Grilled Chicken Breasts With Fresh Herbs And Lemon Recipes

GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board (leave several inches between them and work in batches as needed). Cover with plastic wrap to keep things tidy, and with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or your fist, pound the chicken to an even thickness. It doesn't need to be ultra thin-just make sure the middle is fairly even with the ends (the chicken should be about 1/2-inch thick).
• With a fork, poke holes all over the chicken (this will allow the marinade to absorb).
• In a large ziptop bag, combine the marinade ingredients, then add the chicken.
• Seal the bag to evenly coat the chicken with the marinade. Place in a pan or bowl to catch any drips. Let the chicken marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate it to marinate for up to 12 hours (5 to 6 hours is ideal). Even 15 minutes is better than nothing!
• When ready to grill, preheat the grill to high (475 degrees F). If your chicken has been in the refrigerator, remove it and allow it to come to room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grates.
• Place the chicken on the grill presentation (smooth) side down, shaking off any excess marinade. Cover the grill and let cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side, then flip. The chicken should lift easily off the grill; if it sticks, allow it to cook another minute or two.
• Recover the grill and cook for an additional 4 to 8 minutes. Chicken is considered done at 165 degrees F. I like to remove chicken from the grill around the 155-160 degree F mark and allow it to finish cooking while resting. DO NOT OVERCOOK, or your chicken will be dry.
• Place the chicken on a plate and let rest for at least 5 minutes (resting is mandatory!). Add any desired toppings or sauces. Enjoy!

THE BEST GRILLED CHICKEN RECIPE

Steps:

• thickest part of the chicken breast into uniform thickness aiming for 3/4 inch thick and if very large, cut into uniform sizes roughly 5-6 ounces each.
• Mix marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons (for garnish). Place chicken and marinade in a bowl, baking dish or large zip lock bag and massage to coat all sides well. Marinate for 30 minutes, a few hours, overnight or even a few days.
• Grill: Preheat grill to medium-high. (See notes for chicken thighs.) Lift chicken breasts out of the bowl, letting most of the oil drip off -before carefully placing it on the grill. Cut the zested lemons in half, placing open sides down on the grill too. Feel free to add any veggies to the grill- here we added halved tomatoes. Close the grill lid and cook for 5-6 minutes (or until deep golden grill marks appear) before flipping. Cook the other side, 5-7 minutes, and lower heat or move to a cooler spot until the thickest part of the breast registers at 160F and meat is no longer pink, and the meat looks opaque. Let it rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
• Place the grilled chicken on a serving platter, squeeze generously with the grilled lemon, and tuck in fresh herbs for garnish. Spoon the reserved 2 tablespoons marinade over the chicken, and serve! (NOTE: DO not use the "used marinade" that the raw chicken was in for this!).

MIDDLE EASTERN-INSPIRED HERB AND GARLIC CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine chicken with all but 1 teaspoon of the grated garlic (save that teaspoon for the yogurt sauce), the zest and juice of 1 lemon, oil, parsley, mint, thyme, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the sesame seeds and sumac, if using. Cover and marinate for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature; you can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
• Heat grill or broiler. If grilling, cook chicken over high heat until charred in spots, 4 to 7 minutes. Flip pieces and continue grilling until just cooked through, another 4 to 7 minutes. If broiling, arrange a rack 3 to 4 inches from flame. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spread chicken out in a single layer. Broil chicken, turning halfway through cooking, until well colored and charred in spots, 4 to 7 minutes per side. Be careful that it doesn't burn.
• While chicken cooks, place yogurt in a small bowl. Stir in the reserved grated garlic and lemon zest and season to taste with salt. Serve the chicken drizzled with olive oil, remaining lemon juice to taste, black pepper, parsley and sesame seeds and sumac, if using, with the yogurt alongside for dipping.

LEMON AND THYME GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Place chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap. Using a mallet or rolling pin, pound each to an even thickness of 1/2 inch. Do not make them any thinner or they could dry out.
• Place chicken in a large bowl and toss with salt, pepper, thyme, garlic and the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Mix in olive oil. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Remove chicken from fridge while you heat the grill.
• Light the grill, building a hot fire, or heat your gas grill to high. Once grill is fully heated, brush breasts lightly with olive oil and place chicken on the grill. Cook until undersides are browned and chicken is about halfway cooked, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip breasts and grill until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Transfer chicken to a platter. Drizzle with oil and garnish with additional lemon juice, olive oil and basil or mint leaves.

WEEKNIGHT LEMON CHICKEN BREASTS WITH HERBS

Steps:

• Season the chicken breasts all over with the salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a gallon-size resealable freezer bag. Add 1/2 cup olive oil and the remaining ingredients, press out the air and seal the bag tightly so the chicken is fully submerged. Massage the chicken through the plastic bag to evenly distribute the herbs. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
• In a large, deep skillet with a lid, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium. Remove the chicken from the marinade, add to the skillet, then pour the lemons and marinade on top. Cook until the chicken is golden on one side, about 8 minutes. Turn the chicken, cover and cook over medium-low until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Serve chicken topped with lemons and sauce.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH HERBS

Steps:

• In a blender combine the parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Blend together. Place chicken in a nonporous glass dish or bowl and pour blended marinade over the chicken. Cover dish and refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
• Preheat grill to medium high heat OR set oven to broil.
• Remove chicken from dish (disposing of leftover marinade) and grill or broil for about 6 to 7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.