Island Chicken

I remember seeing this recipe on Annie's Eats last week, and since we needed something quick for dinner, it fit the bill. Josh was able to prep the marinade earlier in the day, and when I got home from work, we tossed it in the oven, did some household chores, and right before it was done we steamed some green beans to serve with it. It worked out quite well, and required very little kitchen time or clean up.

Like Annie, I'm not sure what makes this "island" but its still tasty!

Island Chicken
Serves 2-4, but you can easily scale the marinade to make more or less chicken

½ c. vegetable oil (we subbed olive oil and only used 1/3 c.)

3 tbsp. lemon juice

1½ tbsp. soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

½ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2-4 chicken breasts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients except chicken in a mixing bowl or large airtight plastic bag. Whisk or shake well until the marinade is well mixed. Add the chicken breasts to the bowl or plastic bag so that they are covered by the marinade. If using a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap. If using a plastic bag, press out all the excess air and seal the bag tightly. Refrigerate and marinate up to 10 hours.

2. When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and pour the excess marinade over them. Bake in the oven until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165° F, about 45 minutes (exact baking time will depend on the size of your chicken pieces.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

REVIEW:

This chicken was not that special, but it was very flavorful and tasted good! (I will make this again because it was good, there just isn't really a "wow" factor here.) Marinating chicken is one way we manage to have homecooked meals when we are short on time or just don't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen. (It does require a little planning ahead though.) Serve this with a green veggie, and a carb (mashed potatoes, a roll, or even rice) - we skipped the carb - and you have a great dinner!