Spicy, Lemony Chicken Breasts With Croutons and Greens

By Dawn Perry

Updated Feb. 26, 2020

Spicy, Lemony Chicken Breasts With Croutons and Greens
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(772)
Comments
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A post-marinade is exactly what it sounds like: a flavorful mixture you sink meat or fish into after it cooks. Often used with grilled meats, the technique works great with seared proteins as well, especially boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which don’t have a lot of flavor on their own. These breasts are cooked using a combination sear-steam method that builds flavor and keeps lean breasts juicy. Finish with a tangy-spicy combination of lemon, garlic and red-pepper flakes and you’ll reap all the benefits of a traditional marinade without having to plan ahead. If you have thinner breasts or cutlets, this is a particularly wonderful use for them, since they don’t have a lot of time to pick up color and flavor before they cook through.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4slices crusty bread (about ¾-inch thick)
  • 6tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1teaspoon fresh lemon zest plus ¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
  • 1garlic clove, grated or finely chopped
  • 1teaspoon dried oregano or thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
  • ½ to 1teaspoon red-pepper flakes, to taste
  • 4boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1½ to 2 pounds)
  • 2small heads Little Gem lettuce or 1 romaine heart, leaves separated and torn into bite-size pieces
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

507 calories; 27 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 49 grams protein; 690 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the bread on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Bake, turning once, until lightly golden and toasted, 10 to 15 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons oil with the lemon zest and juice, garlic, oregano, red-pepper flakes and ½ teaspoon salt; set aside.

  3. Step 3

    In a 10-inch skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Season chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and add to skillet. Cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Add ¼ cup water to skillet, cover, and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover, remove from heat and add lemon juice mixture; turn chicken to coat.

  4. Step 4

    Tear each piece of bread in half and toss with lettuce; divide among plates. Top with chicken, and drizzle with the lemony pan juices.

Ratings

4 out of 5
772 user ratings
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Comments

Amy

I used a buttery olive oil from Crete and a baguette for the croutons, plus a home blended red pepper mix (mostly ghost peppers, habaneros to tone it down). This is a deliciously bright keeper for a cold and windy day. The boneless breasts I get are also free range and today’s are fairly large. Lettuce was red Romaine.

Tom, SFBA

It all depends on the salt used. Fine table salt is much heavier per unit volume than kosher salt, which is preferred by most food professionals. Let’s look at the specifics for one frequently recommended brand. Sodium in 1/4 tsp of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt: 280 mg. 5 such measures are called for here, which equals 1400 mg. That is for 4 servings, so 350 mg per serving. Not so bad for a healthy person. Important to taste as you go when cooking, tho. Weight measure of salt would be nice.

Gail

I made the recipe as shown except I skipped the croutons and the garlic. Then, after coating the chicken with the sauce, I removed the chicken and stirred in some cooked pasta and a little chopped parsley. You could serve the pasta as a side, or under the chicken. The meal was exquisite!

Rachel

Cooked per the recipe. Sauce was plenty flavorful. Next time I might reduce the sauce more then whisk in some EVOO, and toss with greens before plating. Otherwise very good and easy.

Mary Ann

Had fresh asparagus so I added spears to pan and cooked them with covered chicken last 4 minutes of cooking. Added lemon juice mixture to chicken/asparagus to coat before serving. Asparagus was a nice addition to the salad.

JLJ

Super flexible recipe and very forgiving. Will definitely make the week night rotation.

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