This easy marinated griddled chicken recipe is a great recipe idea for when you've got some chicken and want to make something really simple with it. It's delicious served with salad and bread.
I often make a simple chicken recipe for dinner. I combine some of my favourite spices along with some lemon juice and leave a couple of chicken breasts to marinate in it. It's not especially new or inventive but it is really tasty.
If you're looking for an easy marinade to use on chicken then try it. I have cooked the chicken on a griddle pan but of course you can just use a frying pan or even grill it. I love the charred griddle marks you get from the griddle but even without them it'll still be a really tasty easy chicken recipe, perfect for midweek.
Ingredient notes for marinated griddled chicken
To make this chicken recipe I use:
- Chicken - I use chicken breasts at that is what my family prefer. I always butterfly them first as this gives the chicken a larger surface area to soak up the marinade and also ensures that the middle of the chicken cooks. If you prefer to use boneless chicken thighs then that is fine too.
- Garlic - I love garlic and often add a few garlic cloves to this recipe. I prefer fresh garlic to a puree but it's fine to use a puree or paste too.
- Spices - I use a mixture of cumin, cayenne pepper, coriander and smoked paprika
- Lemon juice - I usually use fresh lemon juice but you can use lemon juice from a bottle too. If you don't have lemon juice then lime juice is also great with these spices. You can even use white wine vinegar.
- Olive oil
How to make griddled chicken
At least an hour before you start cooking prefer the marinade. Just mix together all the spices with the crushed garlic, olive oil and lemon juice.
Make sure the chicken is coated in the marinade on both sides and leave it till you are ready to cook.
Brush a griddle pan with a little oil and when it is hot, place the chicken on the pan. Cook on each side for about 5 minutes.
The cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken. If you are not sure it is cooked, just slice into the thickest part of one of the pices and double check it is cooked through to the middle.
What to serve with this griddled marinated chicken
I love to serve this griddled chicken with whatever salad vegetables I have in the fridge. I also like to add some tasty bread. It can be pitta bread, French bread or bread rolls. It doesn't matter. A dollop of hummus on the side is delicious too. It makes a simple but tasty light meal.
You can even serve it in a bun as a chicken burger.
Do you have to cook this marinated chicken in a griddle pan?
Of course not. I use a griddle pan as it leaves those lovely griddled marks on the chicken but you can use a frying pan instead. You can also cook it under the grill and in summer it's great cooked outside on the barbecue.
These days I also like to cook it in the air fryer. You won't get the charred griddle lines on it but it works well for a quick and easy dinner.
Can you adapt the recipe?
Yes of course. This recipe is based on a simple marinade. You can swap the lemon juice for lime juice or vinegar.
If you don't want much heat then miss out the cayenne pepper.
You can even experiment by putting the marinade on halloumi, panner or tofu instead of chicken. It even works well on roasted vegetables. For example why not smear it onto a whole cauliflower before roasting?
How to make sure the chicken is cooked in the middle
If the chicken breasts are large I slice them in half horizontally. Thinner pieces of chicken will cook more quickly and there is also a larger surface area for that delicious marinade to soak in.
If you're not sure if the chicken is cooked in the middle, just take one piece out of the pan and slice into the thickest part to check.
Storing the leftovers
Any leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to three days. You can eat it cold or reheat in the oven or microwave.
Recipe
Easy Marinated Griddled Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Coat the chicken in the marinade and leave for 1-2 hours or overnight
- Heat a griddle pan and cook the chicken for about 15 minutes, turning half-way through. If you don't have a griddle pan then use a frying pan or grill the chicken instead.
- Serve with salad and bread.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes Using Marinades
If you're looking for more recipes using marinades then why not check out one of these recipes:
- Marinated Middle Eastern chicken?
- Copycat Nandos chicken legs
- Easy chipotle lime chicken
- Chicken tikka
Keep in Touch
Do let me know if you make this easy marinated griddled chicken or any of my other recipes. I love to get feedback from readers.
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K Donkey
sounds and looks great
Joanne
The seasoning on this sounds great!