As promised, here is another of my Quick fix healthy dinners. In case you missed the salmon post, Siv and I are trying to eat healthy at least a few days a week. We do go a little overboard on weekends, eating out or cooking the fattiest cuts of meat. But last year we used to get a lot of take-outs during weekdays, so we are in a much better place this year. Also, by not cutting the sinful foods completely out of our diet, we are not deprived and hopefully will stick with the plan longer.

During these healthy-cooking experiments, I think I’ve figured out the secret to making perfectly fork-tender baked chicken, that too with no oil. The secret is to bake the chicken in a covered pan, so it gets cooked in its own steam. I have tried different marinades with this method, and have always ended up with the most perfect tender chicken. It works best with the dark meat though, chicken breast doesn’t always end up so tender.

 No-oil baked Chicken in a Garlic-Cilantro-Mint Marinade

Ingredients

Method

Clean and pat dry the chicken thighs.

Crush the peppercorns in a mortar with a pestle. Add the garlic pieces and crush these coarsely. Place the mint and coriander leaves in the mortar and crush with the pestle to form a coarse paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the coriander powder, lemon juice, salt and yogurt. Mix well to form a marinade.

Apply the marinade liberally on the chicken pieces and marinate for about an hour or more in the refrigerator.

Pre-heat the oven to 375F.

Arrange the chicken pieces in an oven proof non-stick pan. (if a non-stick pan is not available, you will have to coat the cooking surface with a little oil.) Sprinkle the chopped fresh herbs on top of the chicken if using. Cover with a tight fitting oven-proof lid, or cover securely with aluminum foil. Bake for 35 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, open the pan and cook on an open stove till all the liquids have dried up and the chicken pieces turn into a golden color.

Serve with salad or sauteed vegetables. You won’t need a knife to eat this one, it will be fork tender.

We had ours with a mixed greens salad with pear, walnut and a minty dressing. A healthy and satisfying meal.


Comments

27 Responses to “No-oil baked Chicken in a Garlic-Cilantro-Mint Marinade”

  1. Rina on January 21st, 2008 9:38 am

    Yum yum :drool: and healthy, :idea: Bingo!!!! Loved the marinade… the picture and the fork tendor chicken. this and salmon receipe are bookmarked to try. :razz:

  2. Rina on January 21st, 2008 9:40 am

    Missed this one out… Absolutely adore your new layout… It rocks girl.. Wish I can find some time to work and improve mine.

  3. Rajitha on January 21st, 2008 9:51 am

    sig..that salad looks great..i have been indulging on weekends too..by Saturday..i am so ready to eat pizza or ice-cream..that i will cheat if i do not give in :)

  4. shilpa on January 21st, 2008 9:59 am

    Wow…that looks yummy Sig. I am trying this one soon…

  5. sra on January 21st, 2008 10:18 am

    :drool:

    Am looking for etymology of ‘mess’, by the way, will mail you as soon as I find something.

  6. Revathi on January 21st, 2008 10:22 am

    Healthy healthy healthy !!!!
    This is a winner :(Yes): I switched to salads for dinner for a week, and I get a bloated feeling.

    Are you experiencing any such issues ?

    No, I don’t have any such issue… It depends on what you put in the salad I guess… Do you add a lot of lentils and legumes? Also, make sure the dressing is healthy, most store bought salad dressings are really bad for you, so make your own…

  7. Shankari on January 21st, 2008 10:35 am

    Love U sig! This IS THE most awesome recipe.

  8. richa on January 21st, 2008 10:43 am

    the marinade sure sounds yum :smile:
    u confuse me with ur plating /pics :cool: it looks straight out of a swanky restaurant :wink:

  9. sagari on January 21st, 2008 11:30 am

    Sig ,your pic makes my mouth water , chicken looks sooo good ,one of the indian restaurant in my place serve this chicken on a sizzler

  10. divya and chaya on January 21st, 2008 1:53 pm

    Hi Sig- Love your health conscious recipes. Planning to try them out soon!

  11. musy on January 21st, 2008 2:38 pm

    Lovely marinade, Sig! I am thinking that i should try this marinade with protobello mushrooms :) Love the idea for the salad too!

  12. sunita on January 21st, 2008 2:47 pm

    lovely recipe..looks good too :-)

  13. Eskay on January 21st, 2008 3:22 pm

    looks delicious Sig.

  14. padma on January 21st, 2008 3:41 pm

    Sig, I always count on you for new, innovative and quick fix non-veg recipes. I am already reviving from your salmon post and now this mouthwatering chicken with healthy marinade is also topping my to-to-list. Thanks for indulging us with ur lovely recipes….

    I am glad you cut down on the takeouts, is that ur new year resolution?

  15. Nags on January 21st, 2008 8:06 pm

    no oil?? wow! thats awesome. and i see u too the pic in the night. i just let all my weeknight go without blogging cuz of how bad the pics turn out in the night.. i guess i shud follow ur footsteps and learn to use flash more effectively :)

  16. Shella on January 21st, 2008 9:40 pm

    That one looks really flavorful & perfectly done Sig. I can surely use some delicious yet healthy food!! Thanks
    P.S. - I also love your new looking blog.

  17. Kaykat on January 21st, 2008 9:48 pm

    This marinade rocks! Obviously, no chicken for me, but I’ll gladly try this on some halibut or cod :)

  18. rachel on January 22nd, 2008 4:11 am

    that is a lovely and tender piece there and minus any oil :???: Marinade sounds interesting and I love walnuts in a green salad for its crunchiness!!!

  19. Bharathy on January 22nd, 2008 8:05 am

    Oil free??Then its Great!..Looks moist and soft as always..Fine recipe,Sig!! :drool:

  20. Susan from Food Blogga on January 22nd, 2008 8:16 am

    Mint is such a great way to add lots of flavor without calories. This is a delicious recipe, Sig.

  21. Happy Cook on January 22nd, 2008 9:42 am

    Oh i am indeed going to use the tip you gave for making the chicken.
    That plate indeed looks so good.
    I am also trying to eat less fatty food, which is always a misery, but you can give me this i will happily enjoy.
    The salade too just looks so good

  22. Mona on January 22nd, 2008 2:57 pm

    It indeed looks light and healthy ! A very good option for a healthy meal :(Yes):

  23. Miri on January 22nd, 2008 10:16 pm

    The marinade is superb! I always marinate and it makes a big difference to the meat I feel - the chicken looks delicious and healthy too!

  24. RP on January 23rd, 2008 5:48 am

    That looks so yummy, sig! I love baked chicken too, for a quick meal. I have recently bought a meat pounder and started pounding the meat before marinating. Try it. Pounding makes it better, especially for the chicken breasts.
    I am commenting on your blog after a long time. :) Every time I visit you, I get carried away with the beauty of your renovated blog, and I forget to comment. I think I didn’t even tell you how good it looks. It’s really neat! :(Yes):

    Thanks RP! :) And thanks for reminding me about the meat grinder.. I bought one a few years ago after seeing a recipe on TV, but I seldom use it these days, I had completely forgotten about it… Yep, it is a great idea to use it on chicken breasts, and that actually reminded me of a recipe I haven’t made in years :)

  25. Cynthia on January 23rd, 2008 7:07 pm

    I have to add this to that chicken wing recipe you posted a little while back. Fantastic Sig!

  26. Bhavana on January 30th, 2008 8:38 am

    Just happened upon your blog -must try this recipe, thanks for sharing :)

  27. Pravs on January 31st, 2008 1:06 pm

    wow! the chicken piece looks stunning ! with salad, this must be awesome. :drool:

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