Peruvian Chicken - YUM

Seems like as good a time as any to post another yummy recipe. This one is also South Beach Phase 1 Friendly, and to my surprise was very family friendly. My kids gobbled it up.  I was slightly concerned that the spices might be a bit much for the little ones, but it was not overwhelming at all.  Just a really tasty, moist chicken breast.

Peruvian Grilled Chicken

Makes about 2 to 4 servings.

Equipment

small bowl or jar with a lid

plastic sealable bag

grill or grill pan

Ingredients

1/3 cup (80 ml) low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds/1.5 kilos), quartered (I use 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts on the grill pan.)

lime wedges

Preparation

1. MARINATE: Whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, pepper, and oil. Put chicken in a large sealable bag and add marinade. Seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator 8 to 24 hours.

2. Discard the marinade, then pat chicken dry.

3. Preheat the grill pan over medium-high and add the chicken. Place the chicken pieces on the pan, cooking 7 to 10 minutes per side (less if they are boneless or very thin), turning once.

4. Squeeze lime juice over the chicken and serve.

Variations

GAS GRILL: Preheat the grill on high. Oil the grill rack and grill the chicken over a turned-off burner, skin side down and covered. Turn once after about 15 minutes and grill until cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes.

 

CHARCOAL GRILL: Open vents on bottom and lid of grill. Light a large chimney starter full of charcoal (preferably hardwood). When coals are lit, dump them out along opposite sides of bottom rack, leaving a space free of coals (the size of the quartered chicken) in middle. When you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill rack directly over coals for 3 to 4 seconds, coals will be medium-hot. Oil the grill rack, then grill chicken over the area with no coals. Turn once after about 15 minutes, and continue grilling until cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Add more charcoal to maintain heat.

OVEN: Roast the chicken quarters in middle of a 500°F/260° C oven in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan with 1 cup water for 30 minutes. Then tent with foil and roast until brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes more.

A BIG thank you to Andrea at Andrea's Recipes for sharing this recipe.  This meal was a big hit!