Category: Chicken


Apr
2021

Orange Cashew Chicken

categories: Asian, Chicken, Main Dishes
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Orange Cashew Chicken is a yummy twist on a Chinese classic! Chicken, veggies and cashews are cooked in a thick, Asian-inspired orange sauce.
Orange Cashew Chicken is a yummy twist on a Chinese classic! Chicken, veggies and cashews are cooked in a thick, Asian-inspired orange sauce.

Many, many years ago… long before I ever even had the remotest thought of starting a blog, I jotted down a recipe on an index card and filed it away in an old wooden recipe box of mine. Back in the days before Pinterest… and before I even had a computer! Recently I stumbled upon this old recipe, and decided to share it here on the blog, because it is soooo good! I don’t even know who to properly credit for the old original recipe, but this orange cashew chicken sure tastes great!

The recipe is INCREDIBLY EASY to make, and it’s not an understatement to say I LOVE IT! When I make it, I do the prep work ahead of time (cut the veggies/chicken, and make the sauce (easy peasy). Then when I’m ready to cook our meal all that is needed is to stir-fry the chicken and veggies for about 8 minutes, add the sauce, and cook 2 more minutes to let the sauce thicken. That’s it!

If you enjoy traditional cashew chicken, you can check out my recipe for that, too. But… you’ve just got to try this one for orange cashew chicken. I truly think you will love it! Here’s how easy it is to make:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepping First Is The Key!

If you prep the ingredients first, this dish is a cinch to cook in only about 10 minutes! Pat boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry with paper towels. TIP: The reason you want to dry them this way is so that when they hit the hot skillet, the extra moisture doesn’t “steam” the chicken. You want the chicken to “sear” and brown slightly.

Cut the chicken breasts into 1″ cubes. Thinly slice two medium carrots, and roughly chop up the celery until you have 1/2 cup. Set aside (or refrigerate, if saving for later in the day) until ready to prepare this dish.

In a small bowl, combine the orange sauce ingredients, and whisk or stir together until fully combined. The sauce ingredients are orange juice (fresh or commercially prepared work well), cornstarch, soy sauce, honey, and ginger (fresh or dried). Set aside.

Chicken breast, carrots and celery are cut and ready to stir-fry.An Asian-inspired orange sauce is whisked and is ready to add to orange cashew chicken.

Stir-Fry The Chicken And Veggies

When ready to cook, heat 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Let the oil get really hot (but not smoking) before adding anything to the skillet. This will allow the chicken to brown nice and quick.

Add the chicken, carrots and celery to the hot oil. Cook the chicken and veggies for about 8-9 minutes, stirring often. When done, the chicken will be lightly browned, and the veggies will be tender. Once done, reduce the heat to medium-low.

Carrots, celery and chicken are stir-fried in hot oil until cooked and tender.After stir-frying, the chicken is lightly browned and veggies are tender.

Add The Orange Sauce

Give the orange sauce a good stir, then add it to the skillet with the chicken mixture. Stir to combine, and bring the sauce to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly as the sauce will quickly thicken in the skillet.

Once the sauce has cooked for 2 minutes, add the cashews to the skillet. Stir, to coat everything very well with the thickened sauce.

The sauce is added to the orange cashew chicken and cooked for 2 minutes.Roasted cashews are added to the thick orange sauce, chicken and veggies in skillet.

At this point, the chicken, veggies and cashews should be hot, and the sauce will be nice and thick. That means the orange cashew chicken is ready to serve! See how easy that was?

Once heated through, the orange cashew chicken is ready for serving.

Time To Serve The Orange Cashew Chicken!

Orange Cashew Chicken is best when served on top of a bed of steamed rice. I highly recommend serving this dish with rice (a perfect pairing)! Sprinkling the chicken with sliced green onions and sesame seeds is a nice garnish and pop of color for this dish as well, but that is optional.

The chicken and veggies are tender, and the thick orange sauce is… wonderfully scrumptious! All the flavors of this orange cashew chicken “play well together”. I truly feel you and your friends or family will love this dish, too!

Orange Cashew Chicken is served on white rice, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog today. I hope you have a great day, and trust you will come back soon for more great recipes like this one! Take care, and may God Bless You.

Looking For More “Asian-Inspired” Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have quite a few recipes for Asian-inspired foods, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: unknown (found my handwritten recipe card in an old recipe box from many years ago-no source noted)

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Orange Cashew Chicken
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

Orange Cashew Chicken is a yummy twist on a Chinese classic! Chicken, veggies and cashews are cooked in a thick, Asian-inspired orange sauce.

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: orange cashew chicken
Servings:
Calories Per Serving: 410 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use 2 LARGE breasts)
  • 2 medium carrots peeled
  • ½ cup chopped celery
  • 2 Tablespoons Vegetable oil
  • ½ cup roasted cashews
For Orange Sauce:
  • ¾ cup orange juice fresh or commercially prepared
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 3 Tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium, if available)
  • 2 Tablespoons corn starch
  • ¼ teaspoon dried ginger (or 1 tsp. fresh, finely grated ginger)
  • ½ teaspoon orange zest (finely grated peel) OPTIONAL
For Serving (Optional): Hot steamed rice, sesame seeds and sliced green onions
    US Customary - Metric
    Instructions

    1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Cut chicken into 1" cubes. Thinly slice carrots, and roughly chop celery. Set aside (or refrigerate, if saving for later in the day) until ready to cook.

    2. Make Sauce: In small bowl, whisk or stir sauce ingredients together until combined. Set aside.

    3. Heat oil on medium-high heat in large skillet until really hot (but not smoking). Add chicken, carrots and celery to hot oil. Stir-fry for 8-9 minutes, stirring often. When done, chicken will be lightly browned on all sides, and veggies will be tender. Once done, reduce heat to medium-low.

    4. Stir sauce, then add it to chicken mixture. Stir to combine; bring sauce to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Once sauce has thickened, add the cashews,; stir to combine with chicken, veggies and sauce.

    5. Serve orange cashew chicken on top of hot, steamed rice. If desired (optional), sprinkle the top of each serving with sesame seeds, and a few sliced green onions. Serve hot... and enjoy!

    Recipe Notes

    NOTE: The caloric calculation does not include rice (optional for serving with this dish).

    Nutrition Facts
    Orange Cashew Chicken
    Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))
    Calories 410 Calories from Fat 162
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 18g28%
    Saturated Fat 8g50%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Cholesterol 73mg24%
    Sodium 567mg25%
    Potassium 774mg22%
    Carbohydrates 36g12%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 24g27%
    Protein 28g56%
    Vitamin A 5279IU106%
    Vitamin C 27mg33%
    Calcium 37mg4%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Orange Cashew Chicken is a yummy twist on a Chinese classic! Chicken, veggies and cashews are cooked in a thick, Asian-inspired orange sauce.


    Feb
    2021

    Garlic Lime Chicken Thighs

    categories: Chicken, Main Dishes
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    Garlic Lime Chicken Thighs feature bone-in, skinless thighs, coated in spices, baked in a simple broth, and garnished with lime and cilantro.
    Garlic Lime Chicken Thighs feature bone-in, skinless thighs, coated in spices, baked in a simple broth, & garnished with lime and cilantro.

    We tend to eat more chicken than any other meat in our house. How about you? There are so many great chicken recipes out there, and I never get tired of finding new ones to try. Especially if they taste great, like these garlic lime chicken thighs, for example.

    I discovered the original recipe in an old cookbook called “The Best Of Cooking Light”. It features lighter calorie meals, so I thought I would give it a try, and my husband and I really enjoyed this dish.

    It is easy to make, the chicken has lots of flavor, and the meat is very juicy after baking. I hope you’ll consider trying it… it’s GOOD! Here’s how to make it, step by step:

    Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

    Make The Spice Rub For The Chicken Thighs

    The spice mixture for the chicken is very EASY to make. In a small bowl, combine minced garlic, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Add 1 Tablespoon (HALF of the total amount) of fresh squeezed lime juice, and stir these ingredients, until fully combined.

    Rub the spice mixture onto four (6 ounces each), bone-in, skinless chicken thighs. Make sure to add the spices to all sides of the chicken, using all of the mix. 

    Garlic, cumin, oregano, lime juice, salt & pepper are mixed in bowl.Four bone-in, skinless chicken thighs are coated with spice mix before cooking.

    Place the four chicken thighs into an oven-proof skillet (cast-iron works GREAT!). In a separate bowl, mix together chicken broth, the remaining Tablespoon of lime juice, and white vinegar. Pour this liquid over the chicken thighs in the skillet.

    Bring the liquid to a boil on medium heat on the stovetop, then remove the skillet from the heat. Cover the skillet with a lid, or with aluminum foil.

    Chicken broth, lime juice and vinegar are brought to a boil in skillet with chicken.

    Bake The Garlic Lime Chicken Thighs

    Now it’s time to bake the garlic lime chicken thighs. Place the covered skillet on the middle rack in a preheated 350°F. oven. Bake the chicken for 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 180°F.

    When done, remove from oven, and transfer the chicken thighs out of the skillet to a platter (and cover, to keep them warm). Keep the accumulated juices in the skillet.

    Garlic lime chicken thighs are baked in a covered skillet in oven.When done, the chicken will be transferred out of the skillet while sauce cooks.

    Cook the juices remaining in the skillet on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the liquid reduces to about 1/4 cup. The sauce will be used to spoon over the pieces of chicken when serving. Now you’re ready to enjoy this delicious main course!

    The juices are cooked until liquid reduces to about 1/4 cup in the skillet.

