Lemon Herb Marinated Chicken

Serves:
4-5 (depending on size of portions)
Total Time:
Prep time: 15 minutes
Marinate time: 3 hours (at least)
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Notes:
*I always test the meat with a meat thermometer before removing from the grill.  See guidelines for cooking temperature for chicken here.
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Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds of chicken tenderloins
• 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ tablespoon turmeric
• ½ tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 handful of basil leaves (or ½ tablespoon dried basil)

 
Instructions:

1. Trim any fat or skin from the chicken and place in bowl.
2. Squeeze lemon juice in separate bowl and remove any seeds.
3. Sprinkle pepper, turmeric, dried oregano evenly all over the chicken.
   
   1. (If using dried basil instead of fresh, include in this step as well.)
      
4. Wisk extra virgin olive oil into lemon juice.
5. Pour lemon juice and olive oil mixture all over chicken.
6. If using fresh basil leaves place on each piece of chicken.
7. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least three hours.   (The longer the chicken marinates, the better!)
8. Cook on the grill as you usually would.*
9. Serve with zucchini (also “grillable”), tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce or any other vegetable!   This recipe also goes great with pasta salad!
10. Enjoy!

 
Nutritional Information:
Per Serving:  Calories: 187, Carbs: 2, Fat: 6, Protein: 36, Sodium: 166, Sugar: 0.
 
Notes:
*I always test the meat with a meat thermometer before removing from the grill.  See guidelines for cooking temperature for chicken here.
​

I love summer and everything that comes along with it.  Okay, almost everything that comes along with it—bugs, spiders and humidity; without those summers in Rhode Island would be almost perfect!    Each year as summer begins to wind down and thoughts of fall begin to slowly loom, I start to imagine the cold, damp weather and months of being stuck indoors.   While I certainly love autumn and always look forward to celebrating the season, it is always a bit sad to see the summer go.  But at least the bugs, spiders and humidity will (hopefully) go away too.
 
During the summer, I love to cook on the grill as much as I can and I especially love cooking fresh vegetables from our garden on the grill.  This year, my husband and I started a garden in our backyard.  It is a small garden—only a few tomatoes, basil, cucumber, zucchini and jalapeño plants.  It pales in comparison to the enormous garden that both of my Nonnos (grandfather in Italian) had but we enjoy it and it has yielded a decent and delicious crop.
 
Since it can get really hot in Rhode Island, cooking on the grill also helps keep the house cool and gives us a chance to enjoy the weather outside.  However, when cooking meats on the grill, I am always cautious.  
 
According to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, “high-heat grilling can convert proteins in red meat, pork, poultry, and fish into heterocyclic amines (HCAs).  HCAs are chemicals that have been linked to a number of cancers.  When fat and juices from meat products drip down to the heat surface on a grill, smoke is produced. This smoke contains potential cancer-causing chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). As smoke rises up past the food, the carcinogens can be deposited on the surface of the meat.”
 
That all sounds scary, right?  The good news is that according to Dana-Farber, “marinating chicken, fish and meat has been shown to reduce levels of cancer-causing compounds formed when grilling. When using marinades, thinner is better.  Choose marinades that contain vinegar and/or lemon.” (Learn more about safe grilling, here.)

This is why I created my Lemon Herb Marinated Chicken Recipe.  Please feel free to use this recipe for your next barbeque!   Hurry to get the grill out one (or a few) last times before summer is over.  My family loves this recipe and it goes wonderful with fresh veggies from the garden!  

​Please share this recipe for Lemon Herb Marinated Chicken on social media and if you post pictures of your finished product, be sure to tag us in your pics: @CatholicMomRI (Our handle for all social media).  
​Buon appetito! ​