Grilled Chicken with Garlicky Green Sauce

It’s been chilly and gray here the past few days, which has really helped my mind transition to fall. Though I may be willing to part ways with the produce that is no longer in season and evenings too hot to actually enjoy a walk to the park with the kids, one thing I’m not ready to let go of just yet is grilling. That I will probably do until the first snow falls. (Please let that still be months away.) Hopefully you aren’t quite over grilling yet because this meal was incredible and I couldn’t wait a moment longer to share it with you.

I found this sauce in the back of a cookbook I’ve been loving on lately, in that oft forgotten but truly fabulous section many cookbooks have devoted to sauces. I couldn’t quite decide what to do with it, but eventually I settled on pairing it with marinated grilled chicken and a sprinkle of cotija cheese. The whole thing is so very simple but was one of those meals that had me “oooh”ing and “aaahh”ing with every bite. I paired it with assorted grilled veggies and grilled garlic flatbread which just happened to be perfect for scooping up the left over sauce. Thankfully this could also be made in a skillet so I think we’ll continue to enjoy it throughout the coming cold months.

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

For the chicken:

¼ cup olive oil
Juice of ½ a lemon
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. roasted red pepper flakes
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For the sauce:

¾-1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, rinsed and patted dry
4 scallions, green parts only, coarsely chopped
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2½ tbsp. low fat mayonnaise*
2½ tbsp. low fat greek yogurt
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

01
In a shallow dish or pie plate, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined. Place the chicken breasts in the dish with the marinade, turn once to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
02
Heat a grill to medium-high heat. While the grill is heating, make the sauce. Combine the cilantro, scallions, lime juice, garlic, mayonnaise, and greek yogurt in a blender or a food processor. Blend until smooth. (Alternatively, combine in a bowl and blend with an immersion blender.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
03
Add the chicken to the grill and cook, turning once, until nicely browned and the internal temperature registers 160˚ F on an instant read thermometer. Remove to a plate and let rest a few minutes before serving with the green sauce. Sprinkle with cotija and garnish with cilantro, if desired.
04
*If you wish, you can try using all Greek yogurt instead of mayo. However, I have noticed that when I do this in sauces or dressings, the flavor is always a bit off somehow. Try if you like but a 50/50 mix is usually my preference.

Source

sauce slightly adapted from Feast by Sarah Copeland