Grilled Ginger Lime Chicken Breasts

Since boneless skinless chicken breasts are both insanely popular and insanely boring on their own, I’m always looking for ways to spice them up with interesting flavor combinations. Here I use two techniques. First, a simple marinade with lime juice and ginger, that gives the chicken a spicy, tangy, umami, flavor. Second, I cook the chicken breasts on the grill, with gives the breasts a nice char on the outside, and helps to caramelize the sugars in the marinade. Rather than a plain jane piece of chicken, you’ll get something exciting enough to serve anytime from special occasions & backyard BBQs!

1. The biggest mistake with cooking chicken breasts is over cooking them, as they dry out quickly. Until you’re practiced at telling them they are cooked through, get an instant read meat thermometer, and cook until they just reach 160 degrees.
2. I nearly always advocate cooking at very high heat; the exception is when I’m using marinades as, the sugars can burn easily. Start these chicken breasts out over medium high heat
3. Let the chicken marinate for at least 3 hours…up to 8 is even better

• 2 -3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 knob Ginger
• 1 - 2 Limes
• Olive oil
• Soy sauce
• Sesame Oil
• Garlic
• Honey

Recipe for Grilled Ginger Lime Chicken Breasts

• Make the marinade by combining (measures are approximate and don’t matter too much)
• Two cloves of minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
• Zest of one lime
• Juice of one lime
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Mix all the above ingredient together and pour into a large zip lock bag
• Add 2 – 3 chicken breasts and gently shake to distribute the marinade
• Allow the chicken to marinate up to 8 hours
• Remove the chicken from the marinate about 30 minutes before cooking, and season both sides with salt and pepper
• Heat your grill over medium heat
• Lightly coat the chicken breasts with olive oil, and lay down on the grill grates
• Don’t touch or move the chicken, instead close the grill lid and let them cook for about 3 minutes
• Return the the grill and gently lift and flip the chicken breasts (the cooked side should be browned with grill marks)
• Close the lid again, and cook for another 3-4 minutes
• Thinner chicken breasts will be cooked through by now, once cooked  you should see no pink on the side, and the breast should be firm to the touch
• If you’re unsure the chicken is cooked through use a meat thermometer; you want the thickest part of be 160 degrees
• Remove the chicken from the grill, and allow it to rest for 2 – 3 minutes and then serve it up