How do you celebrate the beginning of a delicious summer?
Memorial Day seems to unofficially kick off barbecue season but it’s really a time to honor those who have served in the military. So when I combine those two things I think of my father-in-law and his marinated chicken. He proudly served in the marines and saw the flag raising at Iwo Jima. And at every family gathering you could find him out back standing over big half-barrels of hot charcoal grilling his famous chicken.
My husband continued that chicken-grillin’ tradition our first summer as newlyweds when we worked at a Bear Lake resort restaurant. Thirty barbecue seasons have passed and no summer feels complete without some of Grandpa’s marinated chicken.
- 3 pounds of chicken breasts (I prefer the boneless smaller pieces or cut them in half so they aren't too thick for grilling)
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 - 12 ounce can of Sprite or 7-Up
- Place chicken in a medium-sized plastic container with a lid.
- Pour soy sauce, oil and Sprite over the chicken so it is completely covered.
- Marinate in your fridge for 8-24 hours. (Whatever you have time for.)
- Stir every few hours (if you think about it).
- Grandpa always used charcoal for grilling but we throw them on our gas grill all the time. Four to five minutes grilling on each side.
Really simple- really delicious.
Shari
We made Grandpa’s chicken for our Memorial Day bbq this year and, oh the memories it brought back! Thank you for sharing this recipe – it turns out we’ve been leaving out the oil – and it makes a huge difference. Thank you again!!