Grilled Dijon Chicken
with grilled bread / arugula, plum, and zucchini ribbon salad
Whether you grill this meal or not, it is summer on a plate. The salad uses raw, thinly sliced zucchini which has a fresh flavor and texture. It's a unique way to serve zucchini, so give it a try if you've never had it!
Smarts: The salad served with this meal is just dressed with lemon juice and olive oil to allow the simple flavors to shine. This is a common way to dress arugula salads which already have a lot of natural peppery and citrus flavor. If you prefer a more complete dressing, balsamic vinaigrette would be great here. (Search the archives for a recipe.)
Ingredients
- Honey - 2 Tbsp
- Mustard, Dijon - 1 Tbsp
- Soy sauce, low-sodium - 1 tsp
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp
- Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless - 2 1/2 lbs, halved to thin
- Bread, any small loaf - 1, thickly sliced (focaccia or ciabatta are great options)
- Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp
- Zucchini - 8 oz, sliced into ribbons
- Plums - 2, sliced
- Lemon juice - 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Oil, olive - 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Arugula - 10 oz
- Pine nuts - 2 Tbsp (sub any chopped nuts)
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Make marinade - Whisk together honey, mustard, soy sauce, and lemon juice (portion for chicken). (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Chicken - (This makes enough for 2 nights.) Slice chicken in half lengthwise to thin. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
- Marinate chicken - (If prepping right before cooking, get grill heating while chicken marinates.) Combine chicken and marinade, turning to coat chicken on both sides. Tenderize chicken with a fork. Marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
- Zucchini / Plums / Bread - Prep as directed.
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Make
- Heat grill to 400F / 204C, keeping one part of the grill with direct heat and one part with indirect heat. Clean grates and brush with some cooking oil.
- In a large salad bowl, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil (portions for salad). Pile arugula, zucchini, plums, and pine nuts on top. Wait to toss everything together until right before serving.
- Brush bread slices on both sides with olive oil (portion for bread).
- Remove chicken from marinade, gently shaking off any excess. Discard marinade. Season chicken on both sides with some salt and pepper.
- Sear chicken over direct heat to get grill marks on both sides. (The honey in the marinade can burn, so keep a close eye on the chicken while it is on the hottest part of the grill.) Move chicken to indirect heat and close the lid. Continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more.
- Remove chicken from the grill and allow it to rest briefly. While chicken rests, sear bread slices over direct heat just to give them grill marks on all sides.
- Toss salad until well combined. Season with some salt and pepper.
- Serve chicken (remember to reserve half for Wednesday) with bread and salad on the side. Enjoy!
- If you want to get a head start on Wednesday’s meal, go ahead and chop the chicken for that meal into bite-sized pieces.
Prep
- Make marinade - Whisk together honey, mustard, soy sauce, and lemon juice (portion for chicken). (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Chicken - (This makes enough for 2 nights.) Slice chicken in half lengthwise to thin. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
- Marinate chicken - Combine chicken and marinade, turning to coat chicken on both sides. Tenderize chicken with a fork. Marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
- Zucchini / Plums / Bread - Prep as directed.
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Make
- In a large salad bowl, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil (portions for salad). Pile arugula, zucchini, plums, and pine nuts on top. Wait to toss everything together until right before serving.
- Brush bread slices on both sides with olive oil (portion for bread).
- Remove chicken from marinade, gently shaking off any excess. Discard marinade. Season chicken on both sides with some salt and pepper.
- Heat a grill pan or large skillet over medium heat. Sear bread on all sides until light golden brown, ~6 minutes total. Set bread aside and return pan to heat.
- Brush pan with some cooking oil and reduce to low-medium. Sear chicken on both sides until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes total.
- Toss salad until well combined. Season with some salt and pepper.
- Serve chicken (remember to reserve half for Wednesday) with bread and salad on the side. Enjoy!
- If you want to get a head start on Wednesday’s meal, go ahead and chop the chicken for that meal into bite-sized pieces.
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
28 reviews
Salad (without arugula because I forgot at the store) was heavenly (though 6yo wouldn’t touch the zucchini)! Lentils with vegan feta and dressing were great and mushroom added substance. Heavy on bread, and no leftovers, but delicious.
0 HelpfulThis was great! I didn't cut chicken to make it thinner so took longer to cook, but it was moist and flavorful. Salad was fantastic. Used slivered almonds instead of pine nuts and added a dash or two of balsamic vinegar to the dressing. Yum!
0 HelpfulI only made the chicken and I just chopped it up and threw it in a bowl of,spinach chicken flavor was very tasty! Happy to have extras!
0 Helpful