**Feta Brined Chicken Breasts: A Journey of Flavor and Succulence**
Prepare to embark on a culinary adventure with our exceptional Feta Brined Chicken Breasts, where taste and tenderness intertwine. This delectable dish tantalizes the palate with a symphony of flavors, expertly crafted through a unique brining process that infuses the chicken with a captivating tanginess and unparalleled juiciness. The brining solution, a harmonious blend of tangy feta cheese, aromatic herbs, and zesty lemon, permeates the chicken breasts, ensuring every bite bursts with a symphony of flavors. Accompanying the main course are two extraordinary recipes that elevate the dining experience to new heights. The Feta and Herb Butter, a luscious compound brimming with feta's tang, fresh herbs' vibrancy, and butter's richness, elevates each morsel of chicken to culinary excellence. Alongside, the Feta and Herb Couscous Salad enchants with its vibrant colors, delightful textures, and a refreshing blend of flavors, making it the perfect accompaniment to the succulent chicken.
FETA-BRINED ROAST CHICKEN
Brining a chicken before roasting can make for a particularly juicy, tender bird. Using feta in the brine adds a complex and earthy flavor to the mix. Don't skip the step of taking the chicken out of the brine an hour before cooking. This allows the bird to come to room temperature and dries it out a bit, which helps crisp the skin. This recipe calls for a lot of black pepper, and if you like a spicy bite, don't afraid to go for the full 2 tablespoons. Or bring the amount down for something milder. In either case, do grind it yourself; the pre-ground stuff is missing all the essential oils that give freshly ground black pepper its woodsy, floral notes. Roasted potatoes make an excellent side dish.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories dinner, weeknight, roasts, main course
Time 10h30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- The day before serving, combine 2 ounces feta, 2 teaspoons salt and 4 cups water in a blender and blend until smooth. Put chicken in an extra-large resealable plastic bag or a container large enough to submerge chicken, and cover with the feta brine. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Before cooking, remove chicken from brine and transfer to a towel-lined tray. (Discard brine.) Pat chicken dry with paper towels and allow to come to room temperature for 1 hour.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, the oregano and the zest of the lemons (about 1 tablespoon). Liberally cover chicken in herb mix and gently massage entire bird. Halve lemons and place 3 halves in cavity (save remaining half for serving). Using kitchen twine, tie legs together.
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add oil and heat until it just smokes. Place chicken, breast-side up, in pan. Transfer entire pan to oven. Cook, basting once or twice, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife, 50 to 60 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven, then stir remaining crumbled feta into juices in pan and stir well. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes in the pan before slicing and serving on a bed of greens, with feta-laced pan juices on top, drizzled with a little lemon juice from the reserved lemon half.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 841, UnsaturatedFat 40 grams, Carbohydrate 8 grams, Fat 63 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 59 grams, SaturatedFat 19 grams, Sodium 1184 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 0 grams
FETA CHICKEN
Chicken wrapped around tomato-basil feta cheese--simple, succulent, and sensational.
Provided by Debbie
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Chicken Chicken Breast Recipes
Time 45m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of waxed paper. Gently pound chicken with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick; remove wax paper. Place 1 ounce of feta cheese in the center of each chicken breast, and fold in half.
- Spread 2 tablespoons bread crumbs in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange chicken in the dish, and top with remaining bread crumbs.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 223.8 calories, Carbohydrate 4.6 g, Cholesterol 93.7 mg, Fat 7.8 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 32 g, SaturatedFat 4.7 g, Sodium 481 mg, Sugar 1.4 g
AIR-FRYER LEMON FETA CHICKEN
This bright, Greek-inspired chicken has only five ingredients-it's a busy-day lifesaver! And popping it into the air fryer makes it even easier. -Ann Cain, Morrill, Nebraska
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 25m
Yield 2 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Preheat air fryer to 400°. Place chicken in a lightly greased baking dish that fits into the air fryer. Pour lemon juice over chicken; sprinkle with feta cheese, oregano and pepper., Cook until a thermometer reads 165°, 20-25 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 142 calories, Fat 4g fat (2g saturated fat), Cholesterol 66mg cholesterol, Sodium 122mg sodium, Carbohydrate 1g carbohydrate (0 sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 24g protein.
CHICKEN BREASTS WITH FETA AND FIGS
Cooked figs go beautifully with meat, especially a griddled or pan-cooked chicken breast. I always seem to circle back to feta when I'm working with figs in a savory dish. I love the flavor of the earthy, salty cheese against the subtle, sweet fruit.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories dinner, main course
Time 1h30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- One at a time, place each chicken breast between pieces of plastic wrap or parchment and lightly pound with a mallet until it is 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Chicken breasts should be of uniform thickness.
- Place chicken breasts in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and toss with rosemary, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Place oven on lowest setting, around 200 degrees. Cook the chicken: Heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat for 5 minutes. Add remaining olive oil to pan and reduce heat to medium-high. Turn over chicken breasts in marinade to coat them, then add them to the pan, rounded side down. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on one side, until cooked halfway through.
- Turn chicken breasts over and carefully arrange feta on top, dividing it equally among the 4 breasts. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves over feta on each breast. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, until breasts are cooked through. Feta will warm but will not melt. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep in warm oven while you cook the figs.
- Add wine to pan and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom. Boil wine until it has reduced by half, then add figs, honey and remaining thyme. Cook, stirring, until figs break down and begin to look jammy, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Serve chicken breasts with fig compote on side and garnish with rosemary sprigs.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 438, UnsaturatedFat 10 grams, Carbohydrate 27 grams, Fat 17 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 39 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 752 milligrams, Sugar 22 grams, TransFat 0 grams
Tips:
- Use a good quality feta cheese. This will make a big difference in the flavor of your chicken.
- Don't overcook the chicken. Chicken breasts are very lean and can easily become dry if overcooked. Cook them until they are just cooked through, about 10-12 minutes per side.
- Let the chicken rest before slicing. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the chicken, making it more tender and flavorful.
- Serve the chicken with your favorite sides. Roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or a simple salad are all great options.
Conclusion:
Feta brined chicken breasts are a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight dinner. The feta brine adds a lot of flavor to the chicken, and the chicken breasts are cooked to perfection in the oven. This dish is sure to please everyone at the table!
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