The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat. Ever.
I grew up in my dad’s restaurant, and cooking (and the associated eating) is the one activity on which my whole family can agree. We might go toe-to-toe on, say, the inherent value of tattoos, but get us in the kitchen, and we are the very definition of collaboration. Toss the name of a potential ingredient in our midst, and the creativity flows: “You know how that would be good [insert variation the chef/cookbook author never thought of but wishes he did]…”
[My dad owned the Country Squire until I graduated from high school. Once wemade homemade donuts in the kitchen during a massive snow storm. So fun!]
I love the science of following recipes (much to my dad’s chagrin), and Cook’s Illustrated magazine has, hands-down, the best recipe for just about anything you might want to make… where “best” does not take into consideration the health of the eaters nor the potential time constraints of the cook. The Cook’s Illustrated mission is simply to provide the tastiest version of everything, from chocolate chip cookies to lasagna. (I’ve made both!)
Thanks to CrossFit and Spartan Challenges and Mission 17 and my desire to do pullups and to look as awesome as possible, I don’t indulge in my Cook’s Illustrated stash very often anymore. But when we got our gas grill, Dave gave me the Cook’s Illustrated cookbook The Best Recipe: Grilling & Barbecue as a gift… which comes in very handy when cooking for people who don’t want to eat “diet” food, a.k.a., the members of our band St. Joe’s Choir.
We had a band dinner last week, and I made Turkish Chopped Salad, sauteed snow peas, and grilled steak, turkey sausage, and chicken — fully expecting I’d be the only one eating the boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Wrong! The chicken was everyone’s favorite.
Now I’m going to share the secrets with you… enjoy!
Secret #1: Brining
You will think it’s not necessary. You will think it sounds too fussy. But I guarantee you won’t regret it if you do it. If you’re short on time, you can just salt & pepper the chicken, but the magic just might be in the waiting for the brining step.
1. Put 1 quart of water in a large ziplock bag and add 1/4 cup salt. Let the salt dissolve.
2. Add the chicken breasts to the bag. This will look gross; ignore it.
3. Put the bag in the fridge and forget about it for 2 hours.
4. Remove the bag from the fridge; ignore that it looks even grosser.
5. Rinse the chicken well. Think about something else as you do this so as not to notice that you’re holding raw chicken.
6. Place in a sieve to drain/dry while you move on to Secret #2.
Secret #2: Spice Blend
There are commercial blends out there, and there are certainly other things you can mix together, but this one is a crowd-pleaser. Promise! This makes enough for about 2-2.5 lbs. of chicken — tastes good on pork, too. (Also makes a nice sprinkle for sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and acorn squash, if you eat such things.)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well with a fork.
2. Coat the chicken pieces with the mixture; massage and pat it on lovingly. You want the pieces pretty densely coated.
Note: If you roll the meat in the mixture, you need to throw away any remaining spice blend. Don’t re-use it on vegetables or think you can save it for later. It’s once and done when raw chicken is involved.
Secret #3: Moroccan Dipping Sauce
Kinda like salad dressing, this would also be delish drizzled on raw cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, and onions. It was killer on all of our meats, but really made the chicken sing… and I’ve been using it to spice up whatever I pack for lunch: green beans, cabbage, broccoli. It’s a great way to get a little extra dose of healthy oils.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 medium clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika (sweet, hot, or smoked)
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced cilantro or parsley
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Whisk the lemon juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and salt & pepper together in a small bowl. Inhale and rejoice that you have a nose.
2. Gradually whisk in the oil, then stir in the fresh chopped herbs.
3. Serve at room temperature.
Tags: chicken, dino-chow, moroccan, paleo
54 Responses to “The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat. Ever.”
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I love your notes on brining–like to think about something else so you don't notice you're holding raw chicken–I can't STAND touching raw chicken.
How do you cook it after the brine??
Jeez. I seem to have omitted a key step: after brining and adding spice mixture, GRILL the chicken. Sorry!
