Grilled Chicken Breasts

[jrichman]

OK....This topic may be pretty basic to many people, but would be pretty helpful to me. I am a big fan of taking some boneless chicken breats and throwing them on the grill for dinner. I like to marinade them as well, but always use the same marinades. Can you please provide me with some tasty marinades for grilled boneless chicken breasts? Thanks....

[Jensen]

Oddly enough, I've got this weird idea in my head that I should eat nothing but grilled chicken this week. Is that timely or what?

Sunday night's dinner:

Here’s how I made the chicken…

5 small skinless, boneless chicken thighs (you could certainly use breasts though)

1 lemon, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

freshly ground pepper

1. Cut the chicken into 1/2″ wide strips and put in a non-reactive bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, giving each lemon slice a squeeze as it goes in the bowl. Toss all ingredients together to mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2. Thread the chicken onto wooden skewers, alternating each chicken strip with a lemon slice.

3. Grill on a hot grill until cooked.

Monday night's dinner:

Grilled chicken pan bagnat from Epicurious

Tuesday night's dinner:

Based on a recipe from the Epicurious site, with the following changes:

* no star anise (I couldn't find any at my store and it's not a spice I stock)

* substituted mizune for chrysanthemum leaves

* substituted pounded and grilled chicken breasts for the roast chicken

* no sliced onion (I forgot! What can I say?)

* substituted Chinese wheat noodles for Chinese egg noodles (on a whim)

* added chopped green onions and chopped cilantro as a garnish

Tonight is going to be meatloaf, made out of chicken and cooked on the grill.

[Jinmyo]

Friends don't let friends eat skinless boneless chicken breasts.

They at least cook them with skin on and bone in.

What you do to yourself is your own business.

[Jensen]

Friends don't let friends eat skinless boneless chicken breasts.

←

I figured this thread would get a rise out of you.

[racheld]

3 T. Soy Sauce or Tamari

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 t. brown sugar

1 T. dark Sesame Oil

Mix above in a flat glass or plastic container; let sit a few minutes for garlic to permeate. Lay in four to six breast halves; marinate up to an hour---turn from time to time.

Pat dry with paper towels. Grill over charcoal or on indoor grillpan; also works nicely in a hot heavy pan with a little spray of Pam.

These are delicious lifted directly from the grill into soft rolls or buns, so that the juices provide the dressing for the sandwich.

Or cut chicken into chunks, marinate, thread with pineapple chunks and whole water chestnuts; brush on remaining marinade. They glaze perfectly during the time it takes for the chicken to cook.

[Tess]

We recently made some grilled "margarita" chicken and shrimp. Basically, you marinate them in margaritas-- tequila, lime juice and triple sec. Only I put the lime juice in right near the end, and less than it called for, because I find that lime juice makes things too mushy. Spices were my fajita mix from Spice House amd I sprinkled on coarse Hawaiian salt. I basted with reduced tequils, a little more lime juice and some butter. (This can be as low-fat a dish as you care to make it.) There are recipes for this all over the place-- some with cilantro, some topped with salsa-- so if you're interested I'd say google until you find one you like. Do marinate in the tequila all day or overnight.

[Mabelline]

I was gonna suggest brining or injecting- but I'm in total agreement with leaving the bones and skin on. There's your flava. I like sticking small icecold chunks of butter up under the skin along with fresh spices. Then you can always skin back and bone when you are done.

[Tess]

Mabelline, what do you inject with? (Sorry; that sounds bad.)

We got an injector but haven't gotten around to doing much with it.

[Mabelline]

I like basic stuff that you want the stuff you are doin' to taste like. But I am a sucker for Asian and Mexican spices, oils and vinegars-or acidics. Just remember with an injection that it must not clog your needle, and under- will prob'ly do more than excess.

Stuff I do use includes palm vinegar, good chile powders, maple sugar, my favorite oyster sauce, garlic-oil, and lemon, starfruit juice,canned lychee-pureed, and horseradish. Tastes excellent---I know, sounds like yuck.

Eeeke!!! Not all together!! Just parts of mixes.

Edited June 15, 2005 by Mabelline (log)

[Tess]

Thanks, Mabelline! All noted.

I had worried about clogging the needle.

[Corinna Dunne]

I agree with the skin on, bones in people. And it must be a good quality bird.

On the marinades, here are 2 of my favourites:

1. Chopped rosemary, minced garlic, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Then grind over some salt before grilling. Great with a mixed salad.

2. Yoghurt, cumin and coriander seed (lightly roasted and ground), grated onion, minced garlic and lemon juice. Again, grind over some salt before grilling. Great with more middle eastern type salads, eg tabbouleh or fattoush. This also roasts very well in the oven if you place the joints on a rack (particularly handy if you are entertaining and want to take the pressure off the barbeque to cook something else, like kebabs, kofta etc).

I am very interested in the discussion upthread on 'injecting'. I was discussing this possibility with a friend recently, who promptly burst out laughing and said he couldn't wait to hear how I got on when I went into the local pharmacy to ask for a needle. Any advice on this issue?

[Mabelline]

Call your large animal vet, and see what they want for one before you check the gourmet cookstores. They are quite used to it by now, same as a farm and ranch supply.

Although I do take an injection every day, unfortunately, it's a VERY miniscule little thang, but perhaps I could sterilize one and try it on doves or squabs or quail sorry, just kidding.

Ah, I am getting more senile. Indian spices!! Do not deny yourself the unctuous taste of a fresh made masala from any of a hundred wonderful folks; most notable are the charming Monica Bhide, Madhur Jaffrey, and, I am ashamed to admit, I have not read Suvir Saran, but Lady Jaymes talks him up real good.

Just always remember that chicken, for all it's overuse and abuse, is galactically great with appropriate spice, cut, heat.....it is so versatile that that's how I reckon everyone morphed to "It tastes like chicken!"