    Serve The Garlic Lime Chicken Thighs

    Place the chicken thighs onto a serving platter (or individual plates). Each serving is 2 pieces, so this recipe will serve two people (or more, if you only want to eat ONE piece).

    Spoon some of the reduced sauce in the skillet over each piece. Garnish each piece of chicken with chopped cilantro, and a thin slice of lime.  We enjoyed the garlic lime chicken thighs served with green beans and delicious potato wedges on the side.

    Lime slices and chopped cilantro garnish the garlic lime chicken thighs for serving.Wedge potatoes and green beans are served with two garlic lime chicken thighs.

    I really hope you will consider making this delicious chicken dish, which is low in calories, yet big on flavor! Have a great day, and thank you for stopping by. Come back soon for more recipes.

    Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

    You can find all of my chicken recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of them you’ll enjoy, including:

    Interested In More Recipes?

    Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
    There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

    You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

    Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
    Pinterest:     The Grateful Girl Cooks!
    Instagram:     jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

    Author's signature

    Original recipe source: The book “The Best Of Cooking Light”, page 221, published by Oxmoor House, Inc., 2004

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    Garlic Lime Chicken Thighs
    Prep Time
    10 mins
    Cook Time
    30 mins
    Total Time
    40 mins
     

    Garlic Lime Chicken Thighs feature bone-in, skinless thighs, coated in spices, baked in a simple broth, & garnished with lime and cilantro.

    Category: Entree, Main Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: garlic lime chicken thighs
    Servings: (2 thighs per serving)
    Calories Per Serving: 270 kcal
    Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
    Ingredients
    For Spice Rub:
    • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
    • 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (divided use)
    Remaining Ingredients:
    • 24 ounces chicken thighs (bone-in, skinless) (4 six oz. thighs)
    • 3 Tablespoons low sodium chicken broth
    • 1 Tablespoons white vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro OPTIONAL garnish
    • 2 thin lime slices (each cut in half) OPTIONAL garnish
    US Customary - Metric
    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

    2. In a small bowl, combine minced garlic, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Stir in 1 Tablespoon (HALF the total amount) of fresh lime juice.

    3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rub spice mix onto all sides of the chicken, using all of the mix. Place chicken thighs into an oven-proof skillet in a single layer.

    4. In a bowl, mix together chicken broth, remaining Tablespoon of lime juice, and white vinegar. Pour liquid over the chicken thighs in skillet. Bring liquid to a boil on medium-high heat on stovetop, then remove skillet from heat. Cover skillet with a lid or aluminum foil.

    5. Place covered skillet on middle rack in preheated oven. Bake chicken for 30 minutes, or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 180°F. When done, remove skillet from oven; transfer chicken thighs to a platter (and cover, to keep them warm). Keep accumulated juices in the skillet. Cook the juices in the skillet on medium-high heat on the stovetop for 3-4 minutes, or until liquid reduces to about 1/4 cup.

    6. To serve: Spoon some of the reduced juices in the skillet over each piece. If desired, garnish each piece of chicken with chopped cilantro and a thin slice of lime. Enjoy!

    Nutrition Facts
    Garlic Lime Chicken Thighs
    Amount Per Serving (2 thighs)
    Calories 270 Calories from Fat 81
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 9g14%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Cholesterol 194mg65%
    Sodium 483mg21%
    Potassium 603mg17%
    Carbohydrates 5g2%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 41g82%
    Vitamin A 93IU2%
    Vitamin C 7mg8%
    Calcium 58mg6%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Garlic Lime Chicken Thighs feature bone-in, skinless thighs, coated in spices, baked in a simple broth, & garnished with lime and cilantro.


    Jan
    2021

    Easy Baked BBQ Chicken

    categories: Chicken, Main Dishes
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    Easy Baked BBQ Chicken is just that… EASY! The homemade BBQ sauce is simple to make, and compliments the browned, baked chicken perfectly!
    Easy Baked BBQ Chicken is just that... EASY! The homemade BBQ sauce is simple to make, and compliments the browned, baked chicken perfectly!

    Today I want to share a recipe (from my trusty old recipe box) that I’ve had for years and years, for easy baked BBQ chicken. I don’t know the source of the original recipe, because I jotted the ingredients/directions down on an index card over 20 years ago, but it is very easy! Basically, you will cook a quick and delicious BBQ sauce, lightly pan-sear chicken pieces, then douse the chicken with the sauce and put it all in the oven to bake.

    This recipe is a perfect way to enjoy good BBQ chicken when it’s just too cold, rainy or snowy to get out and cook BBQ chicken on the old family grill.

    The prep time is only about 20 minutes total, and then the chicken bakes for about an hour, filling your kitchen with a delicious aroma as it cooks. You can start watching a Hallmark movie, remodel your house, or play with the kids while the chicken bakes… yahoo! The end result? Absolutely DELICIOUS easy baked BBQ chicken, with minimal hands-on time! Here’s how easy it is to make:

    Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

    What Ingredients Will I Need?

    First and foremost, you will need approx. 8 pieces of chicken. Use whatever type of pieces you want (legs, thighs, breasts, skinless, skin-on, bone-in, boneless, or any combo, etc.). IT’S YOUR CHOICE.

    The ingredients you will need for the easy BBQ sauce are: onion, butter, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, worcestershire sauce, water, salt and pepper.

    The ingredients used to make BBQ sauce for chicken.

    Make The BBQ Sauce

    In a medium saucepan, sauté chopped onion in melted butter. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring often, then add the rest of the ingredients (except for the chicken). Let the sauce simmer (uncovered) on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done, set aside.

    TIP: If you are a multi-tasker and like to save time, you can brown the chicken pieces (see below) while the sauce cooks. That way they will be done about the same time.

    Chopped onion is cooked in melted butter to start the bbq sauce.The BBQ sauce is fully cooked and ready to use.

    Lightly Brown The Chicken Pieces Before Baking

    Pat each of the chicken pieces you will be using with paper towels to absorb extra moisture before cooking. Pour just enough oil into a large skillet to cover the bottom. Heat the oil on medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking.

    Carefully add the chicken pieces in a single layer to the hot oil and do not move them once they hit the pan. You may find it necessary to brown the chicken in batches, but it doesn’t take long at all to brown them, so nor worries! Brown the first side for 2-3 minutes, then carefully turn over each piece to lightly brown the other side.

    Place the lightly browned chicken pieces in a single layer in a 13″x9″ baking dish. Repeat browning process with 2nd batch, if necessary. I cooked mine in two batches. You do not want them to be fully cooked or very brown, just enough to lightly brown and to help seal the juices in the meat.

    Chicken pieces are lightly browned in hot oil on both sides.Lightly browned chicken pieces are placed in baking dish.

    Time To Cook Easy Baked BBQ Chicken

    Once all the chicken has been browned and added to the baking dish, pour all of the BBQ sauce over the chicken. Turn to make sure both sides are fully coated in that yummy BBQ sauce!

    Bake the chicken (uncovered) at 350°F. for 1 hour, or until the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Once done, remove from oven. Let chicken “rest” for 3-4 minutes, and then the easy baked BBQ chicken is ready to be served.

    Homemade BBQ sauce is poured over chicken, to coat, before baking.Easy Baked BBQ Chicken, hot from the oven!

    Time To Eat Some Easy Baked BBQ Chicken!

    Place chicken onto a platter or individual plates. Before serving, spoon some of the extra sauce from the baking dish over the top of each piece of chicken.

    That’s it! With minimal prep, and a lot of “inactive” baking time, this meal is ready to be enjoyed. The flavor of the bbq sauce-coated chicken is wonderful, in my humble opinion. We enjoyed our meal of easy baked BBQ chicken with mashed potatoes and a spinach salad (with warm bacon dressing) on the side. It was wonderful! 

    The easy baked bbq chicken, served with mashed potatoes and spinach salad.

    I truly hope you have the opportunity to make this easy chicken recipe for those you love. It doesn’t matter what kind of chicken pieces you use (breasts, legs, thighs or a combo); the result will be delicious. Have a great day, and thank you for visiting. Come back again soon!

    Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

    You can find all of my chicken recipes (there’s a LOT) in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. There are many delicious chicken recipes there, including:

    Interested In More Recipes?

    Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
    There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

    You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

    Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
    Pinterest:     The Grateful Girl Cooks!
    Instagram:     jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

    Author's signature

    Original Recipe Source: unknown

    0 from 0 votes
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    Easy Baked BBQ Chicken
    Prep Time
    20 mins
    Cook Time
    1 hr
    Total Time
    1 hr 20 mins
     

    Easy Baked BBQ Chicken is just that... EASY! The homemade BBQ sauce is simple to make, and compliments the browned, baked chicken perfectly!

    Category: Dinner, Main Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: easy baked bbq chicken
    Servings:
    Calories Per Serving: 217 kcal
    Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
    Ingredients
    For BBQ Sauce:
    • 3 Tablespoons butter
    • ⅓ cup chopped yellow onion
    • ¾ cup ketchup
    • ⅓ cup white vinegar
    • ½ cup water
    • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar , light or dark
    • 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
    • 1½ Tablespoons worchestershire sauce
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    For Rest of Dish:
    • 8 pieces chicken (breasts, thighs, legs)
    • vegetable oil (enough to cover bottom of large skillet)
    US Customary - Metric
    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

    2. In a medium saucepan, sauté chopped onion in melted butter. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often, then add remaining ingredients (except for chicken). Let sauce simmer uncovered on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done, set aside. TIP: If you are a multi-tasker and like to save time, you can brown the chicken pieces (see below) while the sauce cooks. That way they will be done about the same time.

