Saturday, June 18, 2011

Orange Basil BBQ Chicken


The other day my mother-in-law asked me for my favorite basil recipes. I love basil and use it all the time in Italian and Thai cooking (and love it in cocktails too!) … but I didn’t have any specific basil “recipes” that came to mind. So I did what I like doing best, I started browsing all my favorite blogs and recipe sites and put together a list of fresh basil recipes for her. In my search I came across this recipe for BBQ chicken on allrecipes.com and I adapted it a bit to fit what ingredients I had at home. It was super easy, pretty (orange peel and basil brightened it up), quick and tasty!

What’s your favorite thing to make with fresh basil?

Honey Orange Basil BBQ Chicken
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients
• Grated orange zest from 3 oranges
• Orange juice, squeezed from 3 oranges
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 5 stalks of fresh basil chiffonade (cut into ribbons)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 pieces of chicken (breasts, thighs or legs)

Directions
1. In a large resealable plastic bag (or bowl), mix the orange juice, oil, honey, parsley, basil, orange zest, salt, and pepper. Place chicken in the bag, seal, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight (or longer).

2. Preheat the grill for medium heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the chicken on the grill, and discard marinade. Cook chicken about 7 minutes per side, turning once, or until juices run clear.

5 comments:

  1. Wow! I am making this sometime this week! That looks so gorgeous. I also love basil. One of my favorites is this one: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/grilled-salmon-sandwiches-recipe/index.html. Ina's salmon sandwiches with a sauce made with basil, dill, and scallions. It's phenomenal!

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  2. This looks so good! While I was reading the recipe Jason practically grabbed the computer out of my hands so he could get a good, long look at the picture! I see this one in our near future. :)

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  3. It's almost lunchtime and this post just made me very hungry. That looks amazing.

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  4. I am totally going to make this for a staff meal. It looks really good.

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  5. Yum, Emily. We'll be trying this one!

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