Magnificent News: Eat Voraciously: Make-ahead marinades

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Here's what's for dinner tonight.

By G. Daniela Galarza

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Make-ahead marinades

When this newsletter was conceived, the idea was to give readers one interesting, easy-to-follow, quick, well-tested dinner recipe every morning, Monday through Thursday, to make that night. As I've mentioned before, I can't take credit for the concept. Credit goes to Deputy Managing Editor Liz Seymour.

In my first few conversations with Liz, I remember her telling me that Fridays were her family's takeout night. They'd order pizza or pick up something from a new-to-them restaurant as a fun way to cap off the week and support local businesses. On weekends, she said her husband liked to tackle cooking projects, all-day barbecues, say, or homemade sourdough. But during the week, when she was busy with back-to-back meetings, she didn't have time to plan or think about what to make for dinner. There was no shortage of inspiration online or in cookbooks, but scrolling and skimming is time-consuming, and a fast-track to decision fatigue.

"I just want someone to tell me what to make, to give me one good idea to make for dinner that night," Liz told me. Voila! A newsletter was born.

But as I've been reading your emails and comments, I also know that not everyone lives near a grocery store, or has time to pick up ingredients for dinner that night. Some of you plan ahead. This recipe, for Mango-Lime Marinated Chicken Thighs, is for you.

Mango, lime juice, fish sauce and sriracha form a powerful, punchy marinade that is ideal for these chicken thighs, but can also be used on a firm fish such as halibut, slabs of tofu or a brick of tempeh.

I love marinades that incorporate fruit purees, because many fruits contain an enzyme that doesn't just help tenderize the meat, it also helps the other ingredients permeate the food.

That said, marinades like these don't need a long time to infuse the food with their flavor. For this recipe, Nourish columnist Ellie Krieger recommends 4 hours, but I've cooked this after just 30 minutes of marinating time and enjoyed its flavors just as much.

Today's recipe

Photos by Scott Suchman for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post

Mango-Lime Marinated Chicken Thighs

Want to skip the chicken? >> Try a firm-fleshed fish such as halibut or swordfish, or test this on mushrooms, firm tofu and tempeh.
No mango? >> Pears or pineapple work just as well.
I love the lime juice here >> though you could use any other citrus juice instead.
Out of garlic? >> Try this with shallots, ginger or lemongrass.
The cilantro is nice with the mango and lime >> but you could skip it, or use mint or basil instead.

For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe in our Recipe Finder.

Servings: 4 to 6
Active time: 20 mins
Total time: 30 mins, plus optional 4 hours' marinating time

Ingredients

1 cup (about 4 ounces) mango chunks (defrosted if from frozen)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 3 to 4 limes)
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil, or other neutral-tasting oil
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 teaspoons sriracha
3 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

Steps

1. In the pitcher of a blender, combine the mango, lime juice, 1 ½ tablespoons of the fish sauce, the oil, sugar, sriracha, garlic and salt and puree to form a smooth marinade. Taste and add more fish sauce, if desired. Transfer the marinade to a resealable container and add the chicken, turning the pieces over several times to coat them. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

2. Position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element; preheat the broiler. If you have a broiler drawer, preheat it.

3. Place the chicken on a broiler pan or lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet, allowing some marinade to cling. Broil for about 8 minutes, then use tongs to turn the chicken over and spoon more marinade on the second side. (Discard any remaining marinade.) Broil for about 9 minutes, until lightly charred around the edges and the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Serve warm, with cilantro and lime wedges.

From nutritionist and cookbook author Ellie Krieger. Tested by Helen Horton.

Nutrition information per serving (based on 6): Calories: 210; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 105 mg; Sodium: 530 mg; Carbohydrates: 8 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugars: 6 g; Protein: 23 g.

📣 All your cooking questions, answered 📣 Today at noon ET, my colleagues Aaron Hutcherson and Becky Krystal will be answering cooking questions from readers just like you in our weekly Voraciously Q&A. Equipment advice, technique tips, ingredient swaps, you name it! You can submit a question now here, then join the chat to follow along when it goes live at noon today — and every Wednesday.