Famous Sanpete County Barbecue Turkey and Chicken Marinade - Real Life Dinner (2024)

July 22, 2016 35 Comments

You Guys, this Famous Sanpete County Barbecue Turkey and Chicken Marinade is basically my family’s lifeblood.Iseriouslycan’t think of one summer get-together or reunion where this deliciousbarbecued turkey wasn’tserved. Check out these 25 Summer Recipes You’ll Love to serve with the barbecued turkey or chicken.

I come from a long line of people who love to eat. So the fact that this is prepared so frequently among us should give you a pretty good indication of how ridiculously AWESOME it is.

More Turkey & Chicken Recipes

• Sheet Pan Fajitas
• Sun-dried Tomato Turkey Meatballs
• Copycat Chick-fil-A Nuggets
• Pesto Parmesan Chicken
• Simple “How to” Tips for Cooking a Turkey
• Turkey Zucchini Porcupine Meatballs

So, yes, it is famous among our extended family, but it is also famous because it is served to thousands of people every summer during the Manti Mormon Miracle Pageant that is held in Manti, Utah, (Sanpete County) every June.

Manti is a small town. In an effort to fundraise and feed all the people who flood the small city every summer, church groups from the area prepare this delicious marinade to make the turkey breast extra moist and flavorful.

They use turkey meat because Sanpete County is home to a GIANTTurkey Processing Plant, and they can get the meat for a very good price.

how to make famous Sanpete county barbecue turkey and chicken marinade

• Mix all ingredients together.
• Cut large turkey breast in thirds or chicken breasts in half.Place the pieces in a large bowl with a tight-fitting lid or Ziploc bags.
• Add marinade to prepared meat and refrigerate for at least 12 but, preferably, 24 hours.
• Stir or flip once or twice if possible during marinating time.
• Using an outdoor grill, grill meat until cooked through.
• Enjoy!

Luckily, the marinade also tastes great on chicken, and out here where I live, boneless turkey breast can be really expensive. Chicken is a much more affordable option and still delicious.

My parents live close enough to the turkey processing plant that they buy turkey breast by 10 or 20 lb blocks. Just this past month when we were in Utah, they marinated and barbecued about 20 lbs worth of turkey breast. My dad and my brother, Matt, have the grilling down to a perfected science. There were 40 of us home at that time, and let’s just say it didn’t last very long. It is sooooo good.

This marinade is also awesome made gluten-free. In place of the soy sauce, use liquid aminos so it’s gluten-free. We have a few people in our family that cannot have gluten, and this is a great thing to make when feeding them.

My mom, who I consider an expert in marinating turkey, saves and uses empty 5-qt ice cream buckets to marinate the meat in. They have a tight-fitting lid and are much easier to get the meat out of than a Ziploc bag.

If there was one thing I could personally force you to make for your family or guests this summer, this is it–barbecued turkey or chicken breasts marinated in this simple awesome marinade. Grilled. Summer. Perfection.

Tips for making Famous Sanpete County Barbecue Turkey and Chicken Marinade

• My mom likes to marinate the meat in an empty 5-quart ice cream bucket. A large bowl with a tight-fitting lid works well, too, or dividing it up into Ziploc bags works, too. It is just easier to get the meat out of a bowl or bucket when grilling than out of a tipsy bag.
• Chicken tenders also work well for this recipe.
• Marinate the meat for at least 12 but, preferably, 24 hours.
• We usually serve it with baked potatoes, green beans or corn on the cob, rolls, and jello salad.