Pan Grilled Pesto Chicken

Complex recipes, not your thing? Especially on a lazy Sunday? Then you’ve come to the right place. Today I am sharing with you the recipe of a simple pan grilled chicken that happened by fluke. You know, every year we have a Farmer’s Market (FM) that opens up every Friday morning around end-October-early November and runs all the way until March or April depending on the weather. This market showcases the freshest produce of the UAE, sold directly by the farmers. For those who are keen on buying local & organic vegetables and fruits, this is the place to be. I used to frequent the FM a lot a few years ago as it used to be held at a place near my house but has moved ahead now and so I still request my cousin who frequents it to bring me my loot. Mostly huge bunches of basil make their way to my place which I promptly grind up to make homemade pesto sauce. I end up with 2-3 cups of pesto that I store in 4-6 batches that last me for about half a year. 

Pesto sauce, whether homemade or store bought is a life saver. You can make just about anything with it. Add it to your choice of pasta or pre-cooked rice and throw in some veggies and/or chicken and treat yourself to something simple yet exotic. The flavours are really light and so make for a perfect weekday meal option. I often marinate chicken with it and grill it in the oven but I found better results when I used a grill pan which gives the grill marks and doesn’t require the additional preheating time that the oven does. The consumption of oil is lesser too especially if you keep the pan slant for a few minutes before you remove the meat ensuring that excess oil is properly drained.

I paired this chicken with some pulao and no matter what you serve it with, it tastes really nice. Sometimes I pair it with some rice and dal and it tastes just as wonderful! This really is my go to recipe when I am in a hurry and can’t put an elaborate meal together. I will share the recipe of how to make pesto sauce at home shortly, so do check this space soon!

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Pan Grilled Pesto Chicken

Quick and easy grilled chicken with a simple pesto marinade. Tastes absolutely delicious

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4 people

Author: Shireen Sequeira

Ingredients

• 1 cup pesto sauce
• 4 chicken thighs approx 750-800 grams with or without skin
• Juice of ½ big lime
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Wash the chicken thighs and marinate them with all the ingredients mentioned above. Keep aside for at least 10-12 minutes
2. Heat oil for shallow frying in a grill pan and fry the chicken till golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes on slow fire.

3. Serve hot with mashed potatoes, rice or salad on the side