Taste of Tucson: An easy chicken dish for hungry mouths

My best friend has two ravenous teenaged boys, and we often talk about how she can keep their engines fueled without mortgaging the house.

Cooking is neither her forte nor her passion, though. While her skills are stronger than she thinks, her cooking style would perhaps be best described as utilitarian. She wants recipes that are simple to prepare and come together quickly. Today’s dish developed as we talked about what she had in the house, and how best to use it.

She and her boys love spicy flavors, and this dish fills that need. With a salad and some bread or tortillas, supper is complete. She could also use this chicken as the protein in a bowl kind of meal, perhaps with black beans, corn, and rice or cauliflower rice. Any leftovers can be shredded to use in burritos or tacos a day or two later.

I cautioned her about a couple of food safety things.

First, if you’ve marinated raw poultry or fish in something, that marinade must be either discarded or boiled if you want to use it for a sauce. I find it far easier to make twice as much marinade as I need and divide it so I can use the second half without fooling around with the boiling thing.

Second, it’s OK to let food that’s marinating set out at room temperature for up to an hour. Any longer, though, and it should be refrigerated. This marinade is fairly acidic and, as with ceviche, will begin to “cook” or denature the proteins if it marinates too long. That changes the protein’s texture, which we don’t want here. A brief marinade also preserves the bright lime notes and doesn’t undermine the chipotles’ warmth.

The addition of honey to the basting portion of the marinade surprised her. “For the sweetness?” she said. Well, yes, I told her, but it’s mainly to help the basting sauce cling to the chicken. Sugar wouldn’t work here, but light corn syrup or molasses would. You don’t want too much, because like all sugars, it will char easily. Best to cook and turn the chicken several times than to let it cook fully on one side, then on the other.

If you don’t have limes handy, you can substitute lemon or even orange juice and zest. That will change the flavor profile some, which can be handy if you need a refreshing alternative.

My friend is a savvy grocery shopper and asked if chicken thighs could substitute for breasts or breast filets because they’re usually cheaper. Yes, I said, but they’ll need a little more time in the cooking. If they’re bone-in, skin-on thighs, score their tops with a knife to help the marinade penetrate, then just give them a few more turn-and-bastes.

I was tickled a few days later when she reported that her boys “inhaled that chicken.” It’s going into her regular meal rotation, she said, but next time she’ll make twice as much, just so she has leftovers for easy meals a day or two later.

Lime-chipotle chicken

Makes about 6 servings

This marinade is also good for skin-on or skinless chicken thighs, and for fish and shrimp. Grill or broil the chicken; I’ve given times for both. Note that you’ll divide the marinade in half, using half as a marinade which will be discarded and the other half as a brush-on while the chicken cooks — it’s a food safety thing.

Ingredients

1 can chipotle chiles in adobo

2 tablespoons adobo sauce, from the canned chiles

Grated zest from 2 medium limes

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¼ cup lime juice, from about 2 medium limes

1 small white onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or breast filets

¼ cup minced cilantro, for garnish

Preparation

Heat the broiler or grill in preparation for cooking. Lightly oil the grill grate if you’re grilling.

Place the chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, lime zest, lime juice, onion, garlic, salt and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Whiz until the mixture is a smooth puree, about 1 minute.

Divide the marinade you just made in half and set half aside to use for basting. Place the chicken in the remaining marinade in a bowl or zip-top bag and allow to rest on the countertop for 15 to 30 minutes. There’s no need to refrigerate because the marinating time is short.

While the chicken marinates, add the honey to the remaining marinade you set aside.

When the chicken is marinated, remove it from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place the chicken on a broiler sheet or on the grill and baste it with the remaining marinade. Cook for 2 minutes, turn, and baste again. Cook an additional 2 minutes. If your chicken breasts are thin or you’re using filets, they’re probably done now. Thighs will need another baste-and-turn or two.

When the chicken is cooked, remove to a platter, and pour over any remaining marinade. Scatter the minced cilantro over the chicken. Serve immediately.

Note: Leftover boneless chicken can be easily shredded in the food processor for a filling for burritos or tacos the next day.