Marmite Chicken

Who can resist the temptation of making a juicy marmite chicken recipe? What makes this marmite chicken special is the honey marmite sauce which is combined with mirin. Together with the chicken, it gives an amazing Chinese flavour to it, which is even more enhanced if you grill the chicken instead of pan-frying it. One of the best features of this chicken recipe is that the preparation and cooking time together are only around 30 minutes. This makes this marmite chicken recipe a fantastic idea for a quick lunch or dinner. Plus, it's really budget friendly because chicken is inexpensive.

Lastly, it's a fantastic opportunity to spice up a plain chicken recipe and pack it with Asian flavours. I have a feeling that you will be adding this marmite chicken to your weekly menu. Enjoy and serve it as a starter or as a main course. So, are you ready to master this homemade Chinese fakeaway? 

Chinese marmite chicken recipe

This article will provide you with information on how to master this simple chicken recipe. Here, you'll learn exactly how to cook home-style marmite chicken. There are two things that can make or break this dish. First, you should really aim to brine the chicken prior to the cooking process. Keep reading to learn more. Second, the sauce is the crucial part of the recipe that will tie everything together.
Marmite chicken is not complicated at all. In fact, marmite chicken calls for pieces of chicken breasts cut into thin pieces. Of course, you can consider other cuts of chicken like thighs or drumsticks. They are considered as the dark meat of the chicken. In summary, they carry a more intense umami flavour. 

best marmite sauce from scratch

Now, let's start with the marmite sauce. Do you all know what Marmite is? I am pretty sure that my British and Australian readers will know exactly what marmite is because it is an integral part of British cuisine. Actually, in Australia, they have something very similar called Vegemite (a fabulous substitute). However, for those of you who are not in the know, let me elaborate.

Marmite is a popular British spread, established all the way back in 1902 by Justus von Liebig. I know, he doesn't sound very British. In fact he was a German scientist who discovered brewing yeast. By 1912, marmite was used as a vitamin supplement, especially during World War I, because it was a huge part of the rationing system. To read more about the history of marmite, click right here.

This spread is made from yeast extract and is a dark and sticky paste with a very powerful flavour. You either love it, or hate it. It's that type of ingredient. In terms of taste, it is extremely salty and pungent. 
So, to prepare the honey Marmite sauce, combine the marmite with the soy sauce, water, honey and mirin. The key here is to stir everything gently and slowly over low heat. This way, the ingredients can bind together and dissolve without any lumps.

how to brine chicken

For best results, as with any chicken recipe, I always encourage my readers to brine the chicken first. So, if you use brined chicken breasts, you will accomplish fantastic, juicy and tender chicken. I always say, once you brine, you never go back! True story. 
The brining process basically involves placing the chicken in a spiced salt water solution. In fact, this process is similar to marinating. Just check out my ultimate guide on brining chicken. It will set your marmite chicken apart in terms of quality.
Naturally, if you feel like experimenting with other ingredients besides chicken, then consider these substitutes:

• turkey - one of the best and leanest substitutes
• quail - a more delicate alternative to chicken
• pheasant - might be slightly hard to get your hands on this bird

However, you can also consider making other versions using the marmite sauce. These include:

• beef - make sure to use plenty of marmite sauce 
• pork - a very suitable alternative to chicken
• lamb - lamb is not for everyone but the bold flavours complement the honey

marmite chicken air fryer

You can consider using an air fryer to cook this marmite chicken recipe. I highly recommend using an air fryer because it yields excellent results. I've used it previously for making my tender air fryer chicken wings as well as this air fried salmon recipe.
You can also consider another fantastic Asian chicken recipe for air frying. This includes this salt and chili chicken, which is very similar to that of this marmite chicken (except the addition of the special sauce). It's definitely got a bit of a kick. You can also add the marmite honey mirin sauce into that recipe as well to give it an extra edge.

marmite fried chicken

Again, to make this process even simpler, you can always go for simply pan-frying the chicken in a pan. Or you can oven-bake it. Just take a look at my oven-baked barbecue chicken recipe – you'd never know that it was prepared in the oven! 

marmite honey chili chicken stir fry

In essence. you can also turn your marmite chicken into a stir fry. Just take a look at my sweet chili chicken stir fry recipe for a bit of inspiration. If you want to make the marmite chicken into a sizzling stir fry, then you can add even more ingredients to make this recipe even more vibrant. 

marmite chicken skewers

Lastly, if you would like to serve this marmite chicken in a barbecue or as a starter, then cook it on the grill with skewers. There is nothing better than chicken on the grill. Especially if the weather is favourable.
Let the grill give the chicken a lovely char and let the smoke create that rich taste!
In addition, to serve it as a starter, you can serve the marmite chicken on top of lettuce. 

toppings

For extra Asian flavour, sprinkle with white sesame seeds, lime juice or fresh herbs like parsley or coriander. 
I also like adding fresh red chillies. They will look stunning on top of the glazy marmite chicken pieces.
Serve with rice or side garden salad.

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