Italian Marinade

Name: Italian Marinade
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 4 h 10 min
Yield: 3 -4 servings
Ingredients: 3 medium chicken breasts; 1/2 cup basil pesto; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 tsp EACH dried basil, onion, powder, garlic powder, salt, dried oregano, dried rosemary (crushed); 1/2 tsp EACH paprika, pepper; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

User Reviews

0.0

0 reviews

Unrated

Prep Time
10 mins
Additional Time
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 10 mins
Servings
3 -4 servings
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian

Italian Marinade

Victor Mills

Report

This Italian Chicken Marinade is a pantry friendly, low effort, high reward recipe for zesty, herbaceous, unabashedly flavorful, juicy chicken every time. The marinade is a balanced tangy, savory blend of olive oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, pantry Italian herbs and spices – and the secret ingredient – PESTO - that inject the chicken with loads of effortless flavor. And the best part of this recipe? The marinade does ALL THE work! Come dinner time, just cook the Italian Chicken on the grill, oven or stovetop. The Italian Marinated Chicken is stand-alone scrumptious with roasted asparagus and risotto, pasta or mashed potatoes or in salads, wraps, or sandwiches. Any way you serve this Italian Chicken will be a fresh, vibrant win!

Share:

I Made This!

Be the first!

Print

Be the first!

Save this

Be the first!

Ingredients

Servings

3 medium chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
1/2 cup basil pesto
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (may sub red wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp EACH dried basil, onion, powder, garlic powder, salt, dried oregano, dried rosemary (crushed)
1/2 tsp EACH paprika, pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Add to Shopping List

Instructions

MARINADE

Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a freezer bag or glass bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate up to 12 hours (the longer the better).
When ready to cook, remove chicken from the refrigerator and let rest 20-30 minutes before cooking.

TO GRILL CHICKEN:

Preheat grill to 400 degrees F with the lid closed, clean and grease grates.
Grill chicken undisturbed with the lid closed for 5-7 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked through. (Cook to 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, then allow to rest for 5 minutes to carryover to 165 degrees F.) Brush with additional pesto if desired.

TO COOK CHICKEN ON THE STOVE:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes, or until deeply golden on one side.
Flip chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked to 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, then allowed to rest for 5 minutes to carryover to 165 degrees F. Brush with additional pesto if desired.

TO BAKE CHICKEN IN THE OVEN:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Add chicken in a single layer to a l;ightly greased baking dish.
Bake the chicken for 14 to 16 minutes (for small/medium breasts that are about 5-6 ounces), 16 to 20 minutes (for medium/large breasts that are 7 to 9 ounces), or 20 to 25 minutes (for larger breasts). As always, I recommend using an instant read meat thermometer for the most accurate/juiciest chicken. Cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, then allow to rest for 5 minutes to carryover to 165 degrees F. Brush with additional pesto if desired.

Notes

See the post for tons of ways to serve this Italian Chicken like in pasta, salad, soup, sandwiches, paninis, pizza, bruschetta chicken, chicken Caprese, etc.
To Store and Reheat: Once cooked, the Italian chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm in the microwave at 30-second intervals or reheat in a 350ºF oven until warm, 5 to 8 minutes.
To freeze chicken in marinade: Add the chicken to the marinade in a freezer safe bag, squeeze out excess air and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use, the chicken will marinate as you thaw the chicken in the refrigerator; cook immediately so it doesn’t marinate for too long and become mushy.
To freeze cooked chicken: Let the cooked chicken cool completely then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. If you want access to individual pieces of chicken without having to thaw all of the chicken, then wrap each chicken breast in plastic wrap before adding to the freezer bag. Freeze for 2 to 3 months.