hat tip to my friend arik for this recipe. he is one of my best friends, and among many other amazing things, a great culinary wizard. he made this dish for me years ago, and it is still a favorite to this day. i often make it to top a salad of little gems with spicy glazed pecans, gorgonzola + honey mustard dressing, but it also pairs well with a side of cole slaw and mexican grilled corn. although, this recipe uses boneless skinless breasts, cooked on a grill pan indoors, i have marinated whole chicken parts and put them on the grill outside, and has turned out delicious as well.

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ingredients:

  • boneless and skinless chicken breasts (sliced into cutlets if too thick)
  • garlic, at least one clove per breast, sliced thin
  • fresh ginger, at least one tbsp per pair of breasts, minced
  • limes, the juice of one per pair of breasts
  • serrano chile, one per pair of breasts, sliced thin
  • cilantro (optional. i had some on hand, so added it.)
  • olive oil, enough to coat
  • salt + pepper, to taste

sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the breasts. put all of the ingredients in a gallon ziplock bag, making sure to distribute the marinade evenly. place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

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heat up a grill pan if you have one, but i’m sure a regular skillet would do the trick too. i like to add the bits of garlic, ginger and serrano to the pan as well. depending on the thickness of the breasts, cook each side 5-10 minutes. once out of the pan, let them rest for 5 minutes to keep in the juices.

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note: i’ve made this with kumquats instead of the lime and serrano, for a less spicy but still citrusy version.