COOKING ON DEADLINE: Greek Roasted Chicken Breasts

Boneless chicken breasts with the skin left on have a few really good things going for them. One, the skin keeps the chicken moist as it cooks. Two, the skin crisps up in the hot oven, and I know of few chicken-liking people who don’t covet the crispy skin. Three, the absence of the bone allows the chicken to cook more quickly than bone-in chicken. (Pixabay photo)

Oregano, lemon, garlic, glugs of olive oil … these are just a few of the ingredients that make Greek food so appealing. They match up well with all sorts of other hero ingredients, from potatoes to chicken to seafood.

In this recipe, chicken gets a nice soak in a Greek marinade with all of those delicious flavours and then is simply roasted in the oven. You can use that time to putter around making a salad, and trying to get someone else to set the table.

Try serving them up with some simply cooked millet or orzo, and a very lightly dressed baby greens salad.

Boneless chicken breasts with the skin left on have a few really good things going for them. One, the skin keeps the chicken moist as it cooks. Two, the skin crisps up in the hot oven, and I know of few chicken-liking people who don’t covet the crispy skin. Three, the absence of the bone allows the chicken to cook more quickly than bone-in chicken.

Boneless chicken breasts with the skin are not always easy to find pre-packaged in the supermarket, but you can ask the butcher to cut the bones out for you. You can also, of course do it yourself with a steady hand and a very sharp knife, but feel no shame if this isn’t within your comfort zone. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are also just fine, and if you want to use bone-in chicken breasts, just add another 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time.

You could serve these with some wedges of lemon in case people want one last hit of fresh, tart citrus.

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GREEK ROASTED CHICKEN BREASTS

Serves 4

Start to finish: 30 minutes plus marinating time

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1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons kosher or coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless skin-on chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)

Lemon wedges to serve

In a large bowl, container or sturdy zipper-top bag, combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir or shake to combine thoroughly. Add the chicken, turn it to coat well, and then cover or seal and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours (or even up to 2 days).

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the baking sheet skin side up. Roast for about 25 minutes until cooked though. Serve hot, warm or cold, with lemon wedges if desired.