    3. Pat each of the chicken pieces you will be using with paper towels to absorb extra moisture before cooking. Pour just enough oil into a large skillet to cover the bottom. Heat oil on medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Carefully add chicken pieces in a single layer to hot oil. Do not move them once they hit the skillet. Brown first side for 2-3 minutes, then carefully turn over each piece to lightly brown other side. Place chicken in single layer in a 13"x9" baking dish. Repeat browning process with 2nd batch, if necessary.

    4. Pour all of the BBQ sauce over chicken. Turn to make sure all sides are fully coated with sauce before baking. Bake chicken (uncovered) at 350°F. for 1 hour, or until chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Once done, remove from oven. Let chicken "rest" for 3-4 minutes. then place chicken on platter or individual plates. Spoon extra sauce from baking dish over each piece, then serve. Enjoy!

    Recipe Notes

    ***PLEASE NOTE: This caloric calculation is an estimate only, because the sizes/weights, and variety of chicken pieces (bone-in or boneless, skinless or skin-on) YOU use will be different. The caloric calculation for this recipe was made using boneless, skinless chicken breasts as a point of reference. Using thighs and legs or any combination of pieces/sizes, will result in a different caloric value per serving.

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Baked BBQ Chicken
    Amount Per Serving (1 breast)
    Calories 217 Calories from Fat 63
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 7g11%
    Saturated Fat 3g19%
    Cholesterol 84mg28%
    Sodium 493mg21%
    Potassium 530mg15%
    Carbohydrates 12g4%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 10g11%
    Protein 24g48%
    Vitamin A 281IU6%
    Vitamin C 3mg4%
    Calcium 19mg2%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Easy Baked BBQ Chicken is just that... EASY! The homemade BBQ sauce is simple to make, and compliments the browned, baked chicken perfectly!


    Sep
    2020

    Chicken Pasta Casserole

    categories: Casseroles, Chicken, Main Dishes
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    You’ll enjoy this Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rotini pasta, zucchini, onions, red bell peppers, Parmesan and mozzarella, in a creamy sauce!
    You'll enjoy this Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rotini pasta, zucchini, onions, red bell peppers, Parmesan and mozzarella, in a creamy sauce!

    I don’t know about you, but we enjoy a tasty casserole every now and then. Casseroles seem to have a little bit of everything in them, feed a crowd, and the leftovers are great the next day! THAT’S a win-win, in my book. This chicken pasta casserole (which is also easy to make) is no exception to that theory. Years ago I made a few changes to the original recipe, and have been happy with the results.

    Filled with chicken breast, veggies, curly rotini pasta, spices and two kinds of cheese, it practically has all the food groups represented (except for fruit or dessert, wink wink!). I found my handwritten recipe on an index card in a very old recipe box.

    I made this casserole several times many years ago (at least 15), and had written “GREAT” on the recipe, so I decided to cook it again, photograph the process, and share it here on my blog. Here’s how to make this delicious casserole:

    Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

    Prepare The Pasta

    Cook rotini pasta (or rotelle) according to the package directions in boiling, salted water. Once the pasta is fully cooked, drain the pasta, and then set it aside. TIP: Make the sauce for the casserole while the pasta is cooking, to save time! 

    Adding pasta to boiling water to cook.

    Make The Sauce For The Chicken Pasta Casserole

    To make the sauce, first melt butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add chopped onions, red bell peppers, and sliced zucchini halves to the skillet. Sauté the veggies just until they become crisp/tender (approx. 3-4 minutes). Stir in flour until it’s combined with the veggies.

    Bell peppers, zucchini, and onion are cooked in butter.Flour is stirred into the veggies to help thicken sauce later.

    Cook The Sauce Until Thickened

    Now add milk, chicken broth, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and basil to the skillet. Stir to combine all ingredients. Continue cooking, stirring often, on medium heat until the mixture has thickened and is bubbly. Once thickened, add 2 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, and stir again, to combine.

    Milk, chicken broth, tomato paste and spices are added to make the sauce.The sauce for the chicken pasta casserole has thickened.

    Stir in the cooked pasta and the chicken. Make sure to get everything covered with the sauce. Now you’re ready to put it all in a greased casserole dish, and bake!

    Cooked pasta and chicken are added to the creamy sauce.Ingredients are stirred until fully incorporated.

    Bake The Chicken Pasta Casserole

    Spread the casserole mixture into a greased 3 quart casserole dish evenly. Sprinkle the top of the pasta with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, followed by the grated mozzarella cheese.

    Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake, in a preheated 400°F. oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the foil, and continue baking for 15 additional minutes. It’s done when the cheese has melted and the casserole is fully heated through.

    Parmesan and mozzarella added to top of the chicken pasta casserole, before baking.Cheese has melted and casserole is bubbly when done.

    That’s it! Once it comes out of the oven, the chicken pasta casserole is ready to serve, and eat! You can add additional Parmesan cheese to the top as a garnish (if desired), but it really isn’t necessary. This dish is really quite tasty, fresh from the old oven!

    A bowl of chicken pasta casserole, ready to enjoy!

    I truly hope you enjoy this delicious casserole. You can store leftovers covered in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave for a quick lunch the next day!

    Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you come back soon for more family-friendly recipes! Have a wonderful day.

    Looking For More CASSEROLE Recipes?

    You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few delicious casserole recipes, including:

    Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

    I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
    Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

    There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
    You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

    Find Me On Social Media:

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    Author's signature

    Original recipe source: unknown

    ↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

    5 from 2 votes
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    Chicken Pasta Casserole
    Prep Time
    15 mins
    Cook Time
    25 mins
    Total Time
    40 mins
     

    You'll enjoy this Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rotini pasta, zucchini, onions, red bell peppers, Parmesan and mozzarella, in a creamy sauce!

    Category: Entree - Casserole
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: chicken pasta casserole
    Servings:
    Calories Per Serving: 428 kcal
    Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
    Ingredients
    • 8 ounces rotini pasta , cooked and drained
    • 1 cup yellow onion , chopped
    • 1 large zucchini , sliced, then slices cut in half
    • ½ cup red bell pepper , seeded and chopped
    • 3 Tablespoons butter
    • ¼ cup all purpose flour
    • 1½ cups chicken broth
    • ½ cup lowfat milk
    • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste *See note
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon basil
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese , divided
    • 2 cups cooked chicken breasts ,cut in bite-sized pieces
    • ⅓ cup grated mozzarella cheese
    US Customary - Metric
    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook pasta according to package directions. Once done, drain pasta; set aside. TIP: Make the sauce for the casserole while pasta cooks, to save time! 

    2. Melt butter in large skillet. Add onions, red peppers, and zucchini. Sauté veggies until crisp/tender (approx. 3-4 minutes). Stir in flour.

    3. Add milk, chicken broth, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and basil to skillet. Stir to combine. Continue cooking on medium heat, stirring often, until mixture thickens and is bubbly. Add half (2 Tbsp.) of grated Parmesan cheese, and stir again. Stir in cooked pasta and chicken until ingredients are coated with sauce.

    4. Grease a 3 qt. baking dish with non-stick baking spray. Spread casserole evenly in dish. Sprinkle pasta with remaining 2 Tbsp. of Parmesan cheese, followed by grated mozzarella. Cover dish with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated 400°F. oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the foil, and continue baking for 15 additional minutes. When done, serve, and enjoy!

    Recipe Notes

    NOTE: You can substitute spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce if you do not have access to tomato paste, but increase amount needed to 1.5 Tablespoons.

    Nutrition Facts
    Chicken Pasta Casserole
    Amount Per Serving (1 1/5 of total))
    Calories 428 Calories from Fat 117
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13g20%
    Saturated Fat 7g44%
    Cholesterol 74mg25%
    Sodium 864mg38%
    Potassium 623mg18%
    Carbohydrates 47g16%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 30g60%
    Vitamin A 993IU20%
    Vitamin C 39mg47%
    Calcium 171mg17%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You'll enjoy this Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rotini pasta, zucchini, onions, red bell peppers, Parmesan and mozzarella, in a creamy sauce!


    Sep
    2020

    Easy Chicken Jalapeño

    categories: Chicken, Main Dishes
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    Easy Chicken Jalapeño is a delicious entree, with seasoned pan-seared chicken breasts topped with a brown butter, sweet & mild sauce for serving.
    Easy Chicken Jalapeño is a delicious entree, with seasoned pan-seared chicken breasts topped with a brown butter, sweet & mild sauce for serving.

    If you’re looking for a simple, but delicious chicken dish with very few ingredients, may I suggest this recipe for easy chicken jalapeño? Seasoned, boneless chicken breasts are pan-seared in butter, then covered with an amazingly SIMPLE, but delicious slightly sweet, and mildly spicy sauce to serve. It can be made in under 20 minutes, too. Hooray!

    I have used homegrown and store-bought jalapeños in several recipes over the years, including my Jalapeño Cheddar Bagels and Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread. I like the little bit of spice and “oomph” they give a dish (remove the seeds for less spicy peppers).

    When I saw the words jalapeno chicken in one of my old cookbooks, I was afraid it was going to be spicy. It is not! There is a wonderfully flavored, simple sauce that covers the cooked chicken, and it is FAMILY-FRIENDLY! I think you will enjoy it, like we do! Here’s how to make this yummy chicken dish:

    Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page.

    Prepare The Chicken Breasts

    NOTE: The recipe (as written) yields 4 chicken breast servings, but my photos will only reflect the two that I made just for my husband and myself. I also used a huge chicken breast (about 12 ounces), and sliced it horizontally in half, which gave me two cutlets, each about 6 ounces.

