Buttermilk and Herb Marinated Chicken Served on a Bed of Spinach

Friends, I have a great one for you today!  Huge HUGE hit in this house.  Any leftovers are great for salads and sandwiches the next day.  In fact, I’m a little sorry that I didn’t make extra so there would be leftovers.  Buttermilk and herb marinated chicken on a bed of spinach looks very elegant but cooks up quickly which makes it a possibility for the mid-week menu.

Buttermilk is a great ingredient.  It can be used in dressings, smoothies, marinades, ice creams or desserts.  Not only is it versatile but it is also naturally lower in fat.  I don’t use it nearly enough.  Luckily I chose it for this dish!  This chicken came together so easily, is healthy and was a huge hit!  The herbs I used were fresh from my garden.  They added a really lovely earthy element to the dish.  The acidity in the buttermilk tenderized the chicken and added flavor.  A little lemon zest and some garlic brought it all together.

I only marinated the chicken for about three hours and that was plenty, in my opinion.  You could throw it in the marinade in the morning before work and cook it that evening but I wouldn’t recommend marinating any longer than that.  At a certain point the chicken will just breakdown too much and the texture wouldn’t be desirable.

Just one pan to get dirty for this dish.  While the chicken is cooking toss some clean raw spinach with red onion, a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.  When the chicken has finished cooking plate the chicken on top of the spinach and the heat from the chicken will partially cook the spinach.

This dish will definitely make another appearance here soon.  Only thing I’ll change?  I’ll make more so there are leftovers!!

Print

Buttermilk and Herb Marinated Chicken Served on a Bed of Spinach

Ingredients

Marinade

• 2 tsp minced fresh sage
• 2 tsp minced fresh thyme
• 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup buttermilk
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts butterflied

Spinach

• 3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves cleaned
• 1/2 small red onion sliced thinly
• Salt
• Lemon
• Olive oil

Instructions

Marinade

1. Mix together all ingredients in a medium container with a lid except for the chicken.
2. Butterfly the chicken by placing your hand on top of the chicken keeping your fingers out of the way. With a sharp knife, keep the knife parallel to the plane of the cutting board. Make long even slices through the chicken until the breast is separated into two equal pieces.
3. Add the chicken to the marinade and flip to cover the chicken completely with the marinade.
4. Cover and place in the refrigerator for approximately 3 hours to marinade. You can turn the chicken over once or twice while marinating.

Cooking the Chicken

1. Remove the chicken from the marinade and lightly wipe off excess marinade.
2. Heat an ovenproof fry pan over medium heat.
3. Place enough oil in the pan to barely cover the bottom surface of the pan.
4. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side or until fully cooked.

Plating the Chicken

1. In a small bowl toss together spinach and red onion.
2. Squeeze about 1/4 of a lemon and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the spinach.
3. Lightly sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
4. Toss to combine.
5. Split the spinach between two plates and top each pile with one piece of chicken.
6. Garnish with lemon or minced herbs if desired.