Receta Basil Lime Chicken
I apologize ahead of time for all those who have already listened to me rant about "spring" in Minnesota this year.....
Come on already! It is April 18th and this is what is outside my window right now. Schools are closed. Birds are confused. Spring sports haven't participated a single game/match/meet all season. As soon as the snow begins to melt, we get pounded again with mountains of snow.
I'm trying to look at the positive side that we desperately need the moisture after two years of severe drought. However, why oh why can't this glorious precipitation be falling in the liquid state?
To keep from feeling too depressed about the winter-that-will-never-end, I decided to make something light, fresh and summery. Usually the only time I have fresh basil is in the summer when I grow it in my garden. It's inhumane what they charge for a minuscule bunch of it at the store! However, I needed the fresh basil the remind me that winter can't last forever, right? Right?!?!?
I baked my chicken in the oven since there was a foot of snow on top of my grill, however, don't hesitate to throw your chicken on the grill once it has marinated. I adore the basil sauce, but I think next time I will make a bit more than the original recipe made. I love a lot of sauce on each bite and I found the recipe didn't make quite as much as I wanted.
Basil Lime Chicken
recipe adapted from Goodenessgracious.com
Marinade:
- 4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 limes, juice and zest
- 3 T olive oil
- 3 Tb dijon or brown mustard
- 3 Tb worcestershire sauce
- 3 Tb soy sauce
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Sauce:
- 1 lime, juice and zest
- 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/4 chopped fresh basil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1. In a gallon sized ziplock bag, mix together all the ingredients for the marinade. Add the chicken and make sure the chicken is evenly coated with the marinade. Marinate in the fridge for 2 hours. While the chicken marinates, mix together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and line a cookie sheet with foil, then spray it lightly with nonstick spray. Place the chicken skin side up on the pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. The time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts. Mine were large. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before cutting into strips and topping it with the sauce. **Alternatively, you can also grill the chicken instead of baking it but it was too cold for me to grill today :)