A Three Tier Entree - Grilled Chicken + Marinade + Topping
Grilled Mediterranean Chicken
This recipe is chock-full of wonderfully raw fresh flavors and as a side benefit it checks all the boxes for a healthy meal. Treat your family and impress your dinner guests with this mouth watering refreshing recipe.
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 10-12 Minutes
Serves: 4
Suggested Tools:
· 2 Medium bowls
· Stir spoon
· Cutting board
· Sharp knife
· Measuring cups
· Measuring spoons
· Fork
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts – skinned and boned
Note: I usually find that the large chicken breasts are sometimes too large for just one serving; so, I sometimes split the breasts length-wise in half, which is what I did for this blog.
Marinade:
· ½ cup olive oil
· 1/3 cup rice vinegar
· 1/3 cup red onion, well chopped
· 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
· 1 tablespoon lemon juice (either fresh or bottled, but fresh is always a bit nicer)
· 2 tablespoons fresh basil, julienned
· 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, stems removed and chopped well
· ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Marinade Instructions:
1. In a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients above together and mix to combine well.
2. Add the chicken breasts to the bowl and turn to coat the marinade evenly onto the chicken breasts. (The marinade will not cover the chicken entirely).
Note: Instead of using a bowl, you could also choose to place the marinade in a large re-sealable plastic bag along with the chicken and let the bag cool in the refrigerator.
3. Refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for 4-8 hours. During this time, turn the chicken every couple of hours or so.
Topping Ingredients:
Note: The topping can be made hours ahead of time and refrigerated for later use. It is also a nice topping for grilled fish and lamb chops.
· ½ cup cucumber, diced small
· 1/3 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half or quartered depending on their size
· 1/3 cup red onion, peeled and chopped well
· 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, sliced thinly length-wise
· 12 olives of your choice (I used black for this blog), sliced thinly
· 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
· 1 tablespoon fresh basil sliced chiffonade style (finely sliced) or 1/8 teaspoon dried basil
· 1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped well or 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
· 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
· Salt and pepper to taste
Grilling Chicken:
Note: The thickness of the chicken and the temperature on the barbecue determines how long to cook the chicken. The instructions below are for somewhat thinner chicken breasts.
1. Salt and pepper the chicken lightly. Pre-heat the barbecue grill to about 300. Place the chicken on the grill and cook on one side for about five minutes. Turn and cook for about another five minutes or until cooked through but not overcooked which dries out the chicken. Each barbecue is different so use your best judgement.
Alternate Method: I like to see the cross-hatch grill marks on my chicken breasts. To achieve this, once the chicken has been on the hot grill for about three minutes, rotate the meat by turning one-quarter or 45 degrees and cook for another two minutes or so. Then use the same technique for the opposite side.
2. Arrange the chicken breasts side-by-side on a serving dish. Spoon the topping evenly across the chicken and serve.
Enjoy!
The Crooked Ladle
Savor the taste