Tonight for dinner, I tried something new—Asado chicken and sautéed lemon zucchini. I pinned this recipe some time ago from eatwell.com, and I would say it’s a keeper. It’s flavorful, quick enough to make, and it’s pretty healthy, the three things on my checklist to make it to my archives. I didn’t use three pounds of chicken as the recipe suggests. It’s just Brian, Ash, and I, so I only used one pack of chicken breast, about half of the recipe poundage. I did a little broil action on the chicken while the zucchini was cooking (because that little bit of broil makes me happy.) Not pictured is the rice I added (because Ash loves rice). Here in Michigan today, there is an accumulation of snow that is totally killing our spring vibes. This dish is still springtime yumminess. Try it, thank me later!
- 3 lbs (1 1/2 kg) Chicken breast
- 2 to 3 medium-sized zucchini, diced
- 8 Garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons Oregano
- 1 tablespoon smoked Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Cumin Powder
- 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken stock
- 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice, more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Chili Flakes
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Olive Oil
- Salt and fresh cracked black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. To make this Asado chicken recipe: In a bowl, combine paprika, cumin, chicken stock, lemon juice, onion powder, oregano, garlic, chili flakes, and olive oil. Taste and adjust salt and lemon before adding chicken breast.
2. Add in chicken breasts and coat all sides. Cover and marinate chicken breasts for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, remove chicken breasts from marinade and reserve the marinade for later.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook chicken breast on both sides, until internal temperature reads 165ºF (74ºC) on an instant-read thermometer, approx. 15 minutes. Remove chicken breast to a plate and keep warm.
4. Add the diced zucchini to the same pan and season with salt, pepper and red chili pepper flakes (if using), add a bit of oil if necessary. Saute zucchini for 2-3 minutes over medium-low, then add the remaining chicken marinade. Cook zucchini with the marinade sauce for 3-4 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the sauce has reduced a bit and zucchini are tender.
5. Divide sauteed zucchini and the sauce into plates or bowls and top with sliced chicken breasts. Serve the chicken and sauteed zucchini garnished with lemon slices, and fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy! An extra splash of lemon juice before serving the Asado chicken is highly recommended. Enjoy!