Edited June 15, 2005 by Mabelline (log)

[Mabelline]

Corinna, I am sorry, I just now read where you are. I don't suppose cajun meat injection is quite the rage in Eire. But, still, call a cattle doc, in particular, and describe the reason you want it----intra-muscular injection of a marinade into a hunk of meat. A large bovine injection hypodermic would set you back 2.85 USD here in Montana. I reckon you don't have a whole lot of farm and ranch supplies either, but maybe you know the owner or manager of a stable yard for horses. If so, you are set.

[Corinna Dunne]

Thanks Mabelline. I'm in Dublin to boot... but do have relations with horses in the country, so I'll follow this line of investigation. Is there a thread on injecting marinades? I'd love to hear some more about it.

[Corinna Dunne]

Just one more preference for grilled chicken: the legs and tighs are infinitely more succulent and tasty than the breasts when grilled (bone in of course). And chicken wings too. I think chicken breasts - which tend to be dry - are better cooked another way. Dare I suggest the much maligned Chicken Kiev?

Of course, I have yet to embark on injecting marinades, and this could open a whole new world to me!

[jrichman]

So, what other chicken dishes have you had this week???

Oddly enough, I've got this weird idea in my head that I should eat nothing but grilled chicken this week. Is that timely or what?

Sunday night's dinner:

Here’s how I made the chicken…

5 small skinless, boneless chicken thighs (you could certainly use breasts though)

1 lemon, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

freshly ground pepper

1. Cut the chicken into 1/2″ wide strips and put in a non-reactive bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, giving each lemon slice a squeeze as it goes in the bowl. Toss all ingredients together to mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2. Thread the chicken onto wooden skewers, alternating each chicken strip with a lemon slice.

3. Grill on a hot grill until cooked.

Monday night's dinner:

Grilled chicken pan bagnat from Epicurious

Tuesday night's dinner:

Based on a recipe from the Epicurious site, with the following changes:

* no star anise (I couldn't find any at my store and it's not a spice I stock)

* substituted mizune for chrysanthemum leaves

* substituted pounded and grilled chicken breasts for the roast chicken

* no sliced onion (I forgot! What can I say?)

* substituted Chinese wheat noodles for Chinese egg noodles (on a whim)

* added chopped green onions and chopped cilantro as a garnish

Tonight is going to be meatloaf, made out of chicken and cooked on the grill.

←

[Jensen]

So, what other chicken dishes have you had this week???

Wednesday night I had chipotle chicken meatloaf:

The meatloaf ingredients are:

1/2 cup finely minced onion

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, minced

4 small boneless, skinless chicken thighs, minced

1 egg

1.5 tsp. chipotle chile sauce

1/3 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

salt and pepper to taste

I cooked it on the grill, since there was no way in hell I was going to turn the oven on!

It was accompanied by salsa, a zucchini gratin (also cooked on the grill), refried beans, and tortillas. If I make this again (and it was very well-received so I'm pretty sure I will be), I think I'll use chopped chipotles instead of the bottled sauce. The chipotle flavour kind of got lost.

Last night, I was going to make chicken larb but, as I've never had larb before, I decided to go out to a Thai restaurant and see what the real stuff should taste like. Then, when I make it myself, I'll at least have a benchmark...

[viva]

grilled jerk chicken thighs... thighs are the way to go. Clickety here for the marinade. I make extra of these puppies to keep cold in the fridge for wraps and salads.

[Tess]

Thanks Mabelline.  I'm in Dublin to boot... but do have relations with horses in the country, so I'll follow this line of investigation.  Is there a thread on injecting marinades?  I'd love to hear some more about it.

←

Corinna, I think "relations with horses" sounds different in American. Anyway, I had a little laugh over it.

I'd like to see an injector thread too. So far all I've injected has been turkey breast, with a citrus marinade. That was OK.

[Corinna Dunne]

Tess... I had a huge laugh over it! It is extremely misleading in Ireland too. To clarify, I am not talking about Equus, I did not have relations with that horse, but some of my relatives who live in the countryside have horses.

My lovely American husband is laughing helplessly. Well caught!

[rajsuman]

I am very interested in the discussion upthread on 'injecting'.  I was discussing this possibility with a friend recently, who promptly burst out laughing and said he couldn't wait to hear how I got on when I went into the local pharmacy to ask for a needle.  Any advice on this issue?

←

Some time back, my finger needed a minor surgical procedure which my husband did at home. Before you think it was a DIY surgery, I should let you know he's qualified to cut people open. We had a few unopened syringes and needles leftover from that episode, which I saved because I'd read about injecting marinade into chicken breasts. The syringes are not very big (20ml/10ml), but should hold enough marinade for at least one breast. I can spare a couple, so if you'd like me to post you those, just PM me your address. Of course, I'd totally understand it if you'd rather take the other, more interesting option of relations with horses.

Suman

Edited June 19, 2005 by rajsuman (log)

[Corinna Dunne]

Thanks Suman. That would be great. I'll certainly take you up on this offer and perhaps get an injector thread going. Actually, I have an idea in my head about injecting eggs, so if anything comes of it I will post the details.

[helenjp]

Been grilling chicken breasts here in Japan too! Best recently was simply slapping on a generous amount of coarse salt and grilling at a fairly high temperature - the skin was crisp, and the underside somehow crisp without getting dry.

[Jensen]

After making the pan bagnat up there ^, I started pounding out the skinless, boneless breasts before marinating and grilling. With the thinner meat, you really just toss it around on the grate for a wee bit before it's done. There's no chance for it to dry out (unless you forget it about it and turn it into charcoal) and there's no chance to undercook it either (my favourite mistake to make).

Try it! You'll like it!

[Jinmyo]