Grilled Chicken Breasts Napolitano
Easy Grilling Recipe Turns White Meat Chicken Into an Italian Fave
Grilling chicken breasts and then topping them with a quick tomato-and-Parmesan mixture and mozzarella cheese creates a delicious Italian recipe in just minutes.
Chicken breasts again?!
Cooks on the lookout for delicious low-fat recipes often run out of inspiration for ways to rings the changes on chicken breasts, especially when grilling season comes along.
But don't worry. Smear a little seasoned sauce on the grilled chicken, add a sprinkling of low-fat (or even non-fat) mozzarella cheese, and in just minutes you've got a beautiful, great-tasting chicken breast recipe worthy of a popular Italian restaurant.
Neapolitan-Style Grilled Chicken Breasts Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds total weight)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 cup good-quality bottled Italian marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 large whole fresh basil leaves
- 2 ounces shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
Method:
- Preheat the grill.
- Meanwhile, prepare the chicken breasts and their topping. Trim any fat or connective tissue from the chicken. Place each breast half, on at a time, between two sheets of waxed paper. With a meat pounder or a rolling pin, pound the chicken breast until it is flattened to a uniform thickness of about 1/2 inch.
- For the topping, press the garlic cloves, through a garlic press and into a small mixing bowl. Stir in the marinara sauce, Parmesan, oregano, and sugar. Set aside
- When the grill is ready, season the chicken breasts generously on both sides with salt and black pepper to taste. Carefully oil the grill rack. Place the chicken on the grill rack and cook, turning once, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
- About 2 minutes before the chicken breasts are done, smear some of the topping mixture over each one. Top each breast with 2 basil leaves and sprinkle with distribute the mozzarella evenly on top. Cover the grill and, as soon as the mozzarella cheese has melted, remove the chicken to a platter or to individual serving plates and serve immediately.
Variations:
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or turkey breast cutlets in place of the chicken breasts. (There's no need to flatten the turkey breast cutlets, which many markets sell pre-sliced to the thickness called for in the recipe.)
- For a meat-lover's version, substitute thin beef steaks or veal.
- For a spicier version, add about 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to the tomato topping.
Keep this easy grilling recipe in your healthy cooking repertoire, and grilled chicken breasts will never be boring again! (For more great healthy chicken breast recipes, see Buttermilk Grilled Chicken Breasts, Mexican Grilled Chicken Burgers, and Chicken Breast White Bean Chili.)
