Pioneer Woman: Simple, Scrumptious Grilled Chicken

(Also known as, "Dang it, Dang it, Dang it, I forgot to make the glaze!")

Pioneer Woman Simple, Scrumptious Grilled Chicken

Verdict:  Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous.
Cook it again:  Yes, yes, yes!  (And I kinda have to, too.)
Cost factor:  Chicken.  Other stuff is pantry stuff.

Near where we used to live in NH, there's a popular butcher shop called Mr. Steer.  Mr. Steer is not by any means inexpensive, but whenever you're cooking for friends or grilling or throwing a party, you go to Mr. Steer to impress your friends and you buy his marinated steak tips and marinated chicken.  It's worth every penny because they come in about twenty flavors and are delicious.  Not that you couldn't do it yourself, but you pay for the fact that it's done already in flavor combinations you don't know how to make.

Well, guess what my friends.  Mr. Steer ain't got nothin' on me no more.

That's right.  This recipe is AWESOME!  I will absolutely break this bad boy out if we're cooking out for a gathering or expected to bring a meat to a cookout.  No question.  And I will look like a rock star because these will be the hit of any party.  And I will be gracious and say it's a PW recipe from my cooking club, too, because I am just that cool.

First of all, it's another one of Ree's own "entries" into her grilling contest, so it was tied in with Bush's Grillin' Beans.  This time, the beans were "Sweet Mesquite," and once again, they were fantastic.  Here's how I would describe them:  If you like BBQ potato chips, you will love these beans.  Even CAM ate them, because they "taste like chips, Mommy!"

Buy these.  They are delicious and sweet and mesquite-y. Not mosquito-y.   (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Second, this recipe is brilliantly easy.

Here's the marinade stuff.

I knew I was low on oil, so that's just a second bottle in the back, nothing mysterious.  And yes, el-cheapo balsamic.  It's only in a marinade.

Jennifer over at Come Rain or Come Shine said that you could get away with marinating for less than overnight, but we went ahead and did them overnight.  I bought boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale at Kroger, sliced them into tenders ("steak tip" style, not Chick-fil-A style), and threw them in a Ziploc with all the stuff.  We put the bag in the fridge and turned it whenever we went to the fridge Monday evening and all day yesterday (Tuesday).

When Mick got the grill going, I once again knocked myself out with the sides -- beans on the stove, and sugar snap peas in the microwave.  (We're moving soon and trying to use up our freezer stash.  Because we were having beans, I went with green again and didn't quite feel like broccoli.  Don't worry; we've got about 10 boxes of corn to eat our way through, and any future meals we document will start the parade of corn.)

Now, while Mick was working his magic on the grill, I was supposed to be whipping up a glaze, but I completely forgot.  I mean, it didn't even register that there was something else I was supposed to be doing, nevermind that it had to do with the very dinner we were about to eat.  The glaze has Worcester sauce and honey and bacon and other appealing and appetizing stuff in it, (as if you'd need anything more) so I was bummed when I finished my dinner and realized I'd forgotten the glaze.

On the other hand, it totally didn't need it.  I like sauces with my meats and there was enough marinade to satisfy that.  Plus the chicken was juicy, and the beans were there -- the glaze may well prove delicious, but this meal proved that any glaze is unnecessary.  (Not that that will prevent me from trying it in the future, don't get me wrong!)

My photography's getting better, too, huh?  Yippee!

These were EXCELLENT.  So flavorful.  I love it when I can really taste a marinade, as I said the other day.  I mean, I spend all the time making it and letting the meat soak in it; I want to taste the soaked-up stuff.  These do not disappoint.  They are almost teriyaki-ish, in the sense that they are both salty and a little sweet, but my goodness, they are delicious.  Pairing them with the sweet mesquite beans was absolutely perfect.  (Thanks, Ree and Bush's, because you knew what you were doing there!)

That's all I can say. Make these.  You will like them.  Make the glaze.  Or forget the glaze, because you don't need it ... but I'm going to make these again just to try the glaze.

I'll keep you posted.

--Jen

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