You can also bake it in the oven… 400 degrees, about 15-20 minutes.
Oh chickie I am LOVING your food blog.
I just noticed your brine uses TABLE SALT! Bleaughghghghgh… it is poison woman.
Use unrefind sea salt. Your bod needs those minerals – table salt depletes your body of so much.
Sea salt & eating pasture fed/pill-free animals and gluten-free & dairy-free has changed my life.
Take a peek at this book.
http://www.drbrownstein.com/bookstore_Salt.php
Andi, thanks for pointing that out! My eating habits are still evolving as I learn more. I'm going to update the recipe and take your advice and invest in quality salt.
Wow, I just tried this and it's amazing! Thanks Mel!
Hey, George! Glad you like it! I was just thinking last night, as I was grilling chicken thighs, that I haven't made these chix breasts in a while… next week!
Thanks for introducing me to brining. Quite possibly the moistest boneless, skinless, chicken breast I've ever head. I have always heard about brining but thought it was super complicated. Easy.
P.S. I love your blog.
Anna! I'm so glad you like the brining trick. It's a good one, for sure! And thanks for the P.S. You're very kind.
I'm just starting out on this whole Paleo thing, and I can only tell you one thing. Thank you. I worried about what I would eat, and after reading your recipes and blog, I dont worry about that anymore. And oh, dear gawd, I made your chicken and dipping sauce. I weep with joy.
Karen, congratulations on trying the dino-chow way! I'm so glad that you're finding my blog helpful. Your comment reminded me that I haven't made this chicken and dipping sauce in a while, and I need to remedy that! I'm planning a big diet clean-up in October, so I'll be with you — re-visiting recipes to keep myself on track!
LOVE. This chicken is awesome. I make it like every week. This has become a new staple in our house. I was just wondering what I was going to do now that the weather is getting a little too cold for grilling. I may still brave it anyway, because I like food cooked over a fire, but I may try the baking thing you mentioned above. Love. Did I say love? Love. This chicken makes me so happy.
Brandy! I'm SO glad you like it and that it's keeping you happy and healthy. You can totally make the chicken in the oven; easy-peasy.
I'm just about to post a new meatball recipe that I'm lovin' on right now. Did I say love? LOVE!
Thanks for another awesome recipe! I've got this in the works right now and had a question about the dipping sauce. Is there salt missing from the ingredient list for it? You mention salt in the directions, but I don't see it in the ingredient list. Thanks for the clarification. And, as always, love your blog.
Kelly, good eye! Hmmm… yes. It looks like the ingredients list is missing the salt! It should be a pinch or so, to taste. Hope you enjoy(ed) it!
Made this tonight for the second time and it was ever BETTER! Yowza this one's a keeper.. sooo yummy! Excited for leftovers tomorrow.. I revel in biting into each tasty morsel coated with dipping sauce mmm mmmm mmmmm!
Melanie –> You're so sweet to let me know you like it… thank you!
I served this chicken over a bed butter lettuce, red onions, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes. I topped it with a homemade dressing of cucumbers and sour cream which I made in the magic bullet– I know the sour cream is not paleo, but not sure how to substitute for it?? The end result was a delicious greek salad– spicy with the cool cucumber dressing. Delicious!! The entire family–husband and three kids LOVE this. Thank you for this recipe
Laura –> That sounds yummy! If you want to try making a paleo version of the dressing, replace the sour cream with homemade mayo (recipe here: http://theclothesmakethegirl.blogspot.com/2010/06/secret-to-homemade-mayo-patience.html ) mixed with a little lemon juice, the cucumbers, parsley, and oregano.
This chicken truly is out of this world! I have a question about the dipping sauce: is it ok to store it at room temperature, or should it be kept in the fridge?
Thanks!
Hey, Angela P! On the day you make it, it's OK to leave the dipping sauce at room temperature. But for storing, I'd pop it in the fridge. It might solidify a bit, so just let it come to room temp before eating for subsequent meals. Enjoy!
