As the weather starts getting warmer, it’s nice to heat up the gas grill instead of the kitchen. Grilled Lemon Ginger Chicken is the perfect thing to cook on that gas grill; the finished chicken is moist and juicy, with subtle flavors of fresh ginger, lemon, garlic, and pepper. Pork tenderloin can be substituted for the chicken, or a firm fish such as halibut can be marinated in the mixture for a much shorter period of time – 30 minutes to an hour.

The recipe calls for Meyer lemons, which are smaller and thinner-skinned than regular grocery store lemons. In case anyone really cares and wants to be up-to-speed on trivia – most grocery store lemons are the Eureka variety, which are actually true lemons, as opposed to Meyer lemons which are considered a hybrid and thought to be a cross between a lemon and a Mandarin orange. Meyer lemon juice is slightly sweeter than regular lemon juice. Of course, if Meyer lemons aren’t available, it’s perfectly okay to use regular grocery store (Eureka) lemons in this recipe. However, freshly squeezed lemon juice is an absolute must.

One word of caution: In this world of low-fat, not-fat, reduced fat, etc. many cooks are tempted to leave the oil out of the marinade. This is not good (or necessary), since the oil prevents the food from sticking to the grill and also affects the texture of the finished product. Very little oil, if any, is absorbed into the chicken, fish, or meat – most is poured off before grilling.
8 Servings
Marinade
6 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice or substitute regular lemon juice
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped, or 4 quarter size slices
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon honey

8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cleaned of any veins or fat

1. Mix all marinade ingredients in the blender or magic bullet; blend until smooth.


2. Pour over the chicken breasts in a Zip-type bag.


3. Marinate 4-6 hours.


4. After marinating, discard the marinade mixture.


5. Grill the chicken breasts until tender and just cooked through.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 239 Calories from Fat 112
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 47% Protein 47% Carb. 6%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 12 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 79 mg
Sodium 358 mg
Total Carbohydrate 3 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 28 g

Vitamin A 3% Vitamin C 10% Calcium 0% Iron 6%