    Pat the chicken breasts dry. Lightly season each chicken breast ON BOTH SIDES with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place each piece between two pieces of plastic wrap, sealing edges. Pound the chicken breasts with the flat side of a meat mallet (or heavy skillet) until about 1/2″ thick, but still hold their shape.

    Chicken breasts on white plate, seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powderThe chicken breasts in plastic wrap are pounded thinner with a meat mallet.

    Pan-Sear The Chicken Breasts

    In a large skillet (I used cast iron), melt butter on medium-high heat. Once melted, add the chicken breasts in a single layer. Cook on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, without moving the chicken.

    Carefully turn the chicken over, and cook the other side for 4-5 minutes, or until fully cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F.). The thickness of the chicken will determine how long they take to cook through.

    Once done, transfer the chicken breasts from the skillet to a plate, and cover with foil to keep them warm. **Do NOT clean the skillet out!

    Pan-searing the chicken breasts in melted butter in a black cast iron skillet.The pan-seared chicken pieces are browned after cooking, and turning to other side.

    Make The Sauce For Easy Chicken Jalapeño

    To make the sauce for the easy chicken jalapeño, you will need all the leftover browned butter and little browned “bits” left in the skillet from the chicken.

    Turn the heat to medium. Add the pepper jelly to the skillet, and whisk or stir to incorporate the jelly into the browned butter. Bring the sauce to a boil, continuing to stir until the jelly is fully incorporated, and the sauce is smooth. Remove the sauce from the heat. Now you’re ready to serve this dish!

    Jalapeño pepper jelly is added to browned butter in the skillet after cooking chicken.

    Serve Easy Chicken Jalapeño

    Once the sauce is smooth and hot, it’s time to serve the easy chicken jalapeño! Place a piece of chicken onto each serving plate, and spoon the sauce over the top of each portion. If desired, you can garnish the chicken with jalapeño slices (seeds removed), and then add a spoonful of colorful salsa.

    NOTE: You do NOT need jalapeño slices OR salsa for this dish to be perfect, but they DO add some color, and additional flavor. If you do not want to garnish… no worries! The chicken, served with only the yummy sauce on top tastes absolutely wonderful as is!

    Easy chicken jalapeño, topped with sauce and sliced jalapenos, served with rice and peas..A spoonful of salsa adds color to the easy chicken jalapeño when served.

    A Quick Note About Jalapeño Pepper Jelly

    I used my own homemade jalapeño pepper jelly, which you can see in the photo below. However, many stores carry it (Walmart, Target, etc.), and it can also be ordered online (Amazon) or found at many farmer’s markets.

    It can also be used as a topping on cream cheese and crackers (yum!), so it’s a perfect idea for a way to use any leftover jelly!

    Canned jalapeño jelly adds flavor to the sauce for this chicken dish.

    I hope you enjoy this recipe for easy chicken jalapeño. It really is quite delicious, and is incredibly simple to prepare. Thanks for stopping by… have a great day!

    Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

    You can find all of my CHICKEN recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of them, including:

    Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

    I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
    Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

    There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
    You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

    Find Me On Social Media:

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    Author's signature

    Original recipe source: Juanita Alexander, in “Southern Living Cookbook 1992”, page 310, published by Oxmoor House, 1992.

    ↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

    0 from 0 votes
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    Easy Chicken Jalapeño
    Prep Time
    7 mins
    Cook Time
    10 mins
    Total Time
    17 mins
     

    Easy Chicken Jalapeño is a delicious entree, with seasoned pan-seared chicken breasts topped with a brown butter, sweet & mild sauce for serving.

    Category: Entree, Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Southwest
    Keyword: easy chicken jalapeño
    Servings:
    Calories Per Serving: 317 kcal
    Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
    Ingredients
    For Chicken and Sauce:
    • 4 medium chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) (approx 6 ounces per breast)
    • salt, pepper, garlic powder to lightly season meat on both sides
    • 2 Tablespoons butter melted
    • ½ cup jalapeño jelly
    Optional Garnish: (sliced jalapeños, salsa)
      US Customary - Metric
      Instructions

      1. Pat chicken breasts dry. Lightly season ON BOTH SIDES with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place each piece between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound chicken breasts with the flat side of a meat mallet (or heavy skillet) until about 1/2" thick, but still hold their shape.

      2. In a large skillet, melt butter on medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts in a single layer. Cook on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, without moving chicken. Carefully turn the chicken over, and cook other side for 4-5 minutes, or until fully cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F.).  The thickness of the chicken will determine how long they take to cook through. Once done, transfer the chicken from the skillet to a plate, and cover with foil to keep it warm. **Do NOT clean the skillet out! The remaining browned butter and "browned bits will be used for the sauce.

      3. Make Sauce: Turn heat to medium. Add pepper jelly to skillet; whisk or stir jelly into browned butter. Bring to a boil, continuing to stir until the jelly is fully incorporated, and sauce is smooth. Remove sauce from the heat.

      4. TO SERVE: Place chicken breast onto individual serving plate; spoon sauce over the top. OPTIONAL: garnish with jalapeño slices (seeds removed), and colorful salsa. NOTE: You do NOT need jalapeño slices OR salsa for this dish, but they DO add color and additional flavor. ENJOY!

      Recipe Notes

      The caloric calculation was made based on using 4 chicken breasts (approx. 6 ounces each) AND a commercially prepared jalapeno pepper jelly with approx. 300 calories per 1/2 cup. Because pepper jellies widely vary in caloric counts, yours may differ, and will impact the total calorie count per portion.

      Nutrition Facts
      Easy Chicken Jalapeño
      Amount Per Serving (1 g)
      Calories 317 Calories from Fat 90
      % Daily Value*
      Fat 10g15%
      Saturated Fat 5g31%
      Cholesterol 124mg41%
      Sodium 839mg36%
      Potassium 629mg18%
      Carbohydrates 19g6%
      Sugar 17g19%
      Protein 36g72%
      Vitamin A 429IU9%
      Vitamin C 4mg5%
      Calcium 9mg1%
      Iron 1mg6%
      * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

      Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Easy Chicken Jalapeño is a delicious entree, with seasoned pan-seared chicken breasts topped with a brown butter, sweet & mild sauce for serving.


      Jul
      2020

      Honey Lime Grilled Chicken

      categories: Chicken, For The BBQ Grill, Main Dishes
      25 Shares
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      Enjoy the Southwestern flavor of delicious Honey Lime Grilled Chicken. Chicken thighs are marinated, then grilled/basted with the easy to make sauce.
      Enjoy the Southwestern flavor of delicious Honey Lime Grilled Chicken. Chicken thighs are marinated, then grilled/basted with the easy to make sauce.

      Looking for an easy to prepare, but full of flavor chicken recipe? May I recommend this one for honey lime grilled chicken? Chicken thighs are seasoned and flavored in a simple flavor-packed marinade. After marinating, the seasoned chicken thighs are grilled on a bbq (or cooked on stovetop), and are basted with a glaze (made using part of the reserved marinade)!

      This simply marinated, glazed and grilled chicken taste wonderful. The chicken thighs are juicy, and are complimented by the tangy glaze they’re coated with, while grilling. The sweet honey, fresh lime juice, along with some Southwest-inspired spices result in some quite tasty pieces of chicken.

      This is a perfect recipe for hot summer nights. To make it REALLY convenient, you can marinate the chicken early in the day, and then grill ’em up later in the evening, for a quick dinner! YUM. Here’s how to make this chicken:

      What’s In The Marinade?

      The marinade (which also doubles as a basting sauce later) is super easy to make, in hardly any time at all. The ingredients are olive oil, honey, lime juice, fresh ginger, cumin, coriander, oregano, minced garlic and salt.

      The ingredients used for the honey lime marinade.

      Prepare The Honey Lime Marinade

      Measure the marinade ingredients into a medium saucepan. Stir the ingredients well, to fully combine. Put the ingredients into a saucepan, because you will remove some to use as a marinade, and then cook the remaining sauce into a slightly thickened basting glaze.

      All the marinade ingredients are placed into a medium saucepan.Once mixed, some honey lime sauce is removed to marinate the chicken pieces.

      Marinate The Chicken Thighs

      Measure out 4 Tablespoon of the marinade into a large gallon-sized re-sealable bag. NOTE: *I did not have a large gallon-sized bag available, but had 2 quart sized bags. I put 2 Tablespoons marinade into each of the 2 small bags. Add the chicken thighs, and “massage” the bag(s) well, to ensure all sides of the chicken are covered with marinade.

      Place bag(s) in the refrigerator and marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes. You can marinate the chicken for up to 12 hours, so this is easy to prepare early in the day. You can let the chicken hang out in the refrigerator until you’re ready to grill it. TIP: The longer the chicken marinates, the greater the flavor!

      Chicken thighs marinating in honey lime sauce in re-sealable plastic bags.

      Make A Basting Sauce For The Honey Lime Grilled Chicken

      While the chicken is marinating, you can make the basting glaze, using the remaining marinade in the saucepan. Heat the sauce on Medium heat until it comes to a boil. Once it begins boiling, keep an eye on the sauce, stirring occasionally. It will bubble quite a bit (and you don’t want it to bubble up and out of your saucepan!).

      Continue to boil the sauce for between 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture becomes more like a slightly thicker syrup. As it continues to cook, the liquid will reduce in volume by about a half. Once done, remove the pan from the heat, and set aside, until you’re ready to grill the chicken.

      Remaining honey lime marinade is cooked down into a basting glaze for grilling..the basting glaze has reduced in volume and is syrupy, for brushing on chicken.

      Time To Cook The Honey Lime Grilled Chicken!

