Make Grilled Chicken with Vinaigrette Marinade Your New Summer Favorite – San Diego Union-Tribune

By Olga Massov

The Washington Post

I’ve always been a fan of multi-purpose items. A cheek, lip, and eye stick to consolidate my morning makeup prep? Please, and thank you. Mayonnaise to spread on my tomato sandwiches and fix water stains on furniture? I’m listening.

I’m looking for the same utility in my kitchen: recipes that I can use in multiple ways with just one batch.

My latest strategy is to make a vinaigrette, then use some to marinate chicken and the rest to dress a salad. The idea came to me by chance, during my last summer of “hot grilling.”

I had my family over for dinner on our patio and was looking to grill some chicken to serve with a salad and other sides. That morning, as I was digging through my refrigerator, I spotted a large container of balsamic vinaigrette that I had made earlier in the week for our evening salads.

A little light went off in my head: instead of making a separate marinade, I put the chicken pieces in a zip-top bag and poured a generous amount of the dressing into it. I massaged it into the chicken, squeezed out the extra air, sealed the bag, and put the chicken back in the fridge.

When dinner time came, I took out the chicken (of course, I threw out the marinade after using it), grilled it and served it, to cheers. There were no leftovers and my guests wanted to know the recipe.

I hesitated: The whole experience, delicious as it was, felt like a cheat. Marinating in vinaigrette isn’t a new concept. Bottles of Italian dressing have given their lives for this very reason (no shame in that). It only takes a few minutes to make your own, and you can control exactly what goes into it—and keep it on hand for more than just salads.

In case it wasn’t obvious, you can use pretty much any salad dressing as a marinade: lemon vinaigrette, ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, Thousand Island dressing, Russian dressing, etc. The most common one in my fridge is a Dijon-balsamic vinaigrette that often includes touches of oregano (from my giant bush, fresh in the summer and dried in the winter) as well as bits of shallot. If I’m feeling spicy, I’ll add grated garlic to the portion I pour over the chicken for a more intense flavor.

The whole recipe is flexible: mix and match ingredients to suit your tastes and what you have on hand. Red, white, or sherry vinegar, or lemon juice, can be substituted for balsamic vinegar. Swap out the maple syrup for honey or agave, if you prefer. Try another herb, like rosemary or thyme, or even parsley or tarragon. Think of this recipe as a framework.

Another benefit of this approach is that you pair the flavors of the protein with the flavors of the salad, like a color-coordinated outfit, but on a plate. It’s rich coming from someone who often wears multiple clashing stripes in the same outfit, but where I lack in fashion sense, I try to make up for it in culinary sensibility.

Grilled Chicken Thighs Marinated in Vinaigrette

Use a little balsamic-Dijon vinaigrette to marinate the chicken thighs and the rest as a salad dressing for a casual summer meal that packs a punch of bright, punchy flavors without much effort. If you have time to marinate the chicken in the morning or the night before, when dinnertime rolls around, you’ll have a very flavorful meal that’ll be ready in a reasonable amount of time. The chicken should marinate for 8 to 24 hours before grilling.

Makes 4 to 8 servings (about 8 thighs and 8 cups salad)

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)

1 small shallot, chopped (optional)

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 pounds total)

4 cups (4 ounces) lightly packed baby arugula leaves

1 pint (10 ounces) cherry tomatoes, halved

2 mini cucumbers, diced

Kernels from 1 to 2 ears of corn (1 cup)

1 bell pepper (any color except green), seeded and diced

1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS

1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup or honey, oregano and shallot until emulsified, then season to taste with salt and pepper. You should have about 1 1/4 cups.

2: Place chicken in a large zip-top bag and pour about two-thirds (3/4 cup) of the dressing into the bag (see Notes). Seal the bag, squeezing to remove excess air, and massage the chicken with the dressing. (Refrigerate remaining dressing until needed.) Place the bag in a large bowl or shallow dish to catch any spills—just in case—and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

3: When you’re ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it warm up a bit, 15 to 20 minutes — it will cook more evenly this way. Prepare the grill for direct heat (if using a grill pan, see notes). If using a gas grill, set it to 450 degrees. If using a charcoal grill, fill a chimney starter with charcoal, light it, and when the coals are white-gray with ash, pour them onto the charcoal grate, adding more charcoal, if necessary. Place the lid on the grill, making sure the vents are fully open. When all the coals are gray and hot, about 15 minutes, your grill should be medium hot. (Use a grill thermometer or test the heat by holding your hand, palm down, about 4 inches from the grate, making sure nothing flammable, such as clothing, is near the heat. If you can hold it there for about 4 seconds, the heat should be medium, or about 450 degrees. Move your hand away from the heat before it becomes painful.) Make sure the cooking grates are clean.

4: Lightly oil grill grates. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, shake or brush off excess marinade and place chicken skin-side down on grill; discard marinade. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and grill until well browned and grill marks form, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip chicken and season lightly with salt and pepper; if chicken sticks to grates, cook for another 1 to 2 minutes and see if it releases easily. Continue grilling until chicken is well browned on other side, develops grill marks and is cooked through, another 6 to 8 minutes. (The internal temperature in the deepest part of the thigh away from the bone should register 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. If the chicken begins to brown too quickly, move it from one of the hot spots to another part of the grill or indirect heat. Larger chicken thighs may take longer to cook.) Transfer to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest about 10 minutes.

5: While chicken rests, in a large bowl, toss arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, bell pepper, and feta until well combined. Drizzle lightly with about half (1/4 cup) of the remaining dressing and toss gently again to coat.

6: Divide chicken and salad evenly among plates or serve family-style, with remaining dressing on the side.

Replacements: Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs can be substituted for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, adjusting cooking time as needed. Maple syrup or honey can be substituted for agave. Balsamic vinegar can be substituted for vinegar of your choice or fresh lemon juice. Dijon mustard can be substituted for any other mustard. Shallot can be used in place of onion or garlic. Oregano, thyme, rosemary or sage (fresh or dried).

Variants: To prepare the inside, preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat until hot. Brush the grill pan with oil. Working in batches as needed, shake or brush off excess marinade, place the chicken thighs skin-side down on the grill pan and reduce the heat to medium. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook until nicely browned and grill marks form, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and season lightly with salt and pepper; if the chicken sticks to the grates, cook for another 1 to 2 minutes and see if it releases easily. Continue cooking until the chicken is nicely browned on the other side, develops grill marks and is cooked through, another 6 to 8 minutes. (The internal temperature in the deepest part of the thigh away from the bone should register 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Adjust the heat if necessary to prevent the chicken from browning too quickly.) Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining chicken, if necessary.

Remarks: The dressing will make the chicken thighs even moister and more tender than usual, but the flavor will be mild. If you prefer your chicken with a full-bodied marinade, feel free to add a little balsamic vinegar and/or Dijon mustard to the zip-top bag, and/or a few cloves of minced garlic before squeezing out the excess air and massaging the marinade into the chicken.

Storage Notes: Store chicken in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store dressing in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Recipe by Olga Massov.

Originally published: July 17, 2024 at 06:00