Tender Grilled Chicken Breasts

Tender chicken breasts off the grill... yeah right.  That used to be the case with me, so concerned with food poisoning my friends or family members with an ill-cooked piece of chicken I was, that I routinely served my guests hockey pucks disguised as chicken.  I finally got smart and got an instant read thermometer, and that helped some.... until it broke.  I was also notorious for placing my breasts in a plastic Ziploc with marinade and pounding the heck out of them with a meat mallet.  Then the meat mallet broke... I must have a lot of pent up stress to release.

So, the other day, I decided to stab my chicken with a fork.  Not just a little poke, but stabbed clear through to the other side, probably 20 times per breast.  A little sadistic maybe, but you know what, it worked!!  I stabbed away, stuck my natural chicken breasts I'd purchased from Trader Joe's in a slightly acidic marinade for about 20 minutes, grilled to perfection, and let them rest for about 10 minutes (for goodness sake please don't forget this part... it redistributes the juices, allowing them to stay IN the breast and not ooze all over the plate!)

Anyway, my entire family was pleased and inhaled the juicy, tender goodness.  I play around with my marinades, but I always make sure to have some acidic liquid (like vinegar or citrus) in them to further break down the meat before grilling.  Here are a couple to try...

Honey Mustard Marinade
1/4 c. vinegar (apple cider works well)
1/4 c. honey
2 T. mustard (yellow or dijon, your choice)
1/4 c. olive or grapeseed oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. grill rub (your choice brand and flavor)
Whisk all ingredients together and pour over chicken breasts in a gallon Ziploc bag.  Seal and let marinate at least 20 minutes, up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.  Grill until done, let rest 10 minutes, then serve.

Greek Marinade
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. greek yogurt
1/4 c. olive oil
1 t. tarragon
1 t. oregano
1 t. salt
1 t. lemon pepper
Whisk all ingredients together and pour over chicken breasts in a gallon Ziploc bag.  Seal and let marinate at least 20 minutes, up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.  Grill until done, let rest 10 minutes, then serve.