      When ready to cook the honey lime grilled chicken, you have two options: you can grill it outside on a bbq OR you can cook it on the stove top in a large skillet. *Inside cooking directions can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

      FOR OUTSIDE GRILLING: preheat grill (or charcoal briquettes) to a medium high heat. Once hot, transfer chicken pieces directly onto bbq grate. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper (if desired). Baste the chicken thighs often with the honey lime glaze as it cooks (baste and grill on all sides).

      The chicken will take about 15 minutes to cook (more or less, depending on heat source AND size of chicken pieces). The chicken is considered safely “done” when it’s internal temperature reaches 160°F. It should be nice and golden brown in color.

      Marinated chicken thighs are grilled, and basted with honey lime glaze as they cook..

      Ready To Enjoy

      Once you remove the chicken from the grill, cover it (to keep it warm), and let it rest for about 4-5 minutes to let the juices redistribute inside the chicken.

      We enjoyed the honey lime grilled chicken, garnished with fresh parsley, and served with a cauliflower/mushroom side dish, and steamed rice. The chicken was moist, and very flavorful. I think you will love it, too!

      Honey lime grilled chicken pieces on a white platter, ready to be eaten.Rice and a veggie dish are served along with the honey lime grilled chicken.

      Thank you so much for stopping by. I truly hope you will consider trying this easy, delicious honey lime grilled chicken recipe. Take care, and have a great day.

      Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

      You can find all of my chicken recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of delicious recipes using chicken, including:

      Interested In More Recipes?

      Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
      There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

      You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
      Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

      Author's signature

      Original recipe source: Chris, at: thecafesucrefarine.com/mexican-honey-lime-grilled-chicken/

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      Honey Lime Grilled Chicken
      Prep Time
      5 mins
      Cook Time
      15 mins
      Marinating Time (inactive)
      30 mins
      Total Time
      50 mins
       

      Enjoy the Southwestern flavor of delicious Honey Lime Grilled Chicken. Chicken thighs are marinated, then grilled/basted with the easy to make sauce.

      Category: Entree, Main Course
      Cuisine: Southwest
      Keyword: honey lime grilled chicken
      Servings:
      Calories Per Serving: 350 kcal
      Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Ingredients
      • 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6 pieces) , visible fat removed
      • salt/pepper (to lightly season chicken before grilling) , OPTIONAL-amount used as desired
      Honey Lime Marinade & Basting Sauce:
      • ¼ cup fresh lime juice
      • 3 Tablespoons honey
      • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
      • 3 cloves garlic , finely minced
      • 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
      • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
      • 1 teaspoon coriander
      • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
      • 1 teaspoon salt
      US Customary - Metric
      Instructions

      1. Measure marinade ingredients into a medium saucepan. Stir well, to fully combine.

      2. Measure 4 Tablespoons of marinade out; transfer into a large re-sealable plastic bag (or divide evenly between 2 smaller bags). Add chicken thighs, and "massage" bag(s) well, to ensure each piece is covered with marinade. Place bag(s) in refrigerator; marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours.

      3. While chicken marinates, make basting glaze. Cook remaining marinade in saucepan on Medium heat until it comes to a boil. Once boiling, keep an eye on it, stirring often, so it doesn't bubble up and out of the pan. Boil sauce for 1-2 minutes, until mixture becomes a slightly thick syrup. As it cooks, liquid will reduce in volume by about half. Once done, remove pan from heat; set aside.

      Cooking Outside On Grill:

      1. Preheat gas grill (or charcoal briquettes) to medium high heat. Once hot, transfer chicken pieces directly onto bbq grate. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt/pepper (if desired). Baste chicken often with honey lime glaze as it cooks (baste and grill on all sides). Chicken will take about 15 minutes to cook (more or less, depending on heat source AND size of chicken pieces). The chicken is safely "done" when it's internal temperature reaches 160°F. It should be nice and golden brown in color. Remove chicken when done, and let rest for 4-5 minutes before serving, to let juices redistribute through meat.

      Cooking Inside On Stovetop:

      1. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. When it is really hot (but not smoking), add chicken, but do not over-crowd the skillet. Season lightly with salt/pepper (if desired). Cook for about 10-12 minutes, basting with the glaze, and turning chicken frequently. Chicken is safely "done" when it reaches an internal temperate of 160°F. Remove chicken when done, and let rest for 4-5 minutes before serving, to let juices redistribute through meat.

      Recipe Notes

      NOTE: Caloric calculation is approximate, due to varying sizes of chicken thighs that might be used.

      Nutrition Facts
      Honey Lime Grilled Chicken
      Amount Per Serving (1 thigh)
      Calories 350 Calories from Fat 126
      % Daily Value*
      Fat 14g22%
      Saturated Fat 3g19%
      Cholesterol 215mg72%
      Sodium 591mg26%
      Potassium 579mg17%
      Carbohydrates 10g3%
      Fiber 1g4%
      Sugar 9g10%
      Protein 44g88%
      Vitamin A 54IU1%
      Vitamin C 3mg4%
      Calcium 32mg3%
      Iron 2mg11%
      * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

      Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Enjoy the Southwestern flavor of delicious Honey Lime Grilled Chicken. Chicken thighs are marinated, then grilled/basted with the easy to make sauce.


      Jul
      2020

      Grilled Lemon Chicken Breasts

      categories: Chicken, For The BBQ Grill, Main Dishes
      119 Shares
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      Fire up your BBQ and make delicious, grilled lemon chicken breasts! A flavorful lemon marinade coats the chicken, then it’s grilled until done. EASY!
      Fire up your BBQ and make delicious, grilled lemon chicken breasts! A flavorful lemon marinade coats the chicken, then it's grilled until done. EASY!

      Summer is officially here in Oregon, and the temperatures have been slowly climbing upward. I don’t know about you, but we grill a lot of our dinners outside during the summer, to avoid heating up our kitchen. This recipe for grilled lemon chicken breasts is a fantastic, light and easy main dish, and I know you will love it like we do!

      The recipe itself is super easy. I found it on a pellet grill/smoker blog, but decided instead of cooking it on our Traeger, to grill them on our trusty old charcoal-grill Weber. The good news? You only need to make a simple lemon marinade and let the chicken soak in it, before grilling. The bad news? YOU NEED TO PLAN AHEAD! The chicken breasts will need to marinate for 3-4 hours to soak up all that yummy flavor!

      Since the marinade only takes a few minutes to make, it is easy to mix it up early in the day, and then toss chicken breasts in for a long swim, until you’re ready to grill them! See how easy it is? Here’s the “How-To’s”:

      Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

      Make The Lemon Marinade

      Making the lemon marinade is EASY. Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, salt, pepper, fresh thyme leaves, and coarsely chopped fresh garlic in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continuously as you add it in, until completely incorporated into the other ingredients.

      Honey, Lemon juice and zest, garlic, and spices are mixed for the marinade.Olive oil is whisked into the lemon marinade until incorporated.

      Marinade The Chicken

      Place the chicken breasts in a LARGE zip-loc bag OR place in a single layer in a large container with a lid. Give the marinade a good stir, and then pour it over the chicken. If using a bag, gently massage the bag until chicken breasts are fully covered with marinade. If using a container (as I did), turn to fully coat the chicken with the marinade.

      Place the sealed bag or container in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, turning the bag (or the chicken) over occasionally to keep the chicken coated. Letting the chicken fully marinade helps enfuse the meat with the delicious flavors of lemon, honey, garlic, and spices.

      Chicken breasts are coated with the marinade, then refrigerated.Marinated chicken breasts are refrigerated for 3-4 hours before grilling.

      Time To Make Grilled Lemon Chicken Breasts!

      After the chicken is done marinating, it’s time to cook them. Prepare your bbq per manufacturer instructions. Once the coals or heat source is at a medium-high level, remove the chicken from the marinade (letting excess drip back into container). Place on hot grill and let them cook, flipping them to the other side half way through cooking time. If desired, baste the chicken while it cooks with some of the remaining marinade to keep it moist. Discard the rest.

      The chicken (approx. 6 ounce pieces) will typically take between 20-30 minutes to fully cook through to a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Larger or smaller pieces of chicken will obviously require more OR less cooking time, because the weight of chicken breasts will vary. The temperatures on different types of bbq’s can vary widely as well.

      Check the chicken for done-ness towards the end of the cooking time. A couple of our chicken breasts were much larger and thicker than the others (11 ounces), and took 35 minutes to reach 165°F.

      Grilled Lemon Chicken Breasts cooking over hot coals on BBQ.The chicken is turned half way through grilling to brown both sides.

      Serve The Grilled Lemon Chicken Breasts

      If you would like to garnish the finished chicken with grilled lemon wedges (it looks good!), you can. Simply cut a whole lemon into 4 wedges, and place on the grill, cut side down, for the last 5 minutes of cooking time for the chicken, to quickly char it on all cut sides. (See photo below).

      Serve the grilled lemon chicken breasts with the charred lemon quarters and a sprig or two of fresh thyme or rosemary, as a beautiful presentation. You can squeeze more lemon juice from the charred wedges over the chicken, if desired.

      We enjoyed this delicious chicken along with some home-canned green beans from our garden, and some scrumptious candied sweet potatoes.. It was a delicious dinner (and I will use our leftover chicken with pasta, or on top of a mixed green salad).

      Grilled Lemon Chicken Breasts are served, garnished with charred lemon wedges and rosemary sprigs.Sweet potatoes, & green beans served with grilled lemon chicken breasts.

      I really hope you enjoy this recipe for grilled lemon chicken breasts. We LOVE it (especially the EASY part!), and hope you have the opportunity to make it for those you love. A complete, printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post, for your convenience.

