Cooking chicken on the grill is a summertime pleasure. Most people grill thighs or legs because chicken breasts have a tendency to dry out on the grill. I like to eat chicken but I am not a fan of dark meat or bones. Boneless breasts are the only cuts of chicken for me, making it a challenge to keep the meat moist & flavorful on the grill. It is also a challenge to find a recipe for grilled chicken that actually calls for chicken breasts. As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew we had to try it.
This recipe uses a marinade on the chicken. Marinades add flavor to food. The word marinade comes from the Latin word marinara, meaning “of the sea.” Marinades from several centuries ago (when they were first used) were briny liquids like seawater meant to preserve, tenderize and flavor foods. Food preservation methods have drastically improved over the last hundred years so there’s no longer a need for a heavily salted mixture. And the best way to tenderize a piece of meat is to pound it. When the marinade contains an oil as part of the base, moistness stays in the meat. The other ingredients add lots of flavor, the main purpose of marinades in use today. How can one go wrong when you soak the chicken in red wine & a touch of oil then throw in plenty of garlic?!
Garlic & Wine Marinated Chicken
Garlic & Wine Marinated Chicken (adapted from betterrecipes.com) Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- ⅓ cup red wine
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Directions:
Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound them to a 1/2 inch thickness. Place the garlic, wine, soy sauce, oil, parsley, pepper, rosemary, cumin and salt into the cup of a wand blender or a food processor and blend until it is smooth. Pour the marinade into a large resealable plastic bag, add the meat and seal the bag. Turn the bag to mix the ingredients well. Refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for 1-2 hours.
I prefer a wand blender to a food processor or a regular blender to mix up a marinade.
Remove the meat from the fridge, discard the remaining marinade, and grill the chicken about 5 minutes a side, to an internal temperature of 165º. Serve with your favorite side.
This chicken doesn’t dry out on the grill and it tastes great!
Serving up some great chicken! ~Linda
Garlic & Wine Marinated Chicken (adapted from betterrecipes.com) Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- ⅓ cup red wine
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Directions:
Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound them to a 1/2 inch thickness. Place the garlic, wine, soy sauce, oil, parsley, pepper, rosemary, cumin and salt into the cup of a wand blender or a food processor and blend until it is smooth. Pour the marinade into a large resealable plastic bag, add the meat and seal the bag. Turn the bag to mix the ingredients well. Refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for 1-2 hours.
Remove the meat from the fridge, discard the remaining marinade, and grill the chicken about 5 minutes a side, to an internal temperature of 165º. Serve with your favorite side.