Come up with some flavor combos for chicken marinade (riffing off Sam Sifton's Chicken Schwarma)

Short Version:
What are some combinations of spices that would work well to marinate boneless chicken thighs for a few hours?

Long version:
Sam Sifton ran a recipe in the NYTimes a few weeks ago for chicken schwarma. It was EXTREMELY easy and EXTREMELY delicious. Mix some olive oil and lemon juice and a half dozen spices in a zip-loc. Throw in some boneless chicken thighs. Marinate for a few hours. Throw in the oven on a sheet pan (without the zip-loc) for a half-hour or so.

Delicious.

Anyway, with a 3 year old (1 week older than Clara) and a 1 year old, I'm always looking for easy, delicious, make–ahead dishes. So, what combinations of flavors could I use? For example, I could go simple Italian and use olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt.

So, what else?

Peter
  • Posted by: Peter
  • February 11, 2015
  • 3293 views
  • 5 Comments

5 Comments

TobiT
TobiT February 11, 2015
Lime juice, olive oil, a little cumin and a little honey. Cayenne if desired. Salt and pepper to taste.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx
sexyLAMBCHOPx February 11, 2015
I like to marinade my chicken in honey, minced garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, S&P and a heavy pinch of five spice powder.
 
Tony S.
Tony S. February 11, 2015
A couple of easy marinades for chicken:

1) 1 cup plain yogurt, 2 Tbs harissa, a squeeze of lemon juice and a splash of olive oil.

2) 1/2 of an onion grated on the small holes of a box grater, juice of a lemon, and a few tablespoons of olive oil.
 
keg72
keg72 February 11, 2015
A super-easy one that I've used to good effect -- put the thighs in a Ziploc. Add buttermilk to cover them. Add minced garlic (or even garlic powder), some onion powder if you have it and paprika. The buttermilk both tenderizes the meat and imparts a lovely flavor. Easy and delicious!
 
Meaghan F.
Meaghan F. February 11, 2015
Not too long ago, Mark Bittman did a piece in the NY Times about simple DIY spice mixes - any one of them, thinned with a little neutral oil for a marinade or used as-is as a dry rub, would be great on some chicken thighs (or breasts, or drumsticks, or wings...).
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/05/04/magazine/mag-04Eat-Spices.html?_r=0
 
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