Lemon Basil Chicken

With the last few weeks of summer kicking the heatwave into high-gear, nothing is more perfect than a dish that brings the freshness of herbs and brightness of citrus. Preheat your grill and get ready to tickle your tastebuds with this protein-packed recipe that's sure to leave you wanting more. Whether on a salad, in a sandwich, or a standalone, this dish is a pleaser. Oh, and it's #stupideasy to make.

Quick tip: the ingredients for the marinade are really easy to just eyeball and estimate. If you've ever made pesto or any kind of vinaigrette, then you'll pull this off beautifully. Below are just the estimates I used for the amount I needed.

INGREDIENTS:

4 pcs boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup of loosely packed fresh basil leaves

juice and zest of 1 lemon

3-4 cloves of garlic

2 TBS avocado oil

DIRECTIONS:

Toss all your ingredients (except for the chicken) into a food processor or a blender and pulse until you get a smooth, creamy texture.

Get your chicken breasts ready, pat dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Whether you use a gallon freezer bag or an airtight dish, make sure it's got room to move the chicken around so all the pieces can soak up the marinade. Because there's citrus in the marinade, there's a chance it'll make your chicken too soft if you let it soak for too long. But I love my chicken tender, so I soaked it overnight. However, 30 minutes to an hour will suffice.

Shake off excess marinade before placing it on the grill to keep the protein from catching fire. Depending on the thickness of the chicken, you'll need to grill it for about 5-6 minutes per side. Perhaps 4 minutes if the cut is thinner.

Let it rest when it's done grilling. Serve with a side salad, grilled veggies, or keep leftovers for a sandwich filling the next day. Either way the chicken will stay tender and flavourful. Enjoy!