Thanks! I'm making this chicken today for the big game, but sticking a skewer in each piece so it is "chicken on a stick" and thus finger food.
But you better believe I am making extra so I have some for lunches this week!
What is better than meat on a stick?!
I made this and while it was the most moist, tender chicken I ever had I thought it was too salty. I may have screwed up some of the conversions since I'm a metric man livin' in a metric world but I am quite sensitive to salt. I made it for the folks and neither of them thought it was too salty but my bathroom did agree with me.
I did brine it for 3 hours instead of 2 but I don't think that should have any influence. Does anyone know whether it's still good with half the salt?
@Morten – I felt the same about the salt so the second time, (being metric too and all) I poured a liter of water into the ziploc and added half the salt and it was way more to my taste!
Hey, guys! I haven't had a problem with the chicken tasting too salty — but I like salt. I also use sea salt, which is slightly less salty tasting than other kinds… and I think there's a lot of variance among the saltiness of sea salts, too. Tricky stuff!
Morten — I don't think you can go wrong my reducing the salt. The goal of the brining is to add flavor, so you should definitely feel confident adjusting according to your tastebuds. And no, it won't taste saltier if you brine it for slightly longer than the two hours.
[...] GRILLED STEAK RUB (found the recipe on this cool blog) [...]
Seriously yummy chicken – have even recommended to various non-paleo peeps as well worth a try.
I love the idea of getting non-paleo peeps eating paleo ’cause you know what? It’s JUST FOOD, and it’s awesome!
[...] broth and I’m currently roasting some pork, followed by lamb. Oh I’m also making this amazing chicken from you-know-where, which is a favourite in my [...]
Awesome recipes! Loving your website! I just did a Whole30 and trying to stick to this way of eating…your website and recipes have been a big help, so thanks! Question about brining: any reason you can’t leave the chicken in the brine all day? Say, start it in the morning to save some time in the evening?
Hi, Cathy.
The chicken will get too salty and the texture will get a little weird if you brine it for much longer than two hours.
However, you can brine it a day in advance for two hours, then remove it from the liquid, pat it dry, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it. Then just follow the spice blend instructions, etc.
very late stumbling into your blog – FANTASTIC – and I am much enjoying the recipes – considering trying a slight variation of this using the pressure cooker… *fingers crossed*
Cheers!
A-D
I’m glad you found me! Good luck with the recipe in the pressure cooker — it should work great. Be sure to let me know how it goes!
Great recipe. Really great. Can’t wait to make it again and serve with avocados.
YOU.WERE.RIGHT. OMG!
The brining is the key! Thanks for a great recipe!
Truely AWESOME! The whole table could have given a standing O.
Love Love Love your website, your recipes, your writing! Are you originally from PA/Lehigh Valley? Noticed the Lehigh Valley Dairy sign in the background of the restaurant pic. Greetings from Philly (burbs).
Thanks, Danielle! I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. Yes! I’m originally from Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, and my parents still live in Schuylkill Haven. That restaurant photo is taken along Route 61 in Sch. Haven. Small world, right?
Oh wow this chicken was AWESOME….so awesome in fact we had it two nights running.
Have tried 4 recipes so far and LOVED all of them.
Thanks for letting me know you like it, Tia! I retested and revised the recipe for the cookbook, and it’s even better. So glad you’re enjoying my recipes. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
I know where that is:)
This recipe won we a grilling contest at my church cookout. It was delicious. Thank you!
That’s awesome! Congratulations and thanks for letting me know!
[...] dinner I made The Clothes Makes the Girl best chicken, sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli…I seriously could eat sweet potatoes every single [...]
[...] Moroccan spiced chicken (recipe here), roasted beets with dried rosemary, green salad; 1 negro medelo [...]
[...] Here is a very easy brining technique, and as a bonus — it comes with a spice rub that you can add right before you throw those suckers on a grill/pan. Moist, juicy and delicious – I may never grill un-brined chicken breasts again! [...]
