Grilling Tip - Chicken + Lemon = Besties!

Hey there fire-o-philes!

I might be telling you something you already know, but there are some flavours that naturally compliment each other and one of the simplest of these pairings is lemon and chicken. Pretty much every cuisine out there has this pairing in some form or another. So, one surefire North American (by way of the Mediterranean) way to zip up your chicken on the BBQ is to marinate in a lemon-based marinade. Not sure how to make one?

Well, here you go!

Lemon Marinade for Chicken

- juice and zest of one half lemon
- 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp green olive brine (this adds an extra tang and salt element)
- 1 tsp dried basil (or 2 tsp fresh chopped basil)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano (or 1 tsp fresh chopped oregano)
- salt and pepper to taste

- Whisk all ingredients together and transfer to a zipper bag
- Add about 1 pound of chicken (breast is quite good for this recipe as it allows the marinade flavours to be at the forefront).
- Marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge.
- Grill chicken at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through but not dried out.

A mess o' chikon

Of course, lemon also naturally pairs with fish, so I imagine this marinade would also work on a firm-fleshed mild fish like tilapia.

And there you go! Enjoy!