Grilled Caesar Chicken Breasts

Name: Grilled Caesar Chicken Breasts
Prep time: PT-468438H38M19S
Cook time: PT-468438H38M19S
Total time: PT-468438H38M19S
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese; Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon anchovy paste or ½ anchovy, minced; 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt; 1 ½ pounds (or 6 3-4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts; ½ tablespoon olive oil; ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

By Julie Andrews

Summer is in full swing and I am loving all of the grilling recipes! One of my latest faves is this recipe for grilled Caesar chicken breasts. The dressing/marinade is full of flavor and makes for the juiciest chicken breasts, ever!

I like to serve them with a big romaine salad with kalamata olives, tomato and cucumber or they pair well with a number of my summer salad recipes (see below for suggestions!). Let’s get grilling!

How to make a healthier Caesar dressing/marinade:

No it’s not traditional, but we’re making our Caesar dressing eggless and the base is extra-virgin olive oil.
You start with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and whisk in freshly grated Parmesan, fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar and Dijon.
Next comes a teaspoon of anchovy paste or minced anchovies. I find the paste much easier to work with and it last a few months in the refrigerator.
Then, whisk in salt and lots of black pepper and voila! An easy Caesar marinade.
Grab a pound and a half of boneless skinless chicken breasts and toss them in the marinade, then stick them in the fridge for an hour or so.

How to grill chicken breasts to perfection

Preheat the grill to medium heat (about 350 degrees F). You can also use a grill pan on the stove set to medium heat.
Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and discard the excess marinade (since it’s been sitting with raw chicken, it cannot be used for anything else).
Brush the grill or grill pan with olive oil, then throw the chicken breasts on there and cook 5-7 minutes per side. Use an instant-read thermometer to tell you if the chicken breasts are done or not. They should be cooked to 165 degrees F to be safely consumed.
Transfer them to a plate or cutting board and let them rest for 5 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute. If you were to cut into them immediately, you’d lose quite a bit of moisture.
Once they’re sliced, serve with your favorite salad! Yum!