      Thank you for using some of your valuable time to stop by for a visit. Hope you will come back again. Take care, and have a GREAT day.

      Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

      You can find all of my chicken recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of them to explore, including:

      Interested In More Recipes?

      Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
      There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

      You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
      Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

      Author's signature

      Original recipe source: https://www.traegergrills.com/recipes/lemon-chicken-breast

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      Grilled Lemon Chicken Breasts
      Prep Time
      5 mins
      Cook Time
      35 mins
      Marinating Time (inactive)
      4 hrs
      Total Time
      4 hrs 40 mins
       

      Fire up your BBQ and make delicious, grilled lemon chicken breasts! A flavorful lemon marinade coats the chicken, then it's grilled until done. EASY!

      Category: Entree
      Cuisine: American
      Keyword: grilled lemon chicken breasts
      Servings:
      Calories Per Serving: 286 kcal
      Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Ingredients
      • 1 large lemon (juice + zest)
      • 2 teaspoons honey
      • 1 clove garlic large clove, coarsely chopped
      • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
      • 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
      • 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves , strip leaves from stems
      • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil , can substitute vegetable oil
      • 6 medium chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) approx. 6 ounces per chicken breast
      For Garnish:
      • 1 large lemon , cut in 4 wedges, grilled for garnish (optional)
      • 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
      US Customary - Metric
      Instructions

      1. Combine lemon juice, zest, honey, salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and chopped fresh garlic in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking continuously as you add it, until incorporated into other ingredients.

      2. Place chicken in a LARGE zip-loc bag OR in a single layer in a large container with a lid. Pour marinade over chicken. If using sealed bag, gently massage bag until chicken is fully covered with marinade. If using a container, turn to fully coat chicken with marinade. Place bag or covered container in refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours.

      3. Prepare BBQ grill per manufacturer instructions. Once coals or heat source is at a medium-high temperature, remove chicken from marinade. Place chicken directly on hot grill grate and cook without moving them. Half way through cooking time, turn chicken to the other side. If desired, baste chicken with remaining marinade while grilling. Discard leftover marinade. Chicken (approx. 6 ounces per piece) will typically take between 20-30 minutes to fully cook through to a safe internal temperature of 165°F. This time can vary, due to sizes/weight/thickness of chicken pieces, bbq temperature, etc. Be sure to check internal temperature of chicken towards end of cooking time. When done (165°F), remove from grill; let chicken rest for 3-4 minutes before serving, to allow internal juices to redistribute throughout meat.

      4. If you want grilled lemon wedges for serving with the grilled chicken, simply cut a whole lemon into 4 wedges, and place on the grill, cut side down, for the last 5 minutes of the chicken's grilling time, to quickly char it on all cut sides. Serve chicken breasts with charred lemon quarters on top and 1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary, for a beautiful presentation. Enjoy!

      Recipe Notes

      Note: Caloric calculation was made using HALF the amount of marinade required for the recipe. This is because MOST of the marinade will be discarded AFTER marinating the chicken, and will not be consumed.

      Nutrition Facts
      Grilled Lemon Chicken Breasts
      Amount Per Serving (1 g)
      Calories 286 Calories from Fat 117
      % Daily Value*
      Fat 13g20%
      Saturated Fat 2g13%
      Cholesterol 109mg36%
      Sodium 586mg25%
      Potassium 667mg19%
      Carbohydrates 4g1%
      Fiber 1g4%
      Sugar 2g2%
      Protein 36g72%
      Vitamin A 67IU1%
      Vitamin C 17mg21%
      Calcium 16mg2%
      Iron 1mg6%
      * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

      Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Fire up your BBQ and make delicious, grilled lemon chicken breasts! A flavorful lemon marinade coats the chicken, then it's grilled until done. EASY!


      Apr
      2020

      Creamy Lemon Tarragon Chicken

      categories: Chicken, Main Dishes
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      Creamy Lemon Tarragon Chicken features pan-seared chicken breasts, topped w/ a buttery lemon cream sauce with tarragon & green onions, served on rice.
      Creamy Lemon Tarragon Chicken features pan-seared chicken breasts, topped w/ a buttery lemon cream sauce with tarragon & green onions, served on rice.

      Looking for an easy to prepare, super yummy chicken recipe? Well then, you should give this recipe for creamy lemon tarragon chicken a try. It’s delicious, and is super simple to make, without a ton of ingredients! The sauce has lots of flavor, thanks to fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, dried tarragon, cream, butter, and sliced green onions. It is soooo good.

      When I took the photos for this blog post, I had my husband do the cooking. We changed it up a bit so we could BOTH be in the kitchen cooking together (I did some of the prep work and plated it). He did a fabulous job cooking the creamy lemon tarragon chicken, and we both LOVED this dish. Here’s how to make it:

      Scroll Down For a Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

      Prepare The Chicken Breasts

      The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You will need to “pound them” with a meat mallet (or heavy skillet like cast iron) until they are about 1/4″ thick. To do this, place plastic wrap on a surface. Lay one chicken breast on the plastic, then cover with another sheet of plastic wrap, and seal edges.

      Use the flat side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet to pound the chicken out. Once the chicken is flattened out to 1/4″ thickness, set it aside. Repeat with the other chicken breasts. Once all have been flattened, slice each piece of chicken in half, length-wise, then cut each half into 3 pieces.

      Chicken breasts are pounded until 1/4" thick between pieces of plastic wrap.Pieces of chicken breast are cut into halves, then into thirds before cooking.

      Cook The Chicken

      Sprinkle the chicken pieces lightly with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet, and then add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat. When the bottom of the chicken is golden brown, turn chicken to the other side, and cook 2-3 more minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked through.

      The photo below is the only picture I got of this step, but you can see my hubby busy cooking the chicken. Once the chicken is done, remove the chicken pieces from the skillet to an oven-proof dish, cover with foil, and keep the pieces warm.

      TIP: We put the covered, cooked chicken in a 200 degree oven to keep warm. The chicken needs to stay warm while you make the sauce. **DO NOT CLEAN OUT THE SKILLET (you will use the leftover butter and little browned bits in it to make the sauce!).

      Pan-searing the chicken breast portions in butter.

      Make The Creamy Lemon Tarragon Sauce

      Now it’s time to make the creamy sauce that will cover the chicken. Sauté the green onions on medium-low heat in the leftover butter in the skillet until they become tender (a couple minutes). Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, and dried tarragon to the skillet and stir, to combine. Measure and pour the whipping cream into the skillet.

      Lemon juice, zest, green onions and seasonings are cooked in skillet.Heavy cream is added to the sauce for creamy lemon tarragon chicken.

      Whisk or stir the sauce well, while continuing to cook on medium-low heat. Cook the sauce until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook sauce 4-5 more minutes, or until sauce has thickened slightly, and is fully heated through. Remove the sauce from the heat.

      The creamy lemon sauce is stirred and cooked until slightly thickened.

      Serve The Creamy Lemon Tarragon Chicken

      Once the sauce if fully heated through, your creamy lemon tarragon chicken dinner is ready to be plated for serving! Place a portion of cooked white or brown rice onto each dinner plate. Spread the rice out so it becomes the base for the chicken and sauce.

      Place 3-4 pieces of warm chicken on top of the rice, and then spoon the hot creamy sauce over each piece to cover. You should have enough yummy sauce to cover all the chicken pieces, so be generous with the sauce. And that’s it… see how simple it was to make this creamy lemon tarragon chicken dish? Hope you enjoy it! It really is quite delicious.

      Creamy Lemon Tarragon Chicken is served on rice, with zucchini on the side.Thick creamy lemon sauce covers the pan-seared chicken pieces on top of rice.

      Thanks for visiting. I hope you will come back again soon, and trust you will have consider making this creamy lemon tarragon chicken recipe for yourself and those you love. Take care, and have a great day.

      Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

      You can find all of my chicken recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I’ve got LOTS of them, including:

      Interested In More Recipes?

      Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
      There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

      You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
      Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

      Author's signature

      Original recipe source: unknown (found written on 3×5 card in one of my really old recipe boxes)

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      Creamy Lemon Tarragon Chicken
      Prep Time
      15 mins
      Cook Time
      6 mins
      Total Time
      21 mins
       

      Creamy Lemon Tarragon Chicken features pan-seared chicken breasts, topped w/ a buttery lemon cream sauce with tarragon & green onions, served on rice.

      Category: Entree
      Cuisine: American
      Keyword: creamy lemon tarragon chicken
      Servings:
      Calories Per Serving: 505 kcal
      Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Ingredients
      • 1½ pounds chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) , about 3 large
      • Salt & black pepper , to lightly season chicken
      • ¼ cup butter (= 4 Tablespoons)
      • 2 Tablespoons green onions (scallions) , thinly sliced
      • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (fresh)
      • 1 teaspoon lemon zest , finely grated
      • 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
      • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
      • white or brown rice , pre-cooked, hot
      US Customary - Metric
      Instructions

      1. Prepare Chicken: Flatten chicken breasts by placing one chicken breast at a time between sheets of plastic wrap. Use the flat side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet to pound the chicken out. Once the chicken is flattened to about 1/4"thickness, set it aside; Slice each flattened piece of chicken in half length-wise, then cut each half into 3 pieces. Season chicken with salt/pepper.

      2. Cook Chicken: Melt butter in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces in single layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes until bottom side is golden brown; turn chicken over; cook for 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove chicken to oven-proof plate, cover, keep pieces warm (we used 200°F. oven). **DO NOT CLEAN THE SKILLET OUT (will use it to make sauce)

      3. Make Sauce: Sauté sliced green onions in leftover butter in skillet on medium-low heat until they become tender (about 2 minutes). Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and dried tarragon to skillet and stir, to combine. Pour whipping cream into skillet. Whisk or stir the sauce well, while continuing to cook on medium-low heat. Cook the sauce until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook sauce 4-5 more minutes, or until sauce has thickened slightly, and is fully heated through. Remove the sauce from the heat.

