I don’t know about you, but summer is my favorite time of year, and yet, my least favorite time to cook. The kitchen always gets too hot, and the dishes take too long to wash. I want to be outside enjoying the weather not looking out the window longingly as I toil over the stove!
One of my all-time favorite quick chicken dishes can be made all year long with a good fry pan or cast iron skillet, but if you have a grill, this chicken can’t be beat in the summer. It's tangy, savory, the meat stays juicy, and it’s so versatile that I often make it once a week all summer long!
Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (Save the stems and freeze them. They can be used to flavor soup broth.)
2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
1 lemon – zested, and the juice from ½ of the lemon
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt, pepper to taste
Combine chicken breasts with all the ingredients, and be sure to rub the chicken with some love to be sure it is well coated with all the ingredients.
Marinate chicken for 4-24 hours.
Before cooking, use a basting brush to remove chopped garlic so it won’t burn on the grill.
Heat grill to high. Once hot, clean grates with a grill brush, rub with oil soaked paper towel and add chicken breasts.
Cook chicken for 5-7 minutes a side (longer if breasts are especially thick, shorter if they are thin) – remove and let rest for 5-10 minutes, and enjoy!
I often cut the chicken into strips and toss with a crisp cold salad filled with all of the delicious veggies of the season with just another squeeze of lemon juice and olive oil, but it can also be served hot with a quick white wine sauce, rolled in a pita with hummus, tabouleh and/or tzatiki, tossed with pasta and any sauce you like, or even as a late night snack right out of the fridge – it's THAT good!
If you could use some hands-on experience grilling chicken, check out The Chopping Block's grilling classes. We have an outdoor patio at our Lincoln Square location designed specifically for grilling, smoking and all things BBQ - with Big Green Eggs, and Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet Grills (if you haven’t been acquainted with them, they are the Rolls Royce of grills – seriously amazing and such a treat to cook on). We offer classes and private parties out there throughout the summer and early fall. What better way to pass a summer evening, and the best part is we do the dishes for you!
