Summers Best Grilled Chicken with EVOO and Oregano

Chicken is our favourite protein, hands down. Yes, it can be bland and boring. But only if its not prepared well. In some ways it is like Tofu or Paneer (Indian cottage cheese), because it absorbs flavours of a marinade and can be added to any gravy or curry with good results. In the summers though, we often prefer grilled chicken and pair it with a variety of salads

Summer Flavours Mean Herbs 

This year I bought two herbs from Trader Joe’s – one plant each of  basil and  oregano. Summer weather in Boston has been great for plants with frequent rains and beautiful sunny days in between. Each time that I’ve trimmed oregano or used up basil leaves, they’ve filled back within days. Wish it could stay the same all year round!

This bounty  has meant generous helping of either herb as garnish for salads and pasta or in a marinade. Most recently I decided to get back to basics and whipped up a marinade using ingredients you can count on one hand.

Grilling with Olive Oil – Yes, That Works! 

While thinking of how to integrate fresh oregano into a meal without overdoing it or drowning its flavour in tomato puree, I decided to pair it with simple extra virgin olive oil and a few spices. After marinating chicken thighs in this simple mix for an hour or so, it was off to the grill and dinner was ready within minutes.

If the mention of EVOO here as the only oil used in meat meant for grilling surprises you, don’t worry. It works and that too without any smoking. The key is to have a grill that is preheated and ready to use. Then once the chicken has been put on the grill reducing temperature to allow for even cooking without burning the oil. Simple.

 A little preparation and attention will result in delicious, juicy and flavourful grilled chicken. I did this with both, boneless chicken thighs and with bone-in chicken legs. And if you do not have a grill, you could easily follow the same recipe to grill chicken in your oven. If neither are at hand – stove top won’t fail either, except the cooking time might vary.

How to Grill Chicken with EVOO without Smoking:

Total Time: 2 hours 

Prep time: 15 minutes plus 1 hour for marination;  Cooking time: 25-20 minutes

Ingredients: 

• Boneless chicken thighs – 1.5 lbs / 600- 700 gms, 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 2 tbsp (you could replace this with another oil), 
• Salt – 1 tsp,
• Black Pepper – 
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp, 
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 to 1 tsp, 
• Garlic pods – 2, smashed and finely chopped OR
• Garlic powder – 1 tsp, 
• Fresh Oregano Leaves from 3-4 twigs, 
• Lime juice – as per taste. 

Method:

To get started make sure the chicken you are using – in this case boneless chicken thighs, are at defrosted and at room temperature. Take them out of their packaging and keep in a bowl or plate until you mix the marinade. Wash hands thoroughly each time after touching raw chicken or poultry. 

Handling poultry

Do Not Wash Your Chicken – USDA Recommendations

I was listening to a podcast on NPR last week that brought up the question of whether it is safe to wash certain foods, especially packaged chicken. The answer – a strong NO. It might sound counterintuitive, but if you read the article and think about it, like I did, it makes sense. 

Most packaged poultry in the US goes through a rigorous process of what can simply be called cleaning. From defeathering to removing the insides, then de-boning (or not) to finally wrapping shut in packages that are frozen for transportation. This process is conducted in places that are deemed fit for such work, washed clean with strong cleaners and checked by agencies meant to ensure food safety. While I am not entirely sure the system works flawlessly all the time, but, t if it works even most of the time, it is probably doing a more thorough job of reducing the spread of harmful bacteria than one can at a kitchen sink.

Spread of Bacteria –  that is the bone of contention here. Harmful bacteria will die in the cooking process. That is why USDA recommends not washing poultry. Think about the number of times you touch things from spice containers to kitchen towels to spatulas and spoons from start to finish. Each time your hand touches uncooked poultry and then something else afterwards, bacteria are finding a new home.

If you really must wash poultry, most experts from USDA to clinicians and dieticians recommend removing all utensils, kitchen towels, sponges etc from the kitchen sink and area around. Create a safe zone where you will wash the chicken/other poultry such as turkey. Once that is done, wash your hand thoroughly with soap and warm water. Make sure you are careful while handling uncooked poultry using designated utensils until it is cooked. Wash these well before reusing.

Mix the Marinade: 

Take a bowl and to it add all the ingredients except chicken. Start with EVOO, then add dry spices, salt and pepper. I used garlic powder the last time, but finely chopped garlic would work too. Then clean and chop oregano leaves and add to the marinade. Mix well. 

Marinate Chicken: 

Pour over the chicken and mix well. Use your hands to massage the marinade into the chicken. Wash hands thoroughly after this. Cover chicken with a cling wrap or a plate and let it marinate for an hour or so. If you plan to grill within the hour, I recommend keeping it at room temperature. If there will be more time between marinating and grilling, transfer to the fridge. Keep it on a lower shelf, so that it doesn’t get close to freezing. 

Get Grilling: 

Preheat the grill to 400 F / 200 C. Clean the grates and get grilling! Place chicken on the grill and press down gently with the tongs to get visible grill marks. Reduce flame to medium or low if its coming up too high and singeing the meat. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, turning the chicken every 5 minutes. If there is some leftover marinade, use it for basting. 

At the end of 20 minutes, turn off the grill and let the chicken rest for another 5 minutes.

Chicken thighs are the red meat part of a chicken and inherently juicy and succulent. You can almost never go wrong with them. Squeeze some lime juice on them and dig in! 

Alternative Method: Grilling in the Oven 

The same chicken can be made in the oven. Preheat to 400 F. Place a baking tray or pizza plate in the lower shelf and let it preheat as well. Then place thighs on an oven shelf in the top to get the grill marks. Make sure the shelf has been oiled or sprayed with cooking oil. Otherwise chicken might stick to it.  Turn once and then transfer on the preheated plate and let it cook for 15-20 minutes. Turn twice in between. 

If using bone-in chicken legs broil them on high for 5-10 minutes, turning in between, before transferring to a baking tray or pizza stone. Broiling makes the skin crispy. After broiling cook same as above. 

Summer meals done right – Grilled Chicken with salad and lots of avocado! 

We enjoyed our grilled chicken thighs with a salad of fresh green – lettuce and baby spinach, radishes, carrots, red onion, basil and avocado with a simple EVOO dressing. More about the salad coming soon 🙂