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| How to make Italian-Marinated Grilled Chicken indoors. An indoor grill speeds things up when short on time. |
What do you normally think of when you picture Italian food?
Probably not something that’s quick and easy to fix.
Am I right?
Most people think about homemade spaghetti and meatballs, Lasagna with spicy sausage chunks, or an extra-large slice of pizza with all of the trimmings and, maybe, some extra mozzarella cheese.
Type of Chicken I Use
Chicken makes an extremely economical low-carb meal.
In our area, we can get boneless, skinless chicken breast at Walmart for around $2 a pound. This is their everyday price, and the price I use to judge specials at other stores by.
I do have to buy a family pack to get it at that price, but many times our small local grocery store runs special deals on Thursdays.
These deals are even cheaper than Walmart. Sometimes, I can purchase chicken breast for as low as $1.69 a pound. Here in Texas, Kroger does this quite often, too. And since hamburger at Costco will run us over 3 bucks a pound, when boneless chicken goes on sale for less than $2, we definitely stock up.
I don’t use the frozen breasts that come in a bag.
I don’t know what they are really injected with. The bag simply calls it a saline solution, which is actually a salty-water, so I stick with the fresh stuff as much as possible.
With my food sensitivities, the word solution is scary. Manufacturers don't have to list processing aids on the label, so I always avoid it.
But you can certainly use the frozen chicken cutlets to make this low-carb dish if you want.
Just make sure that you pick the plain variety, or at least something that would blend well with lemon juice and Italian seasonings.
I don’t know what they are really injected with. The bag simply calls it a saline solution, which is actually a salty-water, so I stick with the fresh stuff as much as possible.
With my food sensitivities, the word solution is scary. Manufacturers don't have to list processing aids on the label, so I always avoid it.
But you can certainly use the frozen chicken cutlets to make this low-carb dish if you want.
Just make sure that you pick the plain variety, or at least something that would blend well with lemon juice and Italian seasonings.
Indoor George Foreman Grill
I absolutely love marinades.
They make my life so much easier. Not only do they make the chicken tasty and tender, but when coupled with an indoor grill, they enable you to have dinner on the table in only a few minutes.
When I first created this recipe, I had a George Foreman Lean Machine. It was a life-saver. But you can use any brand of indoor grill you have. Broiling these chicken breasts in the oven would also work well.
They make my life so much easier. Not only do they make the chicken tasty and tender, but when coupled with an indoor grill, they enable you to have dinner on the table in only a few minutes.
When I first created this recipe, I had a George Foreman Lean Machine. It was a life-saver. But you can use any brand of indoor grill you have. Broiling these chicken breasts in the oven would also work well.
Back before I returned to keto in 2007, I was pretty much bedridden. The vertigo was so bad in those days that I could hardly get out of bed. Hubby suffered in silence through many, many chicken-green bean casserole meals – sometimes, almost every single night.
It was the easiest meal I could think of when my head was spinning so fast I couldn't think or walk.
(What I did: Simply lay chicken legs in the bottom of a greased bake dish and top with one or two cans of french-cut green beans, water and all. Cover tightly with foil and bake. If I was somewhat coherent, I might sprinkle in a few chopped onions, tomatoes, and bacon.)
He liked this; but every single night was a killer.
Luckily, he doesn’t have to live like that once I purchased an indoor grill because an indoor grill is so versatile. Now, he gets:
- pork chops
- hamburgers
- steak
- chicken breast
When I’m too dizzy to cook or just not feeling well.
It was the easiest meal I could think of when my head was spinning so fast I couldn't think or walk.
Luckily, he doesn’t have to live like that once I purchased an indoor grill because an indoor grill is so versatile. Now, he gets:
- pork chops
- hamburgers
- steak
- chicken breast
When I’m too dizzy to cook or just not feeling well.
How to Prep and Marinate the Chicken
This keto-friendly chicken idea took birth during my HCG days, but I’ve tweaked it to be far more healthy than it was then.
This keto recipe is so simple that it would be the perfect choice when you’re going to be out Christmas shopping or spending the day carving or decorating pumpkins with the kids.
I slice the chicken breasts horizontally.
They look like the breasts that come frozen in a bag. This helps them to cook more evenly. I get three slices out of each large breast, so the recipe will make about nine cutlets.
If you’re feeding a family, you can easily double the recipe if you need to.
On HCG, oil isn't allowed, but today, I’ve added extra-virgin olive oil to the marinade for some healthy fat and additional flavor. However, you can use any type of oil you like.
When I don’t have extra-virgin olive oil, I use a little grapeseed oil. Maybe, peanut oil, since that's easy to come by here and blends well with the seasonings in the marinade.
All I do is stab the chicken breast slices with a fork. Tuck them into a gallon zip-lock bag in one layer.
Toss the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, stir well, and pour it over the chicken. Close the bag. I like to spread the marinade over the chicken with the bag closed. Just squish it up a bit, smash it into the chicken, to make sure it's evenly distributed and gets into the fork holes.
Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator all day.
I've even done it the night before, left it all day in the refrigerator, and then grilled it up when hubby gets home from work. The oil slows down the marinade time, so the chicken doesn't go mushy.
If you can get your hands on an organic lemon, grating up some of the zest and adding it to the marinade will really intensify the lemon flavor.
You can also play around a little with the herbs. Some fresh, minced oregano or basil, seasoned pepper, or one of Mrs. Dash’s unique seasoning blends would be nice in this too.
Keto Menu Ideas
Since this is one of my quick-and-easy keto dinner ideas, I generally serve it with a simple tossed salad made from organic romaine, chopped red onions, and maybe a little minced hard-boiled eggs. When I have wax-free tomatoes, I toss some of them in there too.
Hubby used to prefer Thousand Island Dressing on his salads, but he's been into Ranch Dressing lately. I make my own salad dressings since they are easy to throw together.
In addition, steamed vegetables are particularly easy to pair with the chicken.
A mixture of organic broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots will steam in as little as 30 minutes. But since this main dish is so little work, you could also spend a little more time on the weekend and make a couple of fancier side dishes like keto spinach pie or green beans and bacon.
Leftovers can be tucked into a baggie and taken to work with you the following day.
They make a tasty, cold lunch, just as they are, but you could also chop or slice the leftovers and serve them over a salad. You could even turn the leftovers into a nice chicken salad with bacon, cheese, and mayo.
Grilled Italian Chicken, Low-Carb Style
Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of a fresh lemon
1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
sugar substitute to equal 2 tablespoons sugar
Slice your chicken breast horizontally into about three slices. The top slice will be shorter and smaller than the other two. Place the chicken pieces in a gallon zip-lock bag and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine all of the rest of the ingredients,
and mix well. Pour the marinade into the bag along with the chicken, scraping the bowl with a spoon,
so you get all of the Italian seasonings you can in there. Close the bag and squish
everything around with your hands.
You want the seasonings to be as evenly distributed over the chicken as you can get them.
Allow the chicken to marinate all day, in the refrigerator, turning a couple of times if possible, but that isn’t absolutely necessary if you work outside the home.
You want the seasonings to be as evenly distributed over the chicken as you can get them.
Allow the chicken to marinate all day, in the refrigerator, turning a couple of times if possible, but that isn’t absolutely necessary if you work outside the home.
Be careful that you don't overcook them. You want chicken breast to be just barely done so it stays juicy.
If you don't have an indoor grill, you can sauté the chicken in a frying pan with additional olive oil, butter, bacon drippings, or even the marinade itself.
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