New ideas for grilled chicken breasts

Grilling is here, and with it, the ubiquitous boneless skinless chicken breast. I'm looking for some new ideas for grilled chicken. Seems I'm hitting the wall--beyond some basic marinades I'm stuck.
Ideas for sides for grilled chicken breasts will be appreciated! And I do know lots of you prefer chicken thighs, but unfortunately I have an aversion to them.

ATL
  • Posted by: ATL
  • April 27, 2013
  • 4731 views
  • 6 Comments

6 Comments

aargersi April 13, 2015
Have you tried brining? It helps our ubiquitous friends ... start with a basic brine (salt, sugar, water) and then add in any flavors (I like bay, citrus, sometimes a cinnamon stick, always peppercorns, but really go crazy) you can brine them even just for a couple hours but starting in the morning is better. Then - you can create a second layer of flavor with a brushed on baste of olive oil and the flavors you brined in while they grill - so say a citrus zest garlic and pepper oil brushed on while they grill. This gives you a chance at actual juicy flavorful chicken breasts!
 
petitbleu April 27, 2013
You might also consider trying to find skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts. Not as common, but worth the hunt. The bones help insulate the meat, preventing it from drying out, and the skin is just delicious. Period.
We love a marinade of tons of lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, paprika, and herbs with very little oil (too much oil and your chicken tastes like burnt oil). If the skin is on you can ease the marinade underneath the skin.
 
thirteenJ April 27, 2013
First, poach them in stock with herbs on your stove top.
Then grill them (quickly) to finish with a smokey flavor.
You can use a lemon/butter/mint sauce..or a good old fashioned
BBQ sauce!
 
pierino April 27, 2013
Unfortunately skinless boneless chicken breasts are not great grilled. Why? Because they are skinless and boneless. You are sacraficing most of the flavor. One possibilty is to marinade them in citrus juice---like lime. Season with pepper and salt. Don't leave them in the marinade for too long or the citrus flavor will be too intense. Good sides are rice in some form or french fries.
 
ZombieCupcake April 27, 2013
Chicken tandoori
 
ernestthedog April 27, 2013
Grilled chicken breasts easily take a trip around the world. Cilantro, garlic, lime, salt, and a little bit of neutral oil for fajitas served with tortillas grilled onions & peppers. Flattened and marinated with garlic, onions, olive oil and oregano and served over pasta. A little fish sauce, lime, neutral oil, garlic and serve as satay with peanut dipping sauce, wrap in lettuce with cold rice noodles, cucumber, siracha. Curry marinade and grilled nan. You get the picture, the possibilities are endless and simple.
 
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