3 Ingredient Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast - with toum {Lebanese Garlic Sauce}

A simple marinade of toum garlic sauce and salt will yield some of the best grilled chicken you will ever eat. This 3 Ingredient Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast - with toum {Lebanese Garlic Sauce} is a staple in our home and hopefully yours soon! I've been waiting so long to get this very simple recipe to you!!!!

Growing up in Pennsylvania I lived in an area where the Lebanese population was plentiful. It was no coincidence that is where my parents ended up after coming immigrating from Lebanon. My father's uncle was the priest at our local church and the congregation was almost 100% Lebanese. This is where my family built their community.

So how does Sunday church and a neighborhood full of Lebanese influence this recipe? Every Sunday, especially in the summer months - you'd smell the most incredible smell. It was garlic grilled chicken. We'd chant, "boom, boom, chicken and toum". Toum, which literally translates to garlic in Arabic is also this emulsified garlic fluff. It's creamy, it's strong and it's one of the most magical ingredients when marinating chicken, especially when it hits a hot grill.

Grilling

Grilling for me is a yearlong activity, our grill (or rather Blackstone now) never hibernates. And one of the most common things I grill is chicken. We have actually nicknamed this "Snacking Chicken" because it's so good you literally want to snack on it - ALL THE TIME!

Besides snacking on it, this is the chicken I use for every salad. It's the perfect accompaniment and I just HAD to share it so you can top all your salads with it and live a very merry life!

How is this different than other grilled chicken?

I know you're thinking - I use marinades and sauces and grill chicken all the time and it tastes delicious! Yes, I'm 100% sure it does and you're doing a FABULOUS JOB! What I'm trying to share with you today is a perfect grilled chicken that is so verstitle and plain but packs so much flavor with so little time and effort. A grilled chicken that is really a blank canvas but isn't dry or tough. Not overly garlicky (I promise) and just simply divine.

Number one thing - YOU NEED TOUM, whether you make the recipe or buy it from the store - it's essential. Homemade toum will last longer, yield better results and ultimately be your new favorