Chicken Breasts With Yucatán Green Seasoning Paste Food

YUCATAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Blend marinade ingredients in a food processor until the mixture is thick. Pour into a sealable plastic bag, add the chicken and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Barbeque with marinade on chicken, being careful not to burn the chicken as it cooks. Watch closely. The finished chicken will have nice orange red color.

CHICKEN SEASONING

Steps:

• Measure out all the ingredients in a bowl and stir together well. They can also be lightly combined in a blender or crushed together using a pestle and mortar to create a finer powder, if you prefer. Sprinkle over chicken before baking, roasting or frying.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH YUCATáN GREEN SEASONING PASTE

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the seasoning paste. Then, in a small bowl, mix the tablespoon of paste, orange juice, and olive oil. With a sharp knife cut 3 slits, 1/2 inch deep, on the smooth side of each chicken breast and put the breasts on a platter. Brush all over with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours. 2. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. Prepare an outdoor grill (and grease the rack), or preheat a stovetop grill pan. Grill the chicken about 4 to 5 minutes per side until well marked from the grill, and it is no longer pink inside at the thickest part. Serve hot.From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

SAZóN CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• In a small food processor, combine the garlic, orange juice, olive oil, sazón, salt and pepper; pulse until it forms a creamy marinade. (Alternately, you can finely mince the garlic, then combine it with the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a fork.)
• Pat the chicken breasts dry, then transfer them to a large resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade on top, close, shake, then gently massage the seasoning into the meat. Let sit on the counter for at least 10 minutes. (Chicken can also be marinated overnight then set out to come to room temperature before cooking.)
• Heat a large nonstick wok or deep skillet over medium-high. Add marinated chicken breasts, one by one, and pour over about half the marinade. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, flipping frequently with tongs and being careful not to let them get too dark too fast. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the breast, flipping often to ensure meat is cooked through. Thinner chicken breasts will take less time to cook, so monitor the color and texture of your meat as it cooks. Check doneness by pressing the center with your tongs. If the center is still squishy, continue to cook until meat has a bit of resistance (though not rock hard), and registers 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.
• Let rest in the pan off-heat for a few minutes. Serve, pouring over any remaining pan juices if desired.