Italian Dressing Chicken Marinade

This versatile Italian-style marinade is a fantastic secret weapon for effortless weeknight meals. It not only infuses the chicken with incredible flavor but also doubles as a vibrant salad dressing. This highly effective method allows you to create delicious dishes with less effort. Serve it with a fresh zucchini side salad, or use the dressing for any salad you desire!

Instructions

1. 1

   To create the dressing marinade, place the vinegar, garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper into a small jar. Shake well to combine everything.

2. 2

   To marinate the chicken, put the 1/2 tbsp olive oil, mixed Italian herbs, and chili flakes (if using) in a bowl or a ziplock bag. Add 5 tablespoons of the dressing marinade you just made. Massage or mix everything together to thoroughly coat the chicken. Set it aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes, or for a deeper flavor, ideally 3 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

3. 3

   To cook the chicken on a grill or BBQ, you shouldn't need any oil, but you can brush your grill with a little if you're concerned about sticking. Heat the grill to medium-high and cook the chicken for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. If using chicken breast, reduce the cooking time slightly.

4. 4

   To cook the chicken on a stovetop, preheat 1/2 tbsp of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook each side for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until it's a nice dark golden brown and cooked all the way through.

5. 5

   Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the grill or pan and place it on a plate. Loosely cover it with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.

6. 6

   To make the salad and dressing, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil (from the Zucchini Side ingredients) to the jar with the leftover dressing marinade. Shake the jar well to combine.

7. 7

   Toss the finely sliced zucchinis and mint leaves with the freshly prepared dressing marinade. Serve the cooked chicken alongside the zucchini salad, with toasted bread if you like.

Recipe Notes

• You can easily substitute the white wine vinegar with chardonnay or apple cider vinegar, or even lemon juice or rice vinegar. The goal is to use a vinegar that is not as harsh as ordinary distilled white vinegar.

• This marinade also works well with chicken breast fillets, but be mindful of the cooking time to avoid overcooking. Dry chicken breast is not pleasant!

• The nutrition information provided is per serving, assuming 4 servings.