-first of all, braising chicken breasts is a genius method! I can’t believe how easy yet unknown this has been in my world for the last 26 years. I’ve told all my friends and family.
-second, great spice-coated chicken with a delicious sauce. Users beware: my bf was so impressed by the moistness, that he continued to forget to use the dipping sauce.
-lastly, I had a lot of chicken leftovers, so I’m going to use the remainder for your chicken coconut curry recipe since the spices are similar/the same. thanks, Mel! can’t wait for my birthday package to come in the mail any day now– EAT WELL cookbook, yahoo!
[...] and/or recipe blog sites. While you’re at it, tell us your “go to” meal! We make The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat Ever (actual name) and Scotch Eggs about once a week, so I think it’s safe to call them our [...]
[...] also made The Best Chicken You will Ever Eat. Ever. from Clothes Make the Girl. Since her recipes are generally W30, I didn’t have any modifications. I did bake the chicken [...]
[...] Original Source: The Clothes Make the Girl [...]
I made the version of this recipe that’s in your book, which includes using coconut oil in the spice rub. I found this made coating the chicken difficult – the first couple of pieces were fine, but the cold chicken was making the melted coconut oil harden and by the end it was just a solid spice mass I was trying to stick on the chicken.
It was still delicious, but next time I might try the oil-less method, unless you have some advice?
The easiest way to coat the chicken is to toss it in a bowl. Yes, the coconut oil can start to solidify, but it still coats the chicken. If you leave out the fat, the chicken doesn’t get as brown on the grill. Hope this helps!
Enjoyed this chicken for dinner. My 4 and 7 year old loved it! I wanted to cry, they NEVER ask for seconds on chicken breasts. Thanks for the awesome recipes.
[...] For the pork, I used the rest of the delicious rub I had remaining from the other day when I made The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat. Seared it up in the cast iron pan and finished in the oven. A tip about pork. Pork tastes nasty [...]
Im going to try this ck dish tonight. i get so bored with ck and needed a recipe to spice things up thanks. About the salt you can also use Himalayan salt it contains 84 minerals, balances bodys PH and much more. google it for more info. also if your staying strick on paleo no legumes(beans) at all.
thanks again and keep up heathy eating.
Someone on Facebook linked to this recipe and I gave it a try tonight. IT WAS DELICIOUS! Thanks so much and now I can see I have a number of other paleo recipes to try! Awesome work
YAY! Glad you found me — and glad to know you enjoyed the chicken. Welcome!
[...] Brine a chicken (thanks to a recipe I found on clothes make the girl) [...]
SO YUMMY!!!! Love the recipe, definitely will make this again!
I just found your blog, can’t remember what first drew me here, I’ve spent DAYS reading through all of your stuff. I am new to the paleo scene (but, very excited as it already gels with my habits!). You are an inspiration, in both your writing and confidence. I need to gain weight, have battled eating disorders all my life (I’m now 36), and you have helped shine the light on the path for me. You are beautiful and strong, rock on, girl!
By the way, made this last night for myself and the husband….we both LOVED it! I love the spice rub, can’t wait to try it on veggies! And, brining is going to be my go to method in the future for chciken breasts, first time ever that I cooked cb’s on the grill and they weren’t dry! WHOOP!
KIM! I’m so glad you found me… and thrilled that you’re working your way through past posts.
Good on you for working to feel comfortable with your body and eating habits. It’s lifelong work, but it’s good work and it definitely gets easier (and then harder, and then easier
Thank you for your sweet compliments — very kind of you to take the time to comment.
I hope you and your husband continue to enjoy the recipes. Keep me posted on how you’re doing!
I made this last night from your book – Oh. My. God. SO good. Seriously the best chicken I’ve ever eaten. The house still smells like it today and I wish I hadn’t let my husband take all the leftovers to work, because i’m craving some now. I made the Moroccan dipping sauce to go with it, and that was delicious on it! I can’t wait to make it again. I’m thinking about thawing some chicken right now!
Double batch next time!
Really glad to know you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by to let me know.