Grilled Citrus Chicken with Spicy Basil Chimichurri
Grilled Citrus Chicken with Spicy Basil Chimichurri is the perfect flavorful late summer way to change up your grilling routine!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Marinade and Chicken
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Chimichurri
- 3 heaping cups fresh basil leaves
- 1 heaping cup Italian parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers seeded if desired, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 large lemon juiced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Fresh basil leaves and orange wedges for garnish
Instructions
Marinade and Chicken
- Whisk together orange juice, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire, cumin, oregano, salt, chipotle powder and black pepper.
- Pour into a zipper-top plastic bag.
- Add chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Preheat a grill over medium-high heat.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill. (Reserve some of the marinade. Reduce heat to medium-low. Close the lid and cook 6-8 minutes on the first (top) side.
- Flip the chicken, brush with some of the marinade and cook another 6-8 minutes on the second side or until chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees. Discard remaining marinade.
Chimichurri
- Just before grilling the chicken, combine all the ingredients for the chimichurri in a food processor. Process until smooth.
- TO SERVE: Place chicken on a platter. Drizzle with chimichurri and garnish with fresh basil leaves and orange wedges.
Notes
This recipe makes more chimichurri than you'll need for the chicken. Freeze the rest in small containers.
TIPS:
- I like to use zipper-top bags to marinate chicken (and most proteins) because the marinade envelopes the protein more fully and you can just toss the bag and all when you’re done.
- Be sure to place the bag on a plate or in a bowl just in case the bag leaks.
- The chimichurri can be made 1-2 days ahead of time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 644kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 40g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 742mg | Potassium: 589mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 303IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg