don't want it too spicy), 2 Tbsp. of chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), pepper and salt. Pat dry and grill the chicken, preferably on a barbecue or fry in a pan which produces stripe marks.

Chicken with Masala (own recipe):
Brown 6 (skin-on) chicken pieces (thighs and/or legs) in a pan Keep warm. Cook 2 large sliced onions until soft and golden in same pan. Shake a Tbsp. of flour over the onions. Add s small wine glass of Marsala wine (you can substitute any medium sherry, really!). Let it bubble a sizzle. Add half a pint of chicken stock (you can use a cube if you haven't got fresh stock), replace chicken and cook until its tender and the sauce has thickened (about 35 mins). Add a touch of cream or milk at the end to produce a creamier sauce. I sometimes add mushrooms to this dish.
 
I usually do this to a turkey and recently did it to chicken breast and it was a hit. I take a few tablespoons of mayo and spread it all over a clean chicken and place the chicken in the oven covered. When the chicken is done it is season by the mayo and juicy.
 
Chicken is such a versatile meat. Its mild flavour means it pairs well with lots of aromatic herbs a spices. Thyme, sage (make a pocket under the skin and insert a few sage leaves), juniper berries (crush berries and mix with softened butter, smear over chicken), oregano, paprika. In fact, I'm hard pushed to think of a spice or herb that wouldn't go with chicken!

As for fruit: Lemons, oranges, limes all work well. Apples can work, especially if used with cider in a casserole - there is a Normandy dish along those lines, I think. Pineapple could be used in an oriental style stir fry with chicken. Plums can be used in a casserole with spices such as coriander seeds and red wine for an autumnal dish. The list goes on!
 
Favorite? Personally breaded - flour, garlic/onion powders/salts, pepper, rolled and fried, and then rolled and fried again. In veggie oil.

Another good option is Mango Chicken -- which is superb, and with some tangy orange wok sauce from the local grocery I can make some that rivals even a GOOD Chinese Buffet.

Mainly though, I just like cooking the chicken in a series of salts or spices and then seeing how it goes from there. Same goes with Shake-N-Bake Chicken (not sure if it's worldwide or just around here) but I toss ingredients into their mixture as well to make it taste better.
 
I'd have to send you a bottled seasoning we have here in Bim aka Barbados. I can't say I am proud of using it as often as I do but it's a quick fix. Still nothing beats my mom's freshly prepared seasoning. Outside of this thyme gives all my meats a nice flavour and smell. Garlic is also a must and whatever dried seasonings you have on hand. I like paprika, white or black pepper and garlic salt involved. Then I don't use actual salt. For years I have used some sort of barbecue sauce on my chicken if I want it nice and wet and yummy.
 
Whole birds ,stuff sage and onion butter under the skin
Any herb trimmings place in cavity with a lemon
Salt and cracked black pepper
 
We usually marinate the chicken meat in soy sauce and lemon drops before frying. But when grilling chicken, we marinate it in tomato and some salt. We crush the tomato and wipe the chicken with the tomato flesh and juice. After 30 minutes, we grill it or even bake it at 350 deg. But be sure the pie pan has no leak because there will be liquid and that liquid has all the flavor. You can serve that chicken with rice or bread or even mashed potatoes.
 
As it is such a mild flavoured meat, I think there are lots of herbs and spices that work well with chicken and it depends on the type of meal you are making. Basil is good in Italian type meals. Garlic also works well. I do a lot of Asian inspired dishes and depending on the meal use things like chilli, ginger, lemongrass etc.
 
If I've got the time, I like to prepare a homemade compound butter with stuff like herbs and onions and garlic or shallots, then rub it all over the chicken parts and under the skin, before roasting it. This is also how I prepare turkey as well when it's bone in and skin on cuts. Sometimes though I will de-bone the parts and leave the skin on and do this as well.

For something like plain chicken breasts on the grill, I still copy the old recipe we used to use at TGI Fridays when I was a cook there. They make a quick marinade out of butter, lemon juice, white wine, white pepper, salt, and water. You then microwave this mixture until the butter is melted and everything is mixed together. Just before placing the chicken on the grill, you ladle some of the marinade over each breast and make sure they're entirely coated with it. Then just place the chicken on the grill and hit it with a basic garlic pepper seasoning blend. You don't marinade it in the traditional sense, leaving it sitting in the marinade for several hours, the quick ladle of it just before it goes on the grill is all you need. The butter in it causes enough of the marinade to coat the chicken. It keeps the chicken moist and gives it a nice subtle lemon wine butter flavor to it. Plus it gives you much better grill marks than with no marinade at all.

For day to day cooking, such as when I'm in a bit more of a hurry, I often just reach for my Spice Supreme Garlic Pepper seasoning blend and maybe some dried or fresh parsley. I will often brush the chicken with a little canola oil before seasoning it as well. Other than that, my second favorite seasoning would be the Spice Supreme brand of Cajun Seasoning. It's a virtual carbon copy of Emeril's "Essence" blend at a small fraction of the cost - a large container of it is only $1, vs paying over $4 for a small bottle of Emeril's blend.
 
I like using a pesto made from cilantro, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. I'll marinade the chicken overnight in the pesto then bake. It's quick and very flavourful. I also like greek flavours with chicken so I'll make a marinade of olive oil, salt, pepper, lots of garlic, oregano, lemon juice. If I'm in a hurry I'll use Kraft Greek salad dressing and it does a great job as well. For Asian flavours you can try siracha, soy sauce, honey, garlic for a sweet and spicy flavour.
 
morning glory said:
Are you talking about whole roast chicken or pieces of chicken? How about Saffron? A little expensive but worth it for the magic. Here's a recipe for whole roast chicken and saffron:

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Roast-Chicken-with-Saffron-and-Lemons

I've just had a flick through my recipe book. Here's a few more ideas:
If using chicken pieces, I often make a Tagine using Saffron and Pickled Lemons (you'll find lots of recipes for Chicken Tagine on-line)..
Click to expand...

I wonder if you use the traditional potteries they use for Tagine cooking, those with odd looking "kisses" shaped pots. I wanted to try this Moroccan style of cooking which is quite similar to one pot cooking.

To the OP, I use the simple recipe you provided minus the rosemary because I will replace it with grated ginger and fish sauce to add more flavor to the chicken. As a garnish I sprinkle it then with sesame seeds.
 
I try not to season my chicken too much as I like the taste of just plain chicken - i know a lot of people don't though.
Usually I'll rub a tiny bit of olive oil on the top and then sprinkle on some dried italian herbs (mixed stuff I buy in a jar). Sometimes I'll use sweet chilli sauce instead of olive oil just to mix it up.
 
Bakemehappy said:
I wonder if you use the traditional potteries they use for Tagine cooking, those with odd looking "kisses" shaped pots. I wanted to try this Moroccan style of cooking which is quite similar to one pot cooking.

To the OP, I use the simple recipe you provided minus the rosemary because I will replace it with grated ginger and fish sauce to add more flavor to the chicken. As a garnish I sprinkle it then with sesame seeds.
Click to expand...
I don't use a traditional Tagine but think I know what you mean (it would take up too much room in my cramped kitchen!). Why 'kisses' shaped?
 
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