      4. To Serve: Place prepared rice onto each dinner plate. Spread the rice out, so it becomes the base for the chicken and sauce. Place 3-4 pieces of warm chicken on top of rice, and spoon hot creamy sauce over each piece to cover. Enjoy!

      Recipe Notes

      NOTE: The caloric calculation does NOT include the rice, as different types or portion sizes might be used.

      Nutrition Facts
      Creamy Lemon Tarragon Chicken
      Amount Per Serving (1 (1/4 of total))
      Calories 505 Calories from Fat 342
      % Daily Value*
      Fat 38g58%
      Saturated Fat 22g138%
      Cholesterol 221mg74%
      Sodium 322mg14%
      Potassium 689mg20%
      Carbohydrates 3g1%
      Fiber 1g4%
      Sugar 1g1%
      Protein 38g76%
      Vitamin A 1331IU27%
      Vitamin C 7mg8%
      Calcium 56mg6%
      Iron 1mg6%
      * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

      Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Creamy Lemon Tarragon Chicken features pan-seared chicken breasts, topped w/ a buttery lemon cream sauce with tarragon & green onions, served on rice.

       

       


      Apr
      2020

      Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich (copycat)

      categories: Chicken, Copycat Recipes, Main Dishes, Sandwiches
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      Enjoy a tasty copycat Carl’s Jr. Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich. Marinated chicken, cheese, Southwest sauce, green chile, & lettuce on a toasted bun. YUM!
      Enjoy a tasty copycat Carl's Jr. Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich. Marinated chicken, cheese, Southwest sauce, green chile & lettuce on a toasted bun. YUM!

      Well… we’ve entered another week of “stay-at-home”, due to current coronavirus guidelines. I made my husband and I delicious chicken sandwiches for dinner last week, using a recipe I was given many years ago.

      The recipe is a copycat for one of Carl’s Jr. restaurants chicken sandwiches, which we used to order! Honestly, I’m not even sure if they still have this sandwich on their menu. All I know is… it’s GOOD, and we really enjoy these sandwiches!

      I knew I had 99% of the ingredients in our kitchen, so I decided to make these sandwiches again (it’s been a while!). The recipe calls for teriyaki sauce (and that was the ONE thing I was out of)! Since we are trying NOT to go to the grocery store too much (social distancing), I used my recipe for homemade teriyaki marinade (easy) to marinate the chicken! Problem solved. HOORAY!

      The sandwiches were (as always) a big hit, so I’m sharing the recipe here, so you can enjoy it, too. Here’s how to make Santa Fe Chicken Sandwiches:

      Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

      First – Marinate The Chicken

      The recipe (as written in printable recipe below) makes 4 sandwiches, but since I was only making them for my husband and I, my photos reflect the fixings for TWO! Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts into a resealable plastic bag or container (with a lid).

      Add teriyaki sauce to the chicken, and turn to fully cover the chicken with the sauce. Let the chicken marinate (covered or sealed) in the refrigerator for thirty minutes, so the flavors can permeate the meat. Use the time the chicken is marinating to prepare other parts of the recipe.

      Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are marinated in teriyaki sauce.

      Prepare The Southwestern Sauce – EASY!

      Making the Southwestern sauce for the sandwich is incredibly simple.  Measure the mayonnaise, cayenne pepper, paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, and curry powder into a small bowl.

      Stir well, until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Set the bowl aside. This will be the sauce you put on the sandwich! See how EASY that was?

      Southwest-inspired spices are mixed together with mayonnaise to make sauce.The sauce for the sandwich is mixed, and is ready to spread on.

      Prepare The Canned Green Chiles- EASY!

      Open and drain the green chiles. Below you can see the type of chiles I used. There should be 4 whole ones in the can. Carefully slice them open, and remove the seeds with a butter knife or spoon. Each sandwich requires one of these mild chiles. Pat the chiles dry with a paper towel. Now you can set them aside until you’re ready to build the sandwiches.

      Whole green chiles are split open and seeds are removed before adding to sandwich.

      Cook The Marinated Chicken

      Once the chicken breasts have marinated for 30 minutes, remove them from the container (or bag), and let the excess sauce drip off the chicken. Discard the sauce. Grill the chicken on an outdoor grill, or in a lightly oiled pan or indoor grill on medium-high heat. I use a cast iron grill on my stove top to cook the chicken (see photo below).

      When the chicken is nicely browned on the bottom after 6-7 minutes, carefully turn the chicken over, and continue grilling the other side for an additional 6-7 minutes. The time it will take to cook the chicken will vary, depending on the thickness of the chicken you use, of course. When done, the chicken should be cooked all the way through (internal temp of 165°F.), and be nicely browned on all sides.

      Marinated chicken breasts are grilled for the sandwich.The marinated chicken breasts are grilled on both sides until done.

      Time To Build Your Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich!

      Okay… now it’s time to put the sandwiches together. Lightly toast the hamburger buns. I’ve found the easiest way is to lay them open on a lightly buttered skillet or griddle, and let them “toast” on low heat for a minute or two.

      Spread the Southwestern sauce onto both sides of each of the toasted buns. Place a lettuce leaf on the bottom bun, and then top it with one of the green chiles.

      Southwestern sauce is spread on both top and bottom of toasted bun.Lettuce and a whole green chile is added to the toasted buns with sauce.

      Now lay the warm marinated, grilled chicken breast on top of the chile. Add a slice of American cheese (or thin cheddar, if using) to the top bun, and place it on the chicken.

      Now your Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich is completely ready to enjoy! The heat from the toasted bun and the chicken will help to slightly melt the cheese, too!

      Repeat the steps for each Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich. All that is left for you to do after that is serve and enjoy these delicious, flavorful chicken sandwiches. Hope you enjoy them… we sure do!

      Marinated grilled chicken and cheese are added to the Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich.

      A Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich is served on a plate, with sliced apples on the side.

      Thank you for stopping by. The printable recipe is shown below, in case you would like to make these at home. Stay safe, and be an encouraging friend and family member to those around you who might be hurting.

      God bless you, and I sincerely hope you have a GREAT day. There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for, right?

      Looking For Other SANDWICH Recipes?

      You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have several sandwich recipes there, including:

      Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

      I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
      Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

      There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
      You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

      Find Me On Social Media:

      Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Pinterest:       The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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      Author's signature

      Original recipe source: unknown (I received it many years ago from a friend and wrote it down- original source unknown)

      ↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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      Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich
      Prep Time
      5 mins
      Cook Time
      14 mins
      Marinating Time (Inactive-included in total time)
      30 mins
      Total Time
      49 mins
       

      Enjoy a tasty copycat Carl's Jr. Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich. Marinated chicken, cheese, Southwest sauce, green chile & lettuce on a toasted bun. YUM!

      Category: Dinner, Lunch, Sandwich
      Cuisine: Southwestern
      Keyword: Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich
      Servings: sandwiches
      Calories Per Serving: 441 kcal
      Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Ingredients
      For Chicken:
      • 4 medium chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) (the thinner, the better!)
      For Teriyaki Marinade: (can also use purchased teriyaki sauce or marinade instead of making homemade sauce)
      • ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
      • 2 Tablespoons honey
      • 2 Tablespoons water
      • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar light or dark
      • 2 cloves garlic minced
      • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated
      • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
      For Southwest Sauce:
      • ¼ cup mayonnaise (regular or light)
      • ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
      • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
      • ¼ teaspoon curry powder
      • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
      • 1 pinch kosher salt
      • 1 pinch ground black pepper
      For Sandwich:
      • 4 hamburger buns lightly toasted
      • 4 lettuce leaves
      • 7.5 ounces canned whole green chiles (1 can has about 4 chiles)
      • 4 slices American cheese or thin sliced cheddar
      US Customary - Metric
      Instructions

      1. MAKE TERIYAKI SAUCE: Combine teriyaki marinade ingredients in medium bowl; whisk together until combined.

      2. MARINATE CHICKEN: Place boneless, skinless chicken breasts into resealable plastic bag or a container (with lid). Add teriyaki sauce; turn to fully cover chicken with sauce. Let chicken marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

      3. PREP #1-MAKE SAUCE: Measure mayonnaise, cayenne pepper, paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper and curry powder into a small bowl. Stir well, then set bowl aside. PREP #2-PREPARE CHILES: Open can; drain green chiles. Carefully slice chiles open. Remove seeds. Pat chiles dry with a paper towel. Set aside.

      4. COOK CHICKEN: After marinating 30 minutes, remove chicken breasts from bag (or container); let excess sauce drip off the chicken. Discard sauce. Cook chicken on an outdoor grill, or in a lightly oiled pan or on indoor grill pan on medium-high heat. Cook for approximately 6-7 minutes. Turn chicken over; continue grilling other side for an additional 6-7 minutes. The time it takes to cook depends on the thickness of chicken you use, of course. When done, chicken should be cooked all the way through (internal temp of 145-150°F), and be nicely browned on all sides. Remove from pan or grill. Keep chicken warm.

      5. TOAST THE BUNS: Lightly toast the hamburger buns. Easiest way is to split and lay them open on a lightly buttered skillet. Let them "toast" for 1-2 minutes on low heat, until golden brown.

