At times, the most straightforward dishes in cooking can be the most challenging to perfect, and grilled chicken exemplifies this. Due to the leanness of boneless chicken breasts, they frequently end up dry, rubbery, and lacking flavor. Contrary to common belief, merely marinating will not stop grilled chicken from becoming dry; in fact, the marinade can often exacerbate the issue!
My method and marinade guarantee tender, juicy, and flavorful grilled chicken consistently. You can serve the fillets on their own as a nutritious main dish (which children enjoy), topped with cheese on a toasted bun, or, as I frequently do, sliced over a Caesar salad. An added benefit: the recipe is quick and straightforward. All preparation can be done in advance, and you won’t even need to dirty a single bowl.
What You Will Require To Prepare THE BEST Grilled Chicken
Ingredients for grilled chicken breasts
STEP-BY-STEP Instructions
Step 1: Pound the Chicken
Place the chicken breasts in a 1-gallon freezer bag and pound them to an even thickness of ½ inch. This process tenderizes the meat and ensures uniform cooking. If left in their natural shape, the thinner side of the fillet will dry out while the thicker side continues to cook. If you lack a meat mallet, a rolling pin or a saucepan will suffice.
Step 2: Prepare the Marinade
Lemon is an essential component of this marinade, but I utilize only the zest. Contrary to popular belief, acidic components (like vinegar or lemon juice) do not tenderize lean boneless chicken breasts. On the contrary, they “cook” the outer layer of the meat, resulting in a leathery texture. The zest imparts a robust lemon flavor to the chicken without compromising its juicy texture.
The optimal tool for zesting citrus is a fine or microplane grater. Simply rub the lemon against the blades in one direction, rotating the lemon as you proceed. Ensure that you only remove the yellow part; the white pith beneath is bitter.
After zesting the lemon, combine all of the marinade ingredients, excluding the chicken, in a 1-gallon zip-lock bag (feel free to use the same one you used for pounding).
Add the chicken breasts to the bag and thoroughly massage the marinade into the meat until it is evenly coated.
Step 3: Marinate
Seal the bag and position it in a bowl within the refrigerator (the bowl serves to prevent leakage); allow the chicken to marinate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
Step 4: Grill
When you are prepared to eat, preheat your grill to high heat and apply oil to the grates (clean, oiled grates will provide the best grill marks). Ensure that your grill is extremely hot prior to cooking the chicken; you desire nice grill marks and char in the brief time it takes to cook these. When pounded thin, chicken breasts require only 2 to 3 minutes per side…no longer! If you attempt to flip the chicken and it appears stuck, allow it an additional 30 seconds. It will release naturally when it is ready.
You will observe that the recipe instructs for the grill to be covered while the chicken is cooking. This generates convection heat which aids in providing the chicken with a nicely charred exterior and a tender, moist interior.
After taking the chicken off the grill, allow it to rest for 3 to 4 minutes before slicing into it. This will assist in retaining the juices and maintaining the meat’s moisture. (The timing is ideal as it is just sufficient to serve it onto plates, add sides, and set on the table).
While this chicken is best served immediately off the grill, it is also the type of dish you can prepare in a double batch and freeze for later use in salads, pastas, and sandwiches.
Freezer-Friendly Tips
Ensure the chicken is entirely cooled before freezing it.
Keep the chicken pieces whole (do not slice before freezing).
To prevent multiple pieces from sticking together (which prolongs defrosting time), wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap and then place them all in a ziploc bag. This also allows you to defrost one piece at a time if desired.
A great marinated chicken breast recipe to try !
INGREDIENTS:
- 4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
Peel the zest from the lemon (the zest is the yellow portion of the skin which does not contain any portion of white).
In a food processor, process bread, cheese, lemon zest, paprika, herbs and cheese until combined (except parsley). Empty contents to a bowl and set aside. Rinse food processor bowl.
Squeeze lemon juice into food processor bowl. Pour in olive oil and garlic; process until garlic is minced.
Pour liquid into a ziploc bag and marinate chicken breast for 45-90 minutes.
Beat one egg and add chopped parsley. (A dash of paprika can also be added for extra color, if desired).
Cut chicken breast into slices 2 inches long by 3/8" thick. Dip chicken pieces into egg mixture, then coat with bread crumb mixture.
Sauté chicken pieces in 1/4" of olive oil until browned, flipping once or twice, about 2-3 minutes. Note: Add extra flavor to olive oil by adding a few whole cloves garlic; remove from oil when they
brown.
Recipe may be doubled. Store remainder refrigerated until ready to use. Sprinkle with mozzarella, provolone or Parmesan cheese and heat briefly in toaster oven before serving topped with pasta sauce. The marinated chicken breast recipe is ready to serve...enjoy the feast !
marinated-grilled-chicken.
