Baked Mediterranean Chicken - A quick and easy dinner recipe with a fragrant wet rub that consists of olive oil, fresh lime juice, granulated garlic, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika that gives each chicken breast a flavorful punch.
4chicken breast(bonless with either skin or no skin)
1.5tablespoonkosher salt(more or less to taste)
½tablespooncumin(more or less to taste)
½tablespooncoriander(more or less to taste)
½tablespoongarlic powder(more or less to taste)
½tablespoonsmoked paprika(more or less to taste)
¼cupextra virgin olive oil(for wet rub)
pepper(more or less to taste)
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil(for cooking)
2tablespoonchopped cilantro for garnish(optional)
1cuproasted cherry tomatoes(optional)
juice of one lime(or lemon)
Instructions
Wet Rub
In a measuring cup, add ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, and seasonings and whisk. Set aside.
Chicken Preparation
Wash 4 chicken breast and pat dry with paper towels. Place on clean plate. Set aside.
Open a large freezer zip loc bag and place it in a large bowl. Place the chicken breast inside of the zip loc bag and pour over the wet rub. Close the zip loc bag securely while releasing as much air as possible from the bag. Move the zip loc bag around to coat each chicken breast. Allow the chicken to marinade for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature. Try not to exceed 30 minutes.
Place an oven proof skillet over medium. Add extra virgin olive oil to the skillet. When the skillet is hot, add the chicken breast. DO NOT OVERCROWD THE SKILLET AS THIS WILL NOT ALLOW THE CHICKEN BREAST TO SEAR PROPERLY. INSTEAD IT WILL STEAM THE CHICKEN. Therefore, cook the chicken in batches if necessary.
Sear chicken breast on both sides for about 5 to 7 minutes until you get a nice medium brown outer coating. After all chicken breast are seared, place all 4 chicken breast in the skillet. Place oven proof skillet in the preheated oven until chicken breast is cooked through and no longer pink or instant read thermometer reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 75 degrees Celsius. DO NOT OVERCOOK AS THE CHICKEN BREAST COULD BECOME DRY. This may take about 27 minutes depending on your oven.
If serving with blistered cherry tomatoes, wash, pat dry, slice tomatoes in half and drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place in the same skillet as the chicken about 10 minutes before the chicken is done.
Remove skillet from the oven and place chicken breast on a clean plate to rest. This will allow the juices to redistribute back into the meat. Therefore, do not cut chicken breast immediately.
Notes
**Please note: Nutritional values serve as a guide only as values may vary.You can skip the searing step if you'd like. It's not necessary but is an extra step I like to take. Placing all 4 chicken breast in the same skillet or pan is perfectly fine.