People have been grilling meat on skewers since they learned to make fire, so there’s something inherently magical about “campfire cooking.” The taste and aroma of chicken grilled over an open flame simply can’t compare to the same dish prepared on a stovetop, even if you can achieve a smoky flavor that way.
Ingredients (serves 4): 4 chicken breast fillets; ½ cup olive oil; juice of 1 lemon; 2 garlic cloves; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon paprika; black pepper to taste.
Make three cuts in each chicken breast to help the marinade soak in better.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and paprika.
Pour the marinade over the chicken breasts and rub it into the fillets with your hands. Cover the bowl with the chicken and place it in the refrigerator. The chicken should marinate for at least 6 hours.
Grill the marinated chicken breasts on a barbecue (on a grill or skewers) until fully cooked.
Tip
Marinated chicken breasts can also be baked on a grill in the oven or pan-fried—adding a combination of spices to the marinade can give the meat a smoky flavor reminiscent of a campfire: garlic, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
To enhance the smoky aroma of oven-baked meat, you can sear it in a pan first (using oil and spices).
You can also use liquid smoke or smoking liquid—a water solution of condensed smoke obtained from burning wood—by adding it to the meat before baking or incorporating it into the marinade (use 1 teaspoon of flavoring for every kilogram of chicken).
Another option is to use smoking chips: wrap the chips in foil, place them at the bottom of the oven, light them, and let them smolder to create smoke (without an open flame), then close the oven and start baking.
The effect can be enhanced by using the convection setting in the oven. While baking, turn the chicken regularly to ensure it absorbs the smoky flavor evenly.
We also have another chicken kebab recipe:
Cooking Outdoors: Chicken Kebab Recipe
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