Okay, here’s my attempt at recreating the Lea & Perrins chicken marinade, told from the perspective of a seasoned, down-to-earth blogger:
Alright, folks, so I’ve been on this kick lately trying to nail down some of my favorite store-bought marinades. Why? Because sometimes you just want that exact flavor, but you also wanna know what the heck is going into your food, you know? And let’s be real, saving a few bucks never hurts either. Today’s adventure: that classic Lea & Perrins chicken marinade. The one with the tang and the… well, you know the one.
My Mission: Crack the Code
First, I gotta say, I love a good challenge. And recreating a recipe with probably a bunch of secret ingredients? That’s my kind of fun. I started by, obviously, grabbing a bottle of the original stuff. I spent a good few minutes just staring at the label, reading the ingredients, and trying to imagine what each one brought to the party. Then, I hit the internet. I looked at a ton of copycat recipes, read some forums, and basically just soaked up all the info I could find.
The Experiment Begins
My first attempt? Let’s just say it wasn’t quite there. I used:
- Soy sauce: Seemed like a no-brainer for that salty, umami base.
- Worcestershire sauce: Because, duh, it’s Lea & Perrins!
- Vinegar: I went with plain white vinegar, figuring it was the most basic.
- Garlic powder: For that little kick.
- Onion powder: Same as the garlic.
- Some sugar: To balance out the acidity, I guessed.
- A pinch of black pepper: Just because.
I mixed it all up, tasted it, and… meh. It was okay, but it was missing something. It wasn’t as tangy, and it didn’t have that depth of flavor that the original has. Back to the drawing board.
Tweaking and Tasting
For round two, I made some changes. I realized the original probably used a blend of vinegars, so I added some apple cider vinegar to the mix. I also bumped up the Worcestershire sauce, because, well, more is more, right? I also add a little of brown sugar to give a deep flavor. I also added a tiny bit of ground cloves, because I saw it on another similar recipe online, and thought. “what the heck?”
Getting Closer…
This time, it was much closer. The apple cider vinegar definitely helped with the tanginess, and the extra Worcestershire sauce gave it more of that signature flavor. The cloves? Surprisingly, they added a little something-something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but it was good!
The (Almost) Final Result
After a couple more tweaks (a little more garlic powder, a touch less sugar), I think I’ve got something pretty darn close. It’s not exactly the same, but it’s close enough that I’d happily use it on my chicken any day. And, I know exactly what’s in it! That, my friends, is a win in my book.
My current “go-to” mix is something like this:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of ground cloves
I just whisk it all together until the sugar is dissolved. Then, I pour it over my chicken and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably longer (overnight is even better!).
So, there you have it! My journey to recreate the Lea & Perrins chicken marinade. It was a fun little experiment, and I’m pretty happy with the results. Give it a try and let me know what you think! And if you have any secret tips or tricks, don’t be shy – share them in the comments!
