Picture this: you get home from work, and your dinner is prepped and ready to go. All you have to do is spend about 20 minutes letting it cook, and voilà, you've got a delicious, homemade meal on the table. That might sound completely impossible, but we promise it's not when you've got these super simple chicken marinades in your corner.We know what you're thinking. Cooking chicken is a daunting task. It's hard to tell when it's actually done without cutting into it a million times. Or, maybe you worry about overcooking and drying it out. The answer to your protein woes is all in the marinade.
In the recipes featured ahead, chicken breasts are thrown into a big re-sealable bag, with a flavorful mix of ingredients, and you're left with a super moist, no-fail dinner every single time. The one caveat is that the chicken has to marinate for at least eight hours. We suggest setting it up the night before (and by setting up we mean putting everything into the bag and sticking it in the fridge). When you get home from work the next night, you'll already be almost ready to eat. Chicken just got way less scary.
Coconut Curry Chicken
First, gather your ingredients.
Coconut Curry Chicken
Next, throw them in a re-sealable bag.
Finally, cook the chicken. It's as easy as that!
Coconut Curry Chicken
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup coconut milk or cream
2 tbsp red or yellow Thai curry paste
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, optional
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
1. Add all ingredients to a large Ziplock bag. Close the bag and squeeze out any extra air, then make sure ingredients are mixed and chicken is coated with marinade.
2. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours or overnight before cooking.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a fork. Place each breast lengthwise on a separate 12-inch piece of aluminum foil. Loosely fold the long sides of the foil up over the top of each breast, then tightly twist the short sides to make secure pouches. Place the pouches on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut a slit in the top of each pouch to open. Be careful! Steam will escape and there will be hot liquid at the bottom of the pouch.
5. Serve with veggies, rice, or both.
Citrusy Chipotle Chicken
First, gather your ingredients.
Citrusy Chipotle Chicken
Next, throw them in a re-sealable bag.
Finally, cook the chicken. It's as easy as that!
Citrusy Chipotle Chicken
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 orange, halved
1 lemon, halved
1/2 small white onion, sliced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped
1 tablespoon Mexican seasoning
Instructions
1. Squeeze the lemon and orange halves into re-sealable plastic bag along with the chicken, oil, and salt. Toss in the onion slices, Mexican seasoning, and chipotle. Seal and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pull the chicken breasts out of the bag with a fork, letting any extra marinade drip off into the bag. Discard the marinade, onions and citrus.
3. Pan fry the chicken breasts, covered for 8 to 10 minutes on each side, until the outside of the chicken is brown and a little crispy, and all traces of pink are gone from the middle. Shred with two forks and serve with tortillas or in tacos.
Green Harissa Chicken
First, gather your ingredients.
Green Harissa Chicken
Next, throw them in a re-sealable bag.
Finally, cook the chicken. It's as easy as that!
Green Harissa Chicken
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste, if necessary)
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh parsley
1 jalapeño or serrano pepper (leave the seeds & inner white membrane)
Juice of 1/2 large lemon
1-2 cloves garlic
1. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces and string onto skewers. Put the olive oil, salt, herbs, chili, lemon juice and garlic in a blender or food processor and pulse until well combined. (Taste for seasoning and add more salt if desired.)
2. Pour 3/4 of the herb mixture into the bag, reserving 1/4 for serving. Make sure chicken is fully coated. Marinate in bag for 8 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat the broiler. Place skewers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 10 to 12 minutes on each side. Serve with the reserved harissa and baked veggie kebobs
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