Author Archives: Jenn Segal

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Once Upon a Chef

chicken

The Secret to Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breasts

 

Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breasts

This post contributed by Jennifer Segal, the chef behind the popular food blog, Once Upon a Chef.

For all their popularity, grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts often come out dry and bland — but they don’t have to! This foolproof recipe ensures tender and tasty chicken every time. The best part? You can do all of the prep ahead of time and you won’t even dirty a single bowl.

Begin by pounding the fillets to an even 1/2-inch thickness. This both tenderizes the meat and ensures even cooking.

Next, steep the chicken breasts for at least four hours in a flavorful homemade marinade of olive oil, lots of fresh garlic, dried herbs and lemon zest. Note that I don’t use an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice or vinegar, because it can make boneless, skinless chicken breasts a bit leathery. Instead, lemon zest gives the meat just the right amount of tangy flavor without affecting its texture.

Finally, preheat your grill to high heat. You want nice grill marks and char in the short amount of time it takes to cook these. When pounded thin, they only need 2-3 minutes per side.

Serve these tender chicken breasts on their own (kids love them), topped with cheese on a toasted bun, chopped up in a quesadilla or sliced over a Greek or Caesar salad. Enjoy!

Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breasts
Serves 4

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1¾ pounds)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1½ teaspoons lemon zest, from one lemon

Directions

1. Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper or in Ziplock freezer bag. Using a meat mallet, pound to an even ½-inch thickness.

2. Mix olive oil, garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and lemon zest together in a 1 gallon zip-lock bag. Add chicken breasts to bag and rub marinade into meat until evenly coated. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator to protect against leakage; marinate at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.

3. Clean grill and preheat to high. Spray the grates with non-flammable cooking  spray. (Alternatively, you can lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over grates several times until glossy and coated.) Place chicken breasts on the grill and spoon any remaining marinade over top. Grill, covered, for 2-3 minutes per side.

To zest the lemon,  rub in one direction against the blades of a microplane grater, turning the lemon as you go. Be sure to remove only the top yellow part; the white pith underneath is bitter.

 

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crispy-tilapia

Crispy Tilapia Fingers with Lemon & Garlic Mayonnaise

This post is contributed by Jennifer Segal, chef and author of the popular cooking blog Once Upon a Chef

If you’re wondering how to get your children to eat – or even love – fish, try feeding them this. They’ll think it’s kid-friendly food for them, but I promise you it’s anything but. These tilapia fillets are lightly coated with panko, pan fried to crispy perfection, and served with a tangy garlic and lemon mayonnaise. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best way to transform ordinary tilapia into a seafood sensation.

The great thing about this dish is that you can do most of the preparation ahead of time. Come dinnertime, all you have to do is throw the fish in the frying pan. You can also make a huge batch and freeze some before cooking, which makes for a quick and easy dinner another time. Gotta love two meals for the work of one.

To make these tilapia fingers, simply cut your tilapia fillets in half. Leave the thin sides long and then cut the thicker sides in half on a diagonal so they appear longer.

Next, bread the fish using the three-step breading method: first flour, then eggs, then panko. This will ensure a beautiful and crispy coating that will adhere evenly to the fish.

Lay the fish fingers on a baking sheet and season with them salt and pepper. Looks good already, right?

Coat a non-stick pan generously with olive oil and pan fry until crisp and golden.

Drain any excess oil on paper towels…

Sprinkle with salt, dip in Lemon-Garlic Mayonnaise and enjoy!

Crispy Tilapia Fingers with Lemon-Garlic Mayonnaise
Recipe Source: Once Upon a Chef

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 pounds tilapia fillets
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges, and Lemon-Garlic Mayonnaise (see below) for serving

Directions

1. Cut the tilapia into “fingers” by first cutting the fillets in half. Leave the thin sides long, then cut the thicker sides in half on a diagonal so they appear longer.

2. Set up three large, shallow bowls in an assembly line. Put flour in the first bowl; beaten eggs in the second; and panko in the third.

3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Dredge fish fingers in flour mixture, shaking excess into bowl so just a light coating remains; dip in eggs and turn to coat evenly; then dredge in panko, turning several times to coat evenly.  (This can be a messy job…it’s best to use one hand for the flour and eggs and the other for the panko.) Set breaded tilapia fingers on baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook (this can be done several hours ahead of time).

4. Line a plate with 3 paper towels and set by the stove. Heat olive oil in large, non-stick saute pan over medium heat. When pan is hot, place first batch of tilapia fingers in pan (do not crowd) and cook until first side is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until done, about 2 minutes more. Transfer fish fingers to plate with paper towels and let sit for a minute to drain any excess oil. Remove any brown bits out of pan, add more oil if necessary and continue to cook in batches until done. Season cooked tilapia fingers with more salt if desired. Serve with lemon wedges and Lemon-Garlic Mayonnaise.

Lemon-Garlic Mayonnaise

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellman’s
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Mix mayonnaise, garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you want to freeze the breaded tilapia fingers, lay them in a single layer and wrap well with aluminum foil. Place in a freezer bag in the freezer.  When you’re ready to make them, simply defrost them enough so they’ll lay flat in the pan and cook as directed above.