Tender and juicy grilled chicken breasts marinated in mayonnaise combined with bold flavorings is a dream come true. It can be a tricky grilling lean chicken breasts as they have a tendency to overcook or cook unevenly. Mayonnaise is the solution to this problem. It is a perfect coating which will keep chicken very moist and tender when grilled. And it’s such an easy meal to put together on short notice. An added benefit is that the breasts become virtually non-stick when on the hot grill. Leftovers make the best sandwiches. And depending on what ingredients you choose to add to the mayonnaise, thinly sliced chicken is the perfect foil for warm tortillas served with your favorite salsa.
Choose whatever flavors you enjoy. I combined mayonnaise with smoked paprika and also mixed some up with homemade pesto. You could use fresh herbs, barbecue sauce, minced chipotle in adobo (for a spicy version), or any other bold ingredients. I reserved some of my pesto to serve over the grilled chicken.
Kenji Alt-Lopez has a recipe on NYT Cooking that includes chimichurri. You can put this together in 15 minutes if you have the ingredients ready to go.
Chimichurri sauce is very versatile. Use it with this recipe, or drizzled over a grilled steak, roasted veggies, pasta salad or as a sandwich dressing. For an appetizer, grill good sourdough bread and slather the sauce over the bread before serving.
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded lightly for even pieces
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- flavorings of your choice: pesto, barbecue sauce, fresh herbs, chimichurri (best to use seasonings that do not have too much liquid as this will create a runny coating)
- salt and pepper
- chimichurri sauce: 1 cup packed Italian parsley leaves
- ¼ cup packed cilantro leaves (optional)
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons chopped red or white onion
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Combine your favorite seasoning with the mayonnaise. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken. Coat both the top and bottom of each breast with the seasoned mixture. Place chicken in a dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to grill the chicken (a few hours is sufficient). If you are using more than one seasoning, divide mayonnaise into separate bowls then add desired seasonings to each bowl (1 tablespoon mayonnaise + seasoning per breast).
- Meanwhile, combine all chimichurri ingredients in a small bowl. You may use some of the chimichurri with mayonnaise to coat the chicken breasts.
- Grill over medium high heat until chicken reads 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Serve chimichurri sauce (if using) with grilled chicken. Cooked chicken breasts can be frozen (vacuum sealed preferably) and used for sandwiches or as a taco filling.