One of my favourite things is to buy a big pack of chicken thighs - boneless, skinless - at Costco and then divide and marinate them all. I put about four or five thighs per sandwich-sized ziplok, then add whatever flavours, acids and liquids grab my eye. (One of the best so far was Blueberry Soda.)
I love to mix fruit and protein. I think the acids of the fruit help break down the proteins so they accept the liquid and flavour of the marinade. I often use lemon.
Today I made Papaya, Papaya and Lemon Juice, Mango Juice & Lemonade, and two bags of Tandoori. The tandoori was store-bought marinade.
I bag the thighs, add my made-up marinades, and smoosh it all around until well mixed. Because I do it in the bags, I don't need to dirty my hands. I zip up and let the chicken sit in the fridge for a day to soak, then chuck the bags in the freezer until needed.
I do this whole job without touching any raw chicken contaminated surfaces, so it's pretty food-safe. I still wash my hands of course, but I think this process adds to the food safety level.
Thawing and cooking is easy. If I have time, I can thaw them in the fridge; if it's a last-minute meal, I can boil them down in stock or a bit of water.
The chicken thighs can be fried with veggies, served over rice, added to noodles in soup, served as the main meat course, or cold in a sandwich. Add some frozen peas and the meal is pretty much complete.
They're almost endlessly variable because they play well with others but can stand alone. And they totally cover your butt when you need dinner in an instant.