      6. TO BUILD EACH SANDWICH: Spread sauce onto both sides of each toasted bun. Place lettuce leaf on bottom bun; add a green chile, followed by the chicken breast. Add a slice of American (or cheddar) cheese to the top bun, and place it on the chicken. Repeat with other sandwiches, serve warm, and enjoy!

      Recipe Notes

      Caloric calculation was made using light mayonnaise and 1/4th of the marinade's total calories, as marinade is only used to flavor meat and total amount of marinade is not fully consumed.

      Nutrition Facts
      Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich
      Amount Per Serving (1 sandwich)
      Calories 441 Calories from Fat 135
      % Daily Value*
      Fat 15g23%
      Saturated Fat 5g31%
      Trans Fat 0.3g
      Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
      Monounsaturated Fat 4g
      Cholesterol 96mg32%
      Sodium 2187mg95%
      Potassium 748mg21%
      Carbohydrates 41g14%
      Fiber 2g8%
      Sugar 16g18%
      Protein 36g72%
      Vitamin A 2176IU44%
      Vitamin C 25mg30%
      Calcium 333mg33%
      Iron 4mg22%
      * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

      Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Enjoy a tasty copycat Carl's Jr. Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich. Marinated chicken, cheese, Southwest sauce, green chile & lettuce on a toasted bun. YUM!


      Mar
      2020

      Creamy Mushroom Chicken Thighs

      categories: Chicken, Main Dishes
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      Delicious Creamy Mushroom Chicken Thighs are pan-seared, then covered in a cream sauce with garlic, mushrooms, herbs, and Parmesan cheese to serve!
      Delicious Creamy Mushroom Chicken Thighs are pan-seared, then covered in a cream sauce with garlic, mushrooms, herbs, and Parmesan cheese to serve!

      If you’re looking for a delicious chicken recipe, may I suggest THIS ONE? It is so good! In a nutshell, you brown seasoned chicken thighs, make a quick sauce with milk or cream, mushrooms, garlic, herbs and cheese, then cover the chicken with sauce, and serve! We LOVE this dish!

      The sauce is creamy, thanks in part to using either whipping cream, half and half OR canned evaporated milk. It’s your choice! I use evaporated milk for less calories, but if calories don’t matter, go for the whipping cream or half and half. YUM! Several of the spices used double up, meaning the same spices are used to season the chicken AND the sauce.

      The recipe is easy to follow, and I recommend serving the finished chicken on top of brown or white rice, or egg noodles, for a filling main course! Hope you enjoy it! Here’s the “play by play” on how to make this wonderful dish:

      Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

      Season The Chicken Thighs

      The first thing you will need to do is make the seasoning mix for the chicken. It’s EASY! Simply stir together garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme and rosemary, along with salt and black pepper.

      Pat the boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry with paper towels, and trim off any extra fat. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the chicken thighs, and pat gently to adhere the spices.

      A dry spice mix is made to season chicken thighs.Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are seasoned with spices and are ready to cook.

      Brown The Chicken

      Measure 2 Tablespoons of olive oil into a large skillet. Heat on medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, but not smoking, carefully add the chicken spice side down, in a single layer. Once they are in the skillet, do not move the chicken. Sear the thighs in the hot oil about 7-8 minutes, or until browned.

      Carefully turn the chicken to the other side, and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the chicken thighs used, this may take a minute or two longer. Cook until second side is browned, and the center of the chicken is no longer pink. Once the chicken is cooked, remove thighs from the skillet, transfer to a plate, and cover to keep them warm while you make the sauce.

      NOTE: If you have to cook the chicken in batches, due to skillet size, cook each batch in 1 Tablespoon oil (half of the total amount).

      Seasoned chicken thighs are pan-seared in hot olive oil in skillet.The chicken thighs are cooked on both sides until golden brown.

      Prepare The Creamy Mushroom Garlic Sauce

      Now it’s time to make the creamy sauce. Use the same skillet you used to cook the chicken in, but do NOT clean it. All the brown bits on the bottom will help to flavor your creamy mushroom garlic sauce!

      Melt the butter in the skillet (medium heat), and then add the sliced mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms for about 2-3 minutes until they soften. Now add minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, and parsley to the skillet. Stir to combine, and cook for one more minute, stirring often, so the garlic doesn’t burn.

      Sliced mushrooms are first cooked in skillet to begin creating a sauce.Garlic and herbs are added to the cooked mushrooms in skillet

      Finish The Creamy Sauce

      Pour in the whipping cream, half and half, OR evaporated milk (your choice). Any of those three will work perfectly. NOTE: I used evaporated milk (less calories) in the sauce, and it was delicious! Bring the liquid to a simmer (on medium heat). Once it is simmering (but NOT boiling), reduce the heat to LOW.

      Keep on cooking the sauce until the liquid has reduced in volume a bit, and has thickened slightly. Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and stir to combine. Continue cooking for about 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Add the chicken thighs back into the skillet and spoon sauce over the top of each piece.

      Cream or evaporated milk is added to the mushrooms to make a sauce.Cooked chicken thighs are added back into sauce and covered.

      Finish The Creamy Mushroom Chicken Thighs!

      Cook the chicken and sauce until heated through (this will take a couple minutes). Stir and spoon sauce over the chicken while it reheats. Taste test the sauce, and add additional salt and pepper, to suit your taste.

      Right before serving, sprinkle the top of the creamy mushroom chicken thighs with grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley, if desired. This is optional, but it sure looks great!

      Grated Parmesan cheese and parsley are added to garnish creamy mushroom chicken thighs.

      Ready To Serve Creamy Mushroom Chicken Thighs

      Transfer the chicken thighs to a serving platter and spoon any of the sauce left in the skillet over the pieces. Serve each piece of chicken on top of a bed of white or brown rice (or egg noodles), top with sauce, and enjoy!

      Creamy Mushroom Chicken Thighs are served on a white platter.The chicken thighs were served on brown rice, with green beans on the side.

      I really hope you will consider trying this delicious recipe for creamy mushroom chicken thighs! The sauce is delicious, and the chicken tastes WONDERFUL! May you find moments of great joy as you go throughout your day. God Bless You.

      Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

      You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a lot of chicken recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

      Interested In More Recipes?

      Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
      There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

      You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
      Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

      Author's signature

      Original recipe source: Karina, at cafedelites.com/chicken-thighs/

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      Creamy Mushroom Chicken Thighs
      Prep Time
      10 mins
      Cook Time
      20 mins
      Total Time
      30 mins
       

      Delicious Creamy Mushroom Chicken Thighs are pan-seared, then covered in a cream sauce with garlic, mushrooms, herbs, and Parmesan cheese to serve!

      Category: Dinner, Entree
      Cuisine: American
      Keyword: creamy mushroom chicken thighs
      Servings:
      Calories Per Serving: 327 kcal
      Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
      Ingredients
      For Chicken/Spice Mix:
      • 6 medium chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
      • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
      • 1 teaspoon onion powder
      • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
      • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
      • ½ teaspoon salt
      • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
      • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
      For Mushroom Sauce:
      • 1 Tablespoon butter
      • 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (button)
      • 4 cloves garlic (minced) (or 1 Tablespoon minced)
      • 1 Tablespoon parsley (fresh, chopped)
      • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
      • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
      • 1½ cups evaporated milk (canned)* *can substitute whipping cream/half and half)
      • ½ cup Parmesan cheese , grated
      US Customary - Metric
      Instructions

      1. Stir together garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels, and trim off any extra fat. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over chicken, and pat gently, to adhere spices.

      2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, but not smoking, carefully add chicken (spice side down), in a single layer. Once in skillet, do not move chicken. Sear the thighs for 7-8 minutes, until browned on bottom. Carefully turn chicken to other side; cook another 7-8 minutes. Depending on chicken thickness used this may take 1-2 minutes longer. Cook until second side is browned, and center of chicken is no longer pink. Once done, remove thighs from skillet, transfer to a plate, and cover them to keep warm. NOTE: If you have to cook chicken in batches, due to skillet size, cook each batch in 1 Tablespoon oil (half of the total amount).

      3. Make sauce: Use the same skillet, but do NOT clean it. All the brown bits in the skillet will help flavor sauce! Melt butter (medium heat), and then add mushrooms. Cook 2-3 minutes until they soften. Add minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, and parsley. Stir to combine; cook for 1 minute, stirring often so garlic doesn't burn.

      4. Pour in evaporated milk, whipping cream, OR half and half (your choice). Bring liquid to a simmer (medium heat). Once simmering (but NOT boiling), reduce heat to LOW. Continue cooking until liquid has reduced in volume and thickened slightly (1-2 minutes). Add grated Parmesan cheese; stir to combine. Cook 1-2 minutes, or until cheese melts. Add chicken thighs back into skillet and spoon sauce over each piece. Cook until chicken is heated through (2-3 minutes).

      5. Serve chicken on a bed of steamed rice or egg noodles, topped with additional sauce. Serve and enjoy!

      Nutrition Facts
      Creamy Mushroom Chicken Thighs
      Amount Per Serving (1 thigh + sauce)
      Calories 327 Calories from Fat 162
      % Daily Value*
      Fat 18g28%
      Saturated Fat 7g44%
      Cholesterol 137mg46%
      Sodium 516mg22%
      Potassium 613mg18%
      Carbohydrates 9g3%
      Fiber 1g4%
      Sugar 7g8%
      Protein 31g62%
      Vitamin A 360IU7%
      Vitamin C 4mg5%
      Calcium 279mg28%
      Iron 2mg11%
      * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

      Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Delicious Creamy Mushroom Chicken Thighs are pan-seared, then covered in a cream sauce with garlic, mushrooms, herbs, and Parmesan cheese to serve!