This Mayo-Marinated Chicken with Chimichurri recipe will work with nearly any marinade, exactly as written: you could use pesto, salsa verde, bottled barbecue sauce, jarred Thai curry paste, teriyaki sauce or mole, all with equal success. In this recipe, that means chicken cutlets that cook through and brown in about four minutes, with deep chimichurri flavour enhanced by a post-grill drizzle of fresh sauce.
Mayo-Marinated Chicken with Chimichurri Recipe
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
4 chicken breast cutlets (4 to 5 ounces each), pounded about ¼-inch thick
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/3 cup store-bought or homemade mayonnaise
1 cup chimichurri (recipe here)
Method:
Season the chicken cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.
Whisk together the mayonnaise and ¼ cup chimichurri in a large bowl. Reserve remaining chimichurri. Add the chicken cutlets to the mixture and turn to coat. Cook immediately, or for better flavor, transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.
To cook on the grill: Heat a gas or charcoal grill over high heat for 10 minutes. Cook the chicken cutlets directly over high heat, turning and flipping occasionally, until just cooked through and lightly charred all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Spoon some of the remaining chimichurri over the chicken and serve the rest in a small bowl on the side.
To cook in a skillet: Heat a large (12-inch) cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water immediately balls up and dances across the surface. Add the chicken cutlets in a single layer and cook, swirling them and flipping them occasionally until browned all over and just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Spoon some of the remaining chimichurri over the chicken and serve the rest in a small bowl on the side.
Easy Weeknight Dinners by New York Times Cooking, published by Penguin Random House (RRP $59.99 AUD/$65 NZD).
