When I recently hosted a little dinner party and made wild rice casserole, I also fired up the grill and prepared grilled chicken.  Normally when David and I grill chicken, we use bone-in chicken breasts.  David’s sister, Heidi, introduced us to the beauty of the bone-in chicken breast on the grill.  It’s pretty hard to overcook those suckers and the skin crisps up so nicely.

I do understand though, that the bone-in chicken breast can be a bit intimidating so I wanted to experiment with grilling boneless chicken breasts, which seem to be more of the norm in Americans’ backyard cooking.  (It’s amazing to me how we tend to avoid cooking chicken or other meats that include the bone…cooking bone-in meat results in a much more tender, moist and flavorful final product.)

I referred to Sara Foster’s Fresh Every Day cookbook for a guide to grilling boneless chicken breasts.  This cookbook always has recipes that are manageable, easy to follow and don’t require a bunch of random ingredients.  While the recipes are fresh and simple, Foster’s food always looks gourmet.  I used her basic grilling marinade, which involves lemons, white wine, garlic, olive oil and fresh herbs.  Simple, easy and naturally gluten-free.

Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts (From Sara Foster’s Fresh Every Day)

Serves 4 (I doubled the following recipe.)

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (I used rosemary and thyme we’re growing in our front yard.)
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

Rinse chicken breasts, pat dry with paper towels and put them in a shallow glass dish.  Drizzle with the wine and olive oil, sprinkle with the herbs shallot and garlic.  Turn several times to coat the chicken evenly.  Place the lemon slices on top of the chicken, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.  Bring chicken breasts to room temperature before cooking.

Prepare a hot fire in charcoal or gas grill.  (We now have a fancy-dancy gas grill…once you go gas, it’s hard to go back!)

Remove chicken breasts from the marinade, season with s&p, and lay on the hottest part of the grill for 5 to 7 minutes.  (This was a little tricky for me since I was grilling two times the amount…I rotated locations throughout the cooking process.)  Spoon the marinade on the chicken while it cooks.  While the chicken is grilling, cook the lemon slices for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until slightly charred.  Transfer slices to a platter.

Move the chicken to the side of the grill, away from direct heat, close the lid, and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, until juices run clear when cut with a sharp knife.  Cover loosely with foil and let rest for about 5 minutes.

Sara Foster also provides a variety of ‘topping’ recipes to go with the grilled chicken such as tomato sauce with basil and Chipotle Ceasar dressing, but I left this chicken plain, as I wanted the rice casserole to be the star of the meal.  The chicken went nicely with the wild rice casserole and grilled Brussels sprouts.

Final Verdict: I still prefer bone-in chicken breasts on the grill, but these birds were yummy and you could really taste the citrus, garlic and herbs from the marinade.  I made extra so that I could enjoy the leftovers, in the form of open faced chicken sandwiches with melted cheese and mustard, for the rest of the week.  Definitely a good decision.  I’m always planning my next meal…

Bone-in chicken...the grilling champion

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