Basil Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts

June 2, 2009 • Meat & Poultry

I promised you the recipes from the dishes I created for the Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 event last weekend, so here goes the first one. In order to make the succulent chicken breasts, start by creating a basil marinade. This is similar to a basil pesto, but without the pine nuts and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. I always like to use a food processor for things like this, and I start by whirling the garlic around to mince it finely first. Next, I added the fresh basil leaves to the food processor…

…and let it rip just long enough to get a rough chop on everything.

Then with the lid on and the blade running, I drizzled in olive oil until the texture I wanted was achieved – like a thin ketchup consistency.

Add salt and this point and whirl it for a second to combine, then pour the marinade over boneless chicken breasts in a baking dish.

Toss everything so that they are coated on all sides evenly…

… then cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours.

Grill over medium high heat until nice grill marks appear and then turn them over to cook on the other side.

So your not slaving over the grill for a party, I pulled them off before they were completely cooked through, covered them with foil, and popped them into a 300 degree oven to hold (finish cooking) until we ate. If you are going to eat them directly from the grill, cook until the juices run clear and let rest 5 minutes under foil before serving.

Basil Marinated Grilled Chicken Breasts
Serves 8

4 cloves garlic
2 cups lightly packed basil leaves
extra virgin olive oil, about 1/2 cup
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 boneless chicken breasts, patted dry so the marinade will stick)

Mince garlic in a food processor, then add basil and process until roughly chopped. Drizzle in olive oil until a thin ketchup consistency is achieved. Add salt and whirl for 5 seconds to combine. Place chicken in a baking dish and pour marinade over chicken, turning pieces to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Grill over medium high heat until cooked through, about 8 minutes per side.