Friday, July 5, 2013

A Little of This, A Little of That

Sometimes when I have chicken thawing in the fridge, the only thing I know for certain I'm going to do with it is cook it. Yep, I go into dinner without a definite battle plan. Now, I will be completely honest, if it were anything else besides chicken I might freak out a little, but let's face it, chicken happens to be one of the most versatile proteins out there; and it can be transformed from boring to tasty with only a few ingredients.

This was the exact scenario the evening this recipe was born. Boneless chicken breasts happened to be on sale the previous week so I bought them without really knowing why. So the night it was time to turn them into dinner, I began thinking about anything and everything I had in the fridge and pantry that could help me.

We love basin garlic and lemon chicken. It's one of the most used marinades in our house. I've been making it for years, and knew it might be a good base to build from. So I looked around for other flavors I knew would compliment the lemon well, and what I came up with turned out to be super tasty! The lemon helps to keep the meat juicy and tender, while the balsamic gives it a sweet glazed like texture. It makes the outside crispy while the inside stays succulent and flavorful.

If you find yourself in the kitchen with no real idea what to make with a certain meat one night, start playing around with what you have. You know what flavors your family loves, so start adding a "little of this, a little of that" until you get the perfect combination to turn your everyday meal into something special!

Grilled Balsamic Lemon Thyme Chicken
3 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c. olive oil
3 TBS balsamic vinegar
1 lemon juiced
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 TBS Montreal Chicken Seasoning, plus a little extra
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. Place chicken in large container. Pour half the marinade over chicken and stir well. Place reserved marinade in fridge. Allow chicken to marinade in fridge for 4-5 hours, stirring half way through. Remove from marinade 1/2 hour before grilling time and allow meat to come up to room temperature. Sprinkle with extra Montreal Seasoning. When ready, preheat grill to high. Place chicken on grill, searing both sides for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Use reserved marinade to baste chicken often during grilling.
*NOTE* Due to the sugars in the vinegar and the oil, this can burn very easily. We like our grilled chicken a little dark around the edges, but if you don't, watch it carefully.


Chicken at Very Good Recipes
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4 comments:

  1. I pin many of your items off facebook...but with my limited time I rarely comment on blogs....but I wanted to take the time this morning to let you know this looks so good and I will be trying it at my next grilling. Thanks for all you share...love your recipes.

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  2. I love my chicken burnt :) I went to a BBQ at someone elses house and I asked if I could throw mine back on the BBQ so that it could brown up. They said, is there something wrong.... umm, no... I like mine really dark!! If there isn't a crunch, why bother with the grill :) That looks yummy!

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  3. Sadly, I'm often so busy I go into dinner most days without any real plan. lol

    This chicken sounds delicious and I hope you will consider linking up with me for my Foodie Friday Blog Hop on A Room for Two with a View. Feel free to share as many recipes as you'd like. I know my readers will love it!

    Have a fantastic Foodie Friday and a wonderful weekend!

    Melissa

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  4. @I Play...THANK YOU!!! I'm so happy you are finding stuff to pin you like! @Allison...Chicken has to have some crunch/burn marks on it, or I won't eat it. LOL I don't want it to look boiled! @Melissa...I know many people are like that, and I hope this helps them too!

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