Mint Marinated Chicken Breast
Chicken Low Calorie Recipes Meat Dishes Gluten-Free Recipes
Marinated chicken breast inspired by Turkish cuisine.
A few months ago when I made shish kebab, you asked me if you can leave the meat marinating in onion juice for longer. My intuitive answer was no. This week I did some tests on larger pieces of meat (chicken breast halves up to 250g each) and it was confirmed that the marinade changes its taste after about 5 hours. So I stick to the recommendation of 1-2 hours of marinating for cubed meat (for skewers) and 3-4 hours for larger pieces. I also noticed that it makes a big difference if you use a less pungent onion, as sweet as possible, one that doesn't make your eyes water when you cut it.
I served the mint, chili and butter flavored chicken with a large carrot and chickpea salad.
Ingredients
1 chicken breast (approx. 400-500g; skinless)
1 cube of butter
salt, black pepper, chili flakes, dried crushed mint
Marinade
2 large onions (sweet)
3 sprigs of parsley
1 sprig of mint
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
3 tablespoons lime/lemon juice
1 tablespoon oil
Salad
250g carrots
250g cooked chickpeas
a few sprigs of parsley and a few mint leaves
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon lime/lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
salt
Servings: 2
How to prepare mint marinated chicken breast
- Separate the breast into its two lobes.
- Put the onion in a blender with a little salt and blend until it becomes a paste. If the blender doesn't mix properly, add 3-4 tablespoons of water. Put the onion puree in a cheesecloth and squeeze the juice over the chicken.
- Add the turmeric, oil, lime juice and chopped mint and parsley. Mix well and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade. On your work surface, grind black pepper, sprinkle a little salt, chili flakes to taste and finely crushed dried mint (or dried oregano). Roll the chicken through these seasonings until completely coated. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Heat a grill pan (without oil; if you don't have a grill pan you can use a cast iron skillet) on maximum heat for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium and place the chicken in the pan. You can add as many pieces as fit without crowding.
- Sear the chicken for 2 minutes on each side.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and let the chicken cook for another 10-12 minutes.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and rub a cube of butter over it. Cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- For the salad, mix the grated carrot and chickpeas. Sprinkle a little salt and taste. Add the chopped herbs. Mix the oil with the lemon juice, ginger and cumin and pour over the vegetables.
- Serve the warm chicken breast with the salad and optionally herb rice.
Onion puree in cheesecloth
Squeezing the onion juice
Chicken in the marinade
Chicken breast coated with seasonings
Searing the chicken on the first side
Flip and transfer to the oven
