These grilled chicken breasts are seasoned with an herb, lemon, and garlic marinade. They make a great centerpiece for a healthy dinner for your family or guests.
Marinades contain acids, oils and seasonings that add flavor to poultry. It can also be used on roasted or roasted chicken.
When marinating chicken, you don't want to marinate it for too long or it will become mushy. Two to four hours is enough time for the marinade to work its magic. The marinade will also be used to baste the chicken when grilling. Because raw chicken can transfer potentially dangerous bacteria to the marinade, boil it before using.
Feel free to use your own combination of herbs. Fresh chopped herbs are a good choice, but you can also use dried herbs if you have them. Be sure to buy a fresh lemon for flavoring and use fresh lemon juice for the marinade.
Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking time: 55 minutes Marinate time: 2 hours Full: 3 hours 10 minutes Serves: 4-6
Material:
- 4 to 6 chicken breasts (bone-in)
Marinade:
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1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
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1/2 cup green onions (chopped)
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2 cloves garlic (chopped)
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1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried)
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1 tablespoon fresh dill (chopped)
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1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
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1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh)
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1/8 teaspoon black pepper (coarsely ground)
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1 tablespoon lemon zest (zest of one lemon)
Production steps:
- Trim any excess skin or fat from the chicken breasts.
- Place marinade ingredients (olive oil, scallions, garlic, rosemary, dill, tarragon, lemon juice, black pepper, and lemon zest) into a large resealable plastic food storage bag. Add chicken breasts. Turn the bag to coat the chicken pieces. Refrigerate and marinate 2 to 4 hours, turning occasionally.
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Remove chicken from marinade and drain. Add reserved marinade to pan.
- Place chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet or oven rack. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil; continue boiling over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Brush chicken with marinade; flip and brush other side and grill for another 20 to 30 minutes, several times before chicken is done.
- The chicken should be cooked through when browned and the juices should run clear when pierced with a fork. If using a thermometer, it should reach 165 F (75 C).
- Remove chicken from oven.
- enjoy!
Serve chicken with roasted or roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli or green beans. Roasted root vegetables, such as carrots and cauliflower, also go well with chicken.
Refrigerate any leftover chicken breasts and use within three to four days. They will reheat in the microwave and are great. You can also slice them and use the meat in salads and sandwiches.
You may be wondering why you boil the chicken before you baste it with marinade. This is a food safety step. Raw chicken contains bacteria that can cause illness if not killed, and these bacteria are present in the marinade. Boiling will ensure that the marinade is safe and does not transfer bacteria to the chicken that may not be killed at oven temperatures.
