“Grilled Bone-in Chicken Breasts with Turmeric and Lime”

Welcome to one magical recipe and one sure to be a keeper during this grilling season. No doubt this will be a go-to for any outdoor cookout with family and friends. Hot Summer days mean firing up the grill just because you can. So the next time you fire up the Weber, try my Grilled Bone-in Chicken Breasts with Turmeric and Lime. Chicken is marinated in a blend of lime, garlic, chile powder, fresh rosemary, and turmeric for one of world’s best flavors. I can hear you saying, Turmeric? What is that? Well read on…

Grilled Bone-in Chicken Breasts with Turmeric and Lime

Turmeric is native to Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, a herbaceous plant and a cousin of ginger. Most often found in the cuisines of these areas, turmeric will grow just about anywhere with plenty of rainfall and warmth. It’s considered an earthy somewhat spicy ingredient but it is turmeric’s golden color that’s the prize. The delectable flavor of turmeric is found in curry powder. Turmeric will give any dish a yellow-orange color it’s known for. This powdery ingredient will stain like crazy anything it touches so be careful. Did you know turmeric is what makes yellow mustard so yellow? Yes, it’s true and who knew?

Grilled Bone-in Chicken Breasts with Turmeric and Lime

Most often you’ll find turmeric in dry, powdered form and can be bitter which is why you’ll usually find it mixed with butters and other fats to balance the bitterness. In addition, you can find fresh turmeric resembling knobs of ginger. Remember I said they are related. Less bitter and strong, grate fresh turmeric just like ginger, therefore it’s recommended to use four times as much fresh to dry.

Grilled Bone-in Chicken Breasts with Turmeric and Lime

I found this recipe years ago from classic French chef, Pierre Franey. Pierre used skinless, boneless chicken breast in his recipe but I changed the cut of chicken and increased the volume of ingredients. Turns out marvelously tender and juicy every time as this is one of my favorite chicken recipes for the grill. Just mix up marinade, place chicken in a Ziploc bag with marinade and refrigerate for at least four hours. Bring chicken to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking and welcome to some finger-lickin’ good chicken. Reserve your marinade to baste chicken while grilling. Note: Cook chicken for a few minutes after last basting and no worries.

Grilled Bone-in Chicken Breasts with Turmeric and Lime

These Grilled Bone-in Chicken Breasts with Turmeric and Lime are delicious and a must have at any picnic or outdoor event. Serve this chicken with a roasted potato salad or grilled vegetables. I like serving sides flavored with fresh rosemary which is a perfect match. The flavor of Grilled Bone-in Chicken Breasts with Turmeric and Lime is alive with a little citrus and a little spice. Never cooked with turmeric before, I recommend starting the next time you fire up that grill. I’ll bet you’ll make this recipe several times this Summer. Be creative and experiment with turmeric and you’ll be glad you did.

Grilled Bone-in Chicken Breasts with Turmeric and Lime

6 bone-in chicken breasts with skin, trimmed of excess fat

3 T. Olive oil

4 T. fresh lime juice

1 t. Guajillo chile powder

1 t. ground turmeric

3 t. fresh chopped rosemary

2 t. minced garlic

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

In a small mixing bowl, combine Olive oil, lime juice, chile powder, turmeric, rosemary, garlic, and black pepper.

Place chicken breasts in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and pour in marinade. Close bag and massage chicken to thoroughly coat.

Marinate chicken in refrigerator for at least 4 hours to overnight. Remove chicken from marinade and bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking. Reserve marinade for basting chicken but keep it refrigerated until ready to use.

Heat grill to 350 degrees. Oil grill grates to keep chicken from sticking. Lightly sprinkle chicken with sea salt. Place chicken breast skin-side down on grill and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook another 8 to 10 minutes.

Baste chicken several times with reserved marinade. Cook 2 to 3 minutes and flip to baste chicken again, cooking 2 to 3 minutes or until inserted instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees. Discard any remaining marinade.

Remove chicken to platter, tent with foil and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings. Carbs, 6.6 g.