Who says a grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast has to be dry and boring? Since there's no fat to juice things up, it all depends on the marinade you use. And if you pick the right one, you'll be the grilling guru of your neighborhood this Memorial Day.
Back in the 1980s, the idea of marinating chicken breasts in Italian dressing was the rage. With that decade of bottled dressings and prepackaged meals behind us, cooks have devised numerous ways to dress up a chicken breast with made-from-scratch sauces and toppings. But it's the marinade that makes the difference.
Anne BralyI found this recipe somewhere online, and like most cooks, tweaked it a bit, adding a touch more Dijon and garlic to the mix and nixing the thyme, simply because I don't like it. Unlike their counterparts - thighs and drumsticks, with their darker, fatty meat - chicken breasts have little if any fat on them, rendering dry results if cooked too long, so be careful not to keep them on the grill too long. The recipe did not call for pounding them, but I think pounding chicken breasts helps to cook them more evenly, so you might want to follow suit.
The ingredients for this marinade marry beautifully with the lime and vinegar, helping to tenderize the chicken and adding delicious flavor. So when your neighbors are having boring burgers for their Memorial Day feasts, you can enjoy a more healthful meal that will send smoke signals through the neighborhood when you place them on the grill.
Of course, you'll want to make plenty, so double the recipe. Later, you can enjoy the chicken remade into a chef salad; a grilled chicken sandwich with slices of avocado; chicken nachos; or tossed onto a pizza crust with some grilled peppers, onions and white barbecue sauce. The ideas are endless when it comes to leftover chicken, and using this recipe for grilled chicken takes the taste up a notch.
Balsamic-Soy Grilled Chicken
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme, optional
3 small (or 2 large) garlic cloves, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
In a gallon-size resealable bag, add soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, brown sugar, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, dried thyme, chopped garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper.
Seal bag tightly, and shake. Open bag, and add chicken. Seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to two days, turning bag occasionally to coat well. Heat grill to medium-high. When hot, place chicken breasts on grill, and grill for 5-8 minutes per side (depending on size of chicken breasts), flipping once. Make sure chicken is cooked through, but don't overcook. Temperature should be right at 160 degrees. Let rest for about 5 minutes, then slice, if desired, and serve.
GRILLING TIPS
If you're a novice at the grill or just want some new tips, here are some suggestions from Char-Broil, maker of all things smoky.
» If you have a smoker, ditch the water and add a different element to your smoke. Filling the water pan with beer, wine or even soda will steam the liquid and add a hearty, earthy, and/or sweet flavor to whatever you're smoking.
» Don't have a smoker? You can get a similar effect using a gas or charcoal grill by placing the meat on a flavored wood plank. It helps add a smoky flavor to any meat including chicken, fish and even turkey.
» Watch the wood chunks. More smoke isn't always a good thing. Adding too much wood at once can overpower the meat, replacing the juicy smoke with a bitter taste.
» Choose your wood wisely. Pairing the right wood chips and meat is essential for getting the right flavor. Certain types of wood work in harmony with specific meats. Alder wood chips have a delicate, sweet flavor that is perfect for salmon, while apple wood chips have a fruity flavor that goes well with ham. Cherry wood and oak are best for beef, chicken and pork.
GRILL MASTER HOTLINE
Do you have more questions about grilling? If so, grill masters from around the country - including Leeann Pulliam, managing partner at the LongHorn Steakhouse in Cleveland - will be on hand to answer your questions on Memorial Day, May 28, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. She and others can answer the simplest of grilling questions to the most complex. The number is 855-544-7455.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.