Simple grilled basil chicken (with a special little trick)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date

 
G

Guest

Guest
This is a very simple recipe that my wife adores. This is a good recipe when you don't want to spend a bunch of money on ingredients. Often-times we thinly slice the grilled chicken and put it into a salad. Unfortunately I don't have exact measurements, but it's simple enough to where you don't really need them. I hope the simplicity doesn't scare you away! There are a few techniques I use in this recipe that really make this chicken burst with flavor. This is just the basic method, feel free to elaborate and please share if you do!

Steve's Wives Favorite Chicken with a Twist
------------------------------------------------------------
2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 lemons
Whole basil leaves (dry just doesn't do it)
a few mint leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper


Place the chicken breasts in a bowl just big enough to hold them, a typical cereal bowl works well.

In another bowl mix in olive oil and the juice of one of the lemons. Also put in salt to taste and a generous amount of fresh-ground black pepper. Throw in a few basil leaves for good measure. Make enough of this mixture to cover the chicken and save some for the end.

Pour enough of this mixture on the chicken so it's covered, somewhat like you're marinading. Place a few fresh basil leaves on top of the chicken as well. Put some salt and pepper on the chicken (to taste, I like a lot of pepper). Slice the remaining lemon into 1/4 inch slices and place on top of the chicken. I typically use 2 slices per breast and if there is lemon left I squeeze it into the bowl with the chicken. Make sure you have enough of that mixture for later use, about a tablespoon worth should be fine. Make sure the reserve of the olive oil mixture does not make contact with the chicken.

Grill the chicken on direct heat with the lemons on top of the basil leave covered chicken. Make sure you grill with the lid on. Once you're ready to flip the chicken make sure there are at least a few basil leaves on the side that will be contacting the grill. Let the basil leaves burn into the chicken, it doesn't take long. Also for good measure go ahead and brush on some of that oil mixture we made earlier (but still keep a little reserved!). Place the lemon slices back on top of the chicken. Just before the chicken is completely done, place the lemons directly on top of the grill (there should be 2 slices of lemon for each chicken breast) and then place the chicken on top of the lemons. Let it finish cooking this way.

Once you're done, slice the chicken into 1/4 inch slices cross-wise. Place the chicken in a bowl, pour the remaining mixture and toss to evenly coat the chicken slices. Garnish with a few mint leaves.



I think you will find the chicken to be quite explosive in flavor, especially given the simplicity of this recipe. Burning the whole basil leaves into the chicken really adds a nice dynamic. Grilling the chicken on top of the lemons infuses a nice grilled lemon flavor into the chicken as well. This is great for grilled chicken salad, or not, works well both ways.
 

 

Back
Top