Greek-Style Grilled Stuffed Chicken Breasts
(from Bethany’s recipe box)
Serves 4
You will need 4 sturdy, uncolored toothpicks for this recipe. We prefer the taste and texture of homemade bread crumbs (simply tear 1 slice of white sandwich bread into pieces, grind in a food processor, and toast in a dry skillet until golden), but store-bought bread crumbs are acceptable here.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For the stuffing in our Greek-Style Grilled Stuffed Chicken Breasts, herb purees made with garlic and olive oil packed the most flavor and came together quickly, but oozed out of the chicken when cooked. We found that binding the herb puree with creamy and strong-flavored cheeses like fontina, pepper Jack, and feta worked better, especially when combined with just a few tablespoons of bread crumbs (or crushed corn chips).
To stuff, we sliced a pocket into the thickest part of the breast, spooned the filling into the pocket, and sealed the breast back up with a toothpick. Because of the added bulk from the stuffing, these chicken breasts needed extra time on the grill, so gently grilling the chicken with indirect heat worked better. A soak in oil, lemon juice, and garlic gave the chicken added protection against drying out on the grill, plus an extra boost of flavor to complement the stuffing.
Source: Cook's Country August/September 2008 (CC and CI collection)
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tablespoons toasted bread crumbs, (see note)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Directions
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Whisk oil, zest, juice, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Pulse 2 tablespoons oil mixture, parsley, oregano, cheese, and bread crumbs in food processor until coarsely ground.
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Following photos, cut pocket in thick part of each chicken breast, spoon in filling, and secure with toothpick. Transfer stuffed chicken to large plate or baking dish and toss with additional 1/4 cup oil mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
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Heat all burners on high for 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and shut other burners off. (For charcoal grill, light 100 coals; when covered with fine gray ash, spread over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place and heat covered, with lid vent open completely, for 5 minutes.) Scrape and oil cooking grate.
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Arrange chicken, smooth-side down, on cooler side of grill with thicker side facing hot side of grill. Cook, covered, until chicken is beginning to brown and meat registers 140°F, 16 to 20 minutes, flipping and rotating breasts halfway through cooking time. Move chicken to hot side of grill and cook covered, flipping every few minutes, until meat registers 160°F, 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter and brush with remaining oil mixture. Tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Remove toothpicks. Serve.