Chicken breasts are an ideal foil for brines, marinades, and flavor-rich sauces. These Mexican style grilled chicken breasts are now a favorite recipe of ours. The chicken is tender and juicy and the marinade is delicious. The best thing about this recipe is its versatility. If we have leftovers, we use it in tacos, burritos and sandwiches.
Juicy and flavorful chicken breasts are sometimes hit or miss. The most important technique is to pound the chicken breasts into even thickness. This will ensure each piece is uniformly cooked. Otherwise, you may end up with that lopsided piece of chicken cooked through on one side and not the other. Chicken breasts do not have to be bland. A tasty marinade will infuse the chicken in just a couple of hours. Using the indirect grilling method helps to keep the breasts tender and moist. Direct high heat can lead to a leathery exterior as well as an overdone interior. A digital thermometer is an essential tool in preventing overcooking. Once the temperature reads 160 degrees remove the chicken from the grill.
This marinade does its magic in just 2 hours. Reserve some of the marinade before adding it to the chicken, and use it later to baste when you grill. The beautiful color of the chicken comes from the ancho chile powder. You should be able to easily find this in your grocery store (McCormack brand is what I found at Safeway). The chipotle chile gives the chicken a nice smoky kick.
Leftover chicken makes splendid tacos, burritos or sandwiches.
- 6 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, pounded to uniform thickness
- Marinade:
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Place 1 or 2 chicken breasts in a Ziploc freezer bag and pound lightly with a meat mallet, rolling pin or skillet to uniform thickness. This will ensure the chicken will cook evenly, be moist and tender.
- In a small bowl mix all of the marinade ingredients and whisk to combine. Set aside about ⅓ cup of the marinade for basting the chicken later. Pour the remainder of the marinade in a Ziploc freezer bag along with the chicken. Massage marinade into the chicken so that it is evenly distributed and all pieces are coated well. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours. If you are not ready to grill the chicken after the 2 hours are up, remove the chicken from the bag to a plate and discard the marinade.
- Light your grill for indirect grilling. We found that this produces the best, juiciest, chicken breasts. After the chicken has cooked for a few minutes on each side, baste generously a few times on each side with the reserved marinade. Remove chicken when it reaches 160 degrees as measured with a digital thermometer. Serve with your favorite side dishes.