Garlic Thyme Pan Seared Chicken

One of my most popular posts is my Grilled Thyme Shrimp Kabobs made with my garlic thyme marinade. I absolutely love this marinade.  I tell all my friends, if you don’t try anything else off my blog you have to try this marinade. It's just that good.  It's sweet and savory and tastes great on chicken.

For this recipe I am using about 3 pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs and I tripled the original marinade recipe (the original recipe is based on one pound of meat).

For the marinade you all you need is olive, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper, worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and thyme.  Rosemary also works well, in the pictures below I used half thyme and half rosemary because I ran out thyme.

 

Combine all of the ingredient.

Whisk together

Pour marinade over chicken and let it marinate for a least 1 hour, for best flavor marinate it overnight. 

Next pan sear the chicken in a skillet 2-3 minutes on each side.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 10-15 mins or until the juices run clear.

Garlic Thyme Pan Seared Chicken

Ingredients
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 1/2 cups of Garlic Thyme Marinade (see recipe below)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions
Prepare marinade and marinate chicken in a plastic container for atleast 1 hour.  For best flavor marinate for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil.

Cook chicken 2-3 minutes on each side, until chicken is browned.

Bake in oven 10-15 minutes, until chicken is done.

Garlic Thyme Marinade

Makes 1 1/2 cup (for 3 pound of meat)

Ingredients

6 medium cloves garlic, crushed or 2 tablespoons minced garlic

3 tablespoon dried thyme leaves (may substitute 6 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped).You can also use rosemary, oregano or marjoram.

3 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Whisk together the garlic, thyme, sugar, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and oil in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 1 week). 

Grilled Garlic Thyme Shrimp Kabobs

Grilling season has officially begun; I love this time of year! Grilled ribs, chicken, corn, asparagus, kabobs...the possibilities are endless!  And plus grilling is healthier. There is something wonderful about standing in front of an open flame on a beautiful sunny day, with a glass of iced tea in one hand and tongs in the other. I must admit I do prefer charcoal, for the smoky flavor, but gas is so much easier - no ashes, no lighter fluid - you only have to make sure that your propane tank is not empty.   

 
This past week I fired up the grill and made garlic thyme shrimp kabobs. I used my favorite go-to marinade recipe; a garlic thyme marinade recipe adapted from a recipe I found several years ago in the Washington Post.  It’s quick, easy and can be used on chicken, beef and shrimp.

A marinating tip…..Marinades do not tenderize meat because marinades do not penetrate the meat very deeply, and, therefore, are better for adding flavor. Marinating shrimp is not the same as marinating beef or chicken.  Shrimp should be marinated no longer than 1 hour and much less especially if the marinade contains high levels of an acidic ingredient. The acid in the marinade will begin to cook the shrimp; changing its texture. According to Cooks Illustrated, if marinated too long, a marinade containing acidic ingredients like vinegar, yogurt, citrus juice and buttermilk will turn the outer layer of meat (beef, pork, chicken, seafood) mushy and not tender, or even cause the meat to dry out. To avoid this, minimize the use of acidic ingredients and/or marinate for shorter periods of time.  This recipe only contains a small amount of balsamic vinegar and therefore marinating the shrimp for an hour will not affect the texture.

Grilled Garlic Thyme Shrimp Kabobs

Ingredients

• 1 pound of raw deveined and shelled shrimp
• Garlic Thyme Marinade (see recipe below)
• Bamboo or metal skewers

Directions

1. In a ziploc bag, marinate shrimp 1 hour in marinade, flipping the bag several times so the marinade distributes evenly. 
2. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water 30 minutes in advance. If using metal skewers, brush with oil or spray with non-stick spray.
3. Thread shrimp onto skewers.
4. Grill kabobs on a preheated grill for 3 minutes on each side or until pink.

Garlic Thyme Marinade
Update 5/15/2013

Makes 1/2 cup

Ingredients

• 2 medium cloves garlic, crushed or 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves (may substitute 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped). You can also use rosemary, oregano or marjoram.
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Whisk together the garlic, thyme, sugar, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and oil in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to 1 week).

Note: This recipe makes enough marinade for 1 pound of meat.