Description
Chicken breasts, especially when grilled, tend to dry out. Not these! Read on to learn three tips for making delicious, perfectly seasoned, and juicy grilled chicken breasts. This recipe is simple, and the breasts are always a massive hit with adults and children alike.
The brine recipe is from Cook’s Science. The marinade comes from this Dead Easy Steak Marinade.
Notes:
- Update: Recently, for time purposes, I skipped the brining step, and the breasts came out as juicy as ever — I pounded them, cut them in half (so I had 6 small-ish breasts), and let them marinate for several hours in the fridge. I do think brining is a wonderful technique for breasts, but perhaps pounding is more of the key to tenderness here.
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Bell & Evans chicken is my favorite brand, so I was delighted to read in a sidebar in Cook’s Science that it’s their favorite, too, specifically for its tender texture. The reason this brand of chicken is more tender than others is that it’s given time to “age.” Once the chicken is broken down into parts, the breasts are aged on the bone for 12 hours before the bones and skin are removed. While the breasts age, enzymes are at work: “The natural protease enzymes break down the contracted muscle fibers, making them more tender.”
Ingredients
For the brine (optional, see notes above):
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
For the chicken:
- 3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- lemon pepper, salt-free if possible, to taste
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil or olive oil
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- To make the brine (note I do not do this in anymore… see notes above): In a large bowl, dissolve the salt and sugar in 1.5 quarts of cold water.
- Prep the chicken: Place the chicken breasts on a clean cutting board. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, parchment paper, or wax paper. Use a meat mallet to pound the breasts to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Submerge the breasts in the water and leave for 30 to 60 minutes. I’ve also left the breasts in the brine for 3 to 4 hours without any adverse effects. I brine the breasts at room temperature if the brining period is going to be brief (under 1 hour), and I refrigerate the breasts if it’s going to be longer.
- Remove the breasts from the brine, and pat dry.
- Make the Marinade: In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, honey, and lemon pepper to taste — I use at least a teaspoon in the marinade. Let the breasts marinate for 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Prepare the grill: Heat a grill or a grill pan over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, brush with 2 teaspoons of the neutral oil or olive oil. Remove the breasts from the marinade, letting the excess marinade drip off. Place the breasts on the grill or grill pan — if you are using a grill pan, you’ll likely need to do this in batches. Season the top side of the breasts with salt. I like to sprinkle on a little more lemon pepper at this step. Cook 3 minutes. Flip. Season the cooked side with salt, and cook for 3 minutes more or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American