“JUICY-TENDER-BREASTS…OF CHICKEN!”
A chicken breast that is oh so juicy and tender; just what the doctor ordered. Cooked so right that when you cut into it, clear juices run out. I am using this perfect chicken breasts for a beautiful salad dressed with a light ranch dressing.
THE COMPLAINING TURKEY
“It was what the doctor ordered…very little beef, you turkey!” Speaking of; That turkey really got it this past Thanksgiving Day! This was a picture that one of my friends shot over a couple of days ago of a turkey he cooked for Thanksgiving Day. Back to dinner time.
THE HEALTHY DINNER
While you can eat this tasty chicken breasts by itself, my daughter suggested to mix it in with a healthy fresh salad. This salad has five chopped strawberries, 1/2 cup chopped carrots, one tomato, two cups of a baby spinach mix, enough leafy lettuce to fill three dinner plates, one chopped apple, 1/2 cup shredded sharp cedar cheese, and its been tossed around in 3 tablespoons of an extra virgin olive oil. “Oh yes…don’t forget the pair of grilled chicken breasts and the light ranch dressing.”
THE MAIN ATTRACTION
Start with watching room temperature chicken breasts in cold running water, pat dry and butterfly them. In a bowl mix 3 tablespoons of light olive oil, grated lemon zest, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon of coarse salt, 1/2 tablespoon of fresh ground pepper, 1/2 tablespoon of paprika, 1/2 tablespoon of thyme and 1/2 tablespoon of dry parsley flakes.
LEMON ZEST
COMBINE EVERYTHING
Combine everything and give it a stir, let it rest for a minute or two to get the flavors intertwined or mixed in together.
THE CHICKEN
Add chicken breast and coat both sides. That’s it, take to grilling area and grill for 10-15 minutes turning over at the half way point and grill until the juices run clear when poked with a toothpick in the meatiest part of the breast. Make sure the coals have ashed over before you start. I have used direct heat for this piece of butterflied chicken. If your haven’t butterflied your chicken cook under indirect heat. Move the coals over to one side and add more cooking time. Do check for the clear juices when you poke your chicken; it is a sure sign of that the chicken is done. You can also use a meat thermometer and when the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees, its well done, but for juicy-tender chicken breast I recommend the toothpick method. When ready, chop the chicken breast to bite size and mix in with its juices with the salad and serve with your favorite salad dressing. “YUMMY-YUMMY, FOR MY TUMMY!”
These juicy tender chicken breasts are a total joy to eat by themselves or in a healthy salad like my family did.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of light olive oil
- The zest of 1 whole lemon
- Juice of 1 whole lemon
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 1/2 tablespoon of fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon of paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon of dried thyme
- 1/2 tablespoon of dried parsley flakes
- 2 chicken breasts
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the chicken and let rest to allow all the flavors to come together.
- During this time rinse chicken in cold running water and pat dry. Butterfly the chicken.
- Combine chicken breasts with the ingredients and coat well on both sides.
- Grill chicken breasts under direct heat for 10-15 minutes or until the juices run clear at the meatiest part turning over once at the halfway grilling point.
- Remove and chop to bite size chunks.
- Add to the salad and use your favorite dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
As usual, the prep time takes the most. Waiting for the charcoal to ash over is a 30+ minute wait, but worth every single minute. When you bite into something you cooked on the grill, its just like "WOW!" P.S. I added small chunks of hickory wood for that extra kick in flavor.