Mesquite-Grilled Breast of Chicken with Citrus Sauce
Submitted by mama
Mesquite-grilled chicken breast marinated in coriander, thyme, and garlic, topped with a fresh citrus sauce of lemon, lime, orange, and Grand Marnier.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
8 hrsCOOK
1 hrsREADY
9 hrsThis is a restaurant-caliber grilled chicken with a triple-citrus sauce that’s worth every minute of the overnight marinade. Fresh coriander, thyme, and crushed garlic soak into the chicken while the sauce comes together from whole lemons, limes, and oranges simmered down with shallots and ginger.
The sauce-building technique here is what separates this from a basic grilled chicken. All three citrus fruits get their pith and membrane completely removed, then the flesh is chopped and simmered with its juices until syrupy. Chicken broth stretches it into a proper sauce, and a splash of Grand Marnier at the finish adds a warm, fragrant sweetness that ties the citrus flavors together.
Mesquite wood burns hot and fast, which is exactly what boneless chicken breasts need. That intense, smoky sear locks in the juices from the marinade while giving the outside a flavor that charcoal alone can’t replicate.
Kitchen Tips
- Remove chicken from the marinade and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before grilling. Cold chicken seizes on a hot grate and cooks unevenly.
- Strain the citrus sauce through a fine sieve. This removes all the fibrous pulp and gives you a silky, spoonable consistency.
- If you don’t have mesquite, use mesquite wood chips over a charcoal grill. Gas grills won’t give you that smoky depth.
- The sauce thickens as it cools. Make it slightly thinner than you want the final consistency.
Variations
- Substitute Cointreau for Grand Marnier, or skip the liqueur entirely and add an extra tablespoon of fresh orange juice.
- Use bone-in, skin-on thighs for juicier results. Increase grill time to about 20 minutes, turning once.
Ingredients
the rind, pith, and membrane cut away with a serrated knife and discarded and the fruit chopped, reserving any juice
the rind, pith, and membrane cut away with a serrated knife and discarded and the fruit chopped, reserving any juice
the rind, pith, and membrane cut away with a serrated knife and discarded and the fruit chopped, reserving any juice
Directions
In a ceramic or glass bowl, combine the oil, garlic, coriander, thyme, scallions, and the chicken breasts. Let them marinate, chilled, for at least 8 hours or overnight.
In a saucepan, cook the shallots and the ginger in the butter over a monderately low heat, stirring, until the shallots are softened.
Add the chopped lemons, limes, and oranges with all the reserved juices and simmer the mixture for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced to a syruplike consistency.
Add the broth, increase the heat to moderate, and boil the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is reduced by ⅓.
Mix the cornstarch and water together. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, simmer the sauce for 30 seconds, and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Add the Grand Marnier, the white pepper, and salt to taste.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Grill the chicken on a rack set about 5 inches above the mesquite, turning it once, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it is just cooked through.
Transfer the chicken to a platter, spoon the sauce over it, and garnish the platter with lemon wedges.
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