Split chicken breasts are the way to go with this recipe. I’ve tried it with boneless/skinless breasts which are fine if you can’t find the bone-in option but to really max out the flavor and tenderness, bone-in is better.
This recipe is easy to modify if you don’t like a particular spice so feel free to play around with it- you really can’t mess it up. After the butter has cooled, I put it and the rest of the ingredients into the blender to mix. For easy clean-up, place the chicken breasts into gallon ziploc bags and pour the marinade over them making sure the marinade fully coats the chicken. I recommend at least 2 hours but prefer about 8-10 hours of marinating time.
4-6 split chicken breats, bone-in and skin on
1/2 C butter, unsalted
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 t Kosher salts
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t dry mustard
1/4 C fresh basil
1/4 C fresh thyme
1/2 T Worcestershire sauce
2-3 garlic cloves
1/2 T raw sugar
1/4 Apple cider vinegar
1/4 EVOO
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season lightly with salt and pepper. I love using smoked pepper!
Add a 1/2 cup of butter to a medium-sized saucepan. Add lemon juice into the pan with the butter. Gently melt the butter and lemon mixture over medium-high heat. Let cool to room temp.
To blender, add lemon-butter mixture and the rest of your ingredients except EVOO. Blend well, reduce speed and slowly add EVOO until incorporated.
Place the chicken in a large plastic bag or bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss to cover. Seal the bag or cover the bowl.
Put the chicken in the refrigerator and allow it to marinate for 2 to 24 hours before cooking. Let the chicken come to room temperature for about 20 minutes.
My favorite method of cooking this recipe is 350 on the smoker until the internal temp reaches 165. You can also cook it in the oven at 400 degrees for one hour in a roasting pan lined with foil.