Healthy Grilled Chicken Recipes should be included in everybody’s backyard barbecue rotation. Heart healthy chicken is not only good for you it’s downright delicious!
We hear it all the time – simply grilled chicken and fish is the healthiest preparation for almost any daily diet, whether trying to loose weight or just maintain.
Having a gas or charcoal barbecue is becoming a necessity year round, not just for the occasional backyard party, but for everyday cooking.
This recipe represents the best of everything about a barbecue: tender, moist chicken, a tangy-savory sauce and ease of preparation.
And don’t worry if the weather is not favorable or you don’t have a grill – baking the chicken in the oven is the next best thing.
Healthy Grilled Chicken Recipes – Thousand Island Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
1 chicken, about 4 pounds, whole or cut up
1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing, regular or low fat
juice of 1 lemon
5 large cloves garlic, minced
5 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup water
Directions
Whisk together the 1000 Island dressing, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper, paprika and water.
Cut up the chicken if whole, and arrange the pieces so that they fit snugly in a glass or non-aluminum container. Pour the 1000 Island mixture over the pieces of chicken, cover the pan and let it marinate for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Heat a gas grill or light a charcoal barbecue – if neither is available, heat the oven to 400F. Arrange the coals for indirect heat and place a drip pan under the grate.
Shake off the excess marinade from the chicken and grill the pieces until they are cooked through – no pink in the center, and the temperature near the bone should be 180F. Cook the chicken for about 50 minutes, turning once. Serve hot or cold.
Good To Know – If baking this chicken in the oven, time it for about 1 hour, although some pieces may cook faster than others.
On Your Own – A whole chicken is not necessary for this recipe to be successful – all thighs, drumsticks or breasts are just as flavorful. Marinate the chicken for the same amount of time.
Food For Thought – Although the flavor is not as distinctive, you can substitute 1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce for the 1000 Island dressing.