Categories: Grilling
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)
- 4 peeled garlic cloves
- 2 limes, quartered
- 2 medium jalapeños, cut into thirds (seeded, if desired)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- For serving:
- Lettuce
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Diced jalapeños
Directions
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Working with 2 chicken breasts at a time, place inside a gallon zip-top bag. Use the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin and pound them until they are 1/2-inch thick. Transfer the flattened chicken breasts to a plate and repeat with the remaining breasts. Transfer the second batch of breasts to the plate, and then make sure your zip-top bag does not have any holes in it from pounding the chicken breasts. If it does, replace with a new bag; otherwise build the marinade in the same bag.
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Place the garlic, limes, and jalapeños in the zip-top bag. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible, then pound until the garlic, limes, and jalapeños are smashed but not pulverized. Open the bag and add the olive oil, salt, cumin, and pounded chicken breasts. Close the bag and massage to coat the chicken. Place the bag on a baking sheet so that the chicken lays in a single layer in the bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
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When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator while the preheating the grill. If using a gas grill, heat the grill to high. For a charcoal grill, prepare the grill for both direct and indirect heat. Once the grill grates are hot, scrape any debris from the grates and oil well.
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Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade with tongs. Place the breasts over direct heat, cover, and cook undisturbed until grill marks appear, about 4 minutes. If the meat sticks to the grill, continue to cook for another minute until it releases easily. Flip and cook the second side until grill marks appear, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium on a gas grill (or transfer to indirect heat on a charcoal grill) and grill until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
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Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving over a bed of lettuce with more lime, diced jalapeños, and cilantro.