Leaves n' Limes Chicken Breasts

Picked the idea for this dish up from one of my favorite blogs to follow, For the Love of Cooking. It's a keeper for sure – a great go-to recipe that's super-easy to make and super-delicious. The boyfriend LOVED it.

The Dish: Leaves n' Limes Chicken Breasts

Adapted & re-christened by the Jabbercookie

Original recipe from For the Love of Cooking.

Actual Cook Time: 15 minutes prep time, 4-6 hours to marinate, and 10-15 minutes at the stove
Level: Easy!

Ingredients:

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts

4 tbsp olive oil (divided)

Zest and juice of 1 lime (reserve the juice for the last 15 minutes of marinating)

1 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced finely

Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Equipment:

1 large plastic zip lock bag or 2 small sandwich sized bags

Mallet or small frying pan

Directions:

Place chicken breasts in zip lock bag(s). Pound the chicken breasts flat with a mallet or the back of a frying pan until 1 inch thick. I don't own a mallet, so I had to keep it real and smash them suckers with the back of a frying pan.

Like this:

(Take it easy with this step, as the smashing action can cause the chicken to slip right on through the corner of the bag and break it.)

Next, we're gonna soak these bad boys. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, lime zest, cilantro, salt, pepper and garlic. Mix thoroughly, squeezing the bags until the chicken is well coated on both sides, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

Remove chicken from the refrigerator 15 minutes prior to cooking and add the limejuice to the bags, mixing thoroughly. Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken breasts and cook for 5-6 minutes then flip. Cook for an additional few minutes, checking the chicken for doneness. Remove from heat and let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Voila!

 (Don't ask what's sitting next to it on the plate...that's a whole other blog post to come ^.^ )