At my house, anything that tastes even remotely similar to a chimichurri is a huge hit. This chicken recipe has the fresh flavors reminiscent of chimichurri, but on a weeknight schedule (no food processor or blender clean up!). The sauce isn't really a sauce or salsa, it's more of a fresh relish, so I'm calling it "fresca topping." You can get this from ingredients to finished product in about 30 minutes, depending on the plumpness of your chicken.
You'll need:
Olive oil
Minced garlic
Lime juice
A vine ripe or Roma tomato
Parsley
Cilantro
2-4 Boneless chicken breasts
Cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Dice the tomato and sprinkle with salt. The salt will express some of the moisture from the tomato while you finish the other fresca components.
Diced tomatoes sprinkled with salt.
Begin with 1-2-3. Mix one tablespoon minced garlic, two tablespoons lime juice, and three tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl.
The moisture for the topping is this 1-2-3 mixture.
Remove one to one and a half cups of cilantro leaves from the stem. Other than cooking the chicken to a food safe temperature, this is the most important part of the recipe. The stems are too coarse and get little hairs on them when the leaves are removed haphazardly. These mistakes create a poor mouth-feel. Take the time to remove the leaves cleanly. Wash. Then use scissors to chop up the leaves. Pat dry and add to the 1-2-3 mixture.
Pluck each leaf of cilantro from the stem individually.
If you go to hastily, you'll end up with pieces on the leaves that feel like hair in your mouth.
Use scissors to quickly make the cilantro into small bits.
Repeat with the parsley, about half to three-quarters cup. Wash, chop, and add to bowl.
Drain the moisture from the plate of tomatoes, add to bowl. Add fresh black pepper and a few dashes of cayenne. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Finished topping. Sit on counter at room temp to allow the flavors to marry.
Preheat oven to 400 and put skillet on stove on medium-high. Add a splash of olive oil. While skillet heats, splash chicken with lime, then sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and cayenne. When skillet is hot--a drip of water from a spoon sizzles--add the chicken. Cook about three minutes (so meat is golden) then flip. Cook another three minutes then transfer the whole skillet to oven. These free-range breasts from Fresh Market were extra plump and required an additional 10 minutes in the oven, then 10 on broil. If you have any doubts, check temp with a meat thermometer in thickest part of chicken to ensure you've reached 165. These breasts can also be prepared on the grill.
Chicken ready to be covered to rest. Resting lets the chicken soak up the juices and rise a few more degrees internally.
Let chicken rest a few minutes, then slice thinly. Use the tines of a fork to guide you if you're not used to cutting thin slices. If you're struggling, you also might need a sharper knife.
Arrange across plate and top with your fresca topping. You can either place the fresca topping directly on the chicken, or beside it if you're not so sure how much you'll like it. If there's any juice in the bottom of the bowl where your topping was melding together, drizzle it over the chicken to add a burst of lime freshness and moisture.
Presentation option 1: crown the chicken with the topping.
Presentation option 2: place the topping alongside the chicken. Good for if you're not sure these flavors will be a hit.
A simple salad, brown rice, or quinoa are nice accompaniments. Or, if you're looking for a light meal, enjoy alone so you have room for fresh fruit or sorbet for dessert.
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