Simple Marinated Chicken Strips
It’s a common belief that cooking is my therapy and one of my favorite ways to spend my time. But I have a not-so-secret secret: I don’t actually love spending time in the kitchen. I like everyone else am trying to navigate my time in the most efficient (and calm) way, and so I also prefer to cook simply and have meals come together quickly. And that’s why I developed this recipe. Having chicken strips on hand means I can easily throw together a bowl, a salad, a pasta dish, or if I’m really short on time, I can eat a few pieces cold with some cut veggies for a simple but blood sugar balancing lunch.
Since the chicken is cut into strips, you can marinade it for as little as 20 minutes. If you allow it to marinate for 4 to 6 hours, it’s becomes extra and oh so crave worthy. Either way it’s delicious!
INGREDIENTS
Simple Marinated Chicken Strips
2 chicken breasts (about 1 - 1.25 lbs)
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c coconut aminos
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly cracked pepper
Avocado oil for pan frying
METHOD
Slice the chicken breast into roughly 1/3” thick slices. You may cut these slices into smaller bite size pieces by cutting them in half or in thirds. Just imagine what you’d like at the end of your fork and make them that size.
Place the chicken in a bowl or glass container, and add the olive oil, coconut aminos, dried basil, dijon, garlic, salt and freshly cracked pepper. Cover the bowl and marinade in the fridge for a minimum of 20 minutes. If you have the time to marinade them for 4 or more hours, they become extra flavorful. Chicken shouldn’t be marinated over 24 hours however, so keep that in mind.
Once they are ready to cook, heat a pan over medium low heat with a little avocado oil to coat the pan. A cast iron works really well for a nice browning. Add the chicken strips in the pan in a single layer, leaving a little space around each so they brown nicely. You will need to cook them in two batches.
Cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. The chicken should be nicely brown on each side but still tender on the inside. If you use heat that is too low, it’ll dry out the center before it’s browned.
Remove from the pan and cook the remaining chicken. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
USES
Goes well in pasta, salads, bowl, stir-fry, on stuffed sweet potatoes, in tortillas for tacos… and probably more things I’m not thinking of at the moment. Enjoy!