I learned that grilling is not much different than any other cooking method.My dad taught me how to grill. It wasn’t a formalized tutorial situation—more of a learning through osmosis. He was grilling, and I was around, watching, observing, until I finally started asking questions.
I learned that grilling is not much different than any other cooking method. At the end of the day, you’re adding heat to food. When I started cooking for me and my wife, the grill became a year-round staple in many of the recipes I developed.
The longer you leave meat with a marinade, the more it takes on the flavor.
Of all the possible foods to which we add heat on a grill in the Allen household, chicken is probably the most common. I’ll share with you today my favorite grilled chicken recipe. It’s Greek-inspired, although I’m not sure how Greek it actually is. I serve it with a vegetable medley and a yogurt sauce that has frequently inspired the request in my household, “Could you please make that yogurt sauce again?”
You’ll need a couple of bowls, some skewers and a grill. As with any recipe I share on this site, I’ll give you the ingredients I use, but you’re encouraged to make it your own.
Start by rinsing all the chicken goo off of your chicken breasts, dry them in some paper towels, and chop those bad boys up into one-inch cubes (at least one chicken breast per person). Plop your chicken cubes into a bowl and let’s get started on the marinade.
The longer you leave meat with a marinade, the more it takes on the flavor. Some people get wacky with their marinades, but I like to limit mine to just a few ingredients so that I can taste each one in the meat when it’s cooked. The standard base to many a marinade is going to be your extra virgin olive oil. So, go a head and drizzle enough olive oil to barely coat all of your chicken cubes.
Next, I bring in some citrus to start breaking down the meat. For the Greek-inspired chicken, I’ll go with lemon juice. Squeeze an entire lemon into the bowl and mix it up.
Next, you have to decide which herbs will supply the bulk of your flavor. This is where you can really get creative and start to make it your own. I go with several healthy shakes of Penzey’s Italian Herb Mix. This stuff is the most versatile spice in my kitchen. I buy it by the bag, and it’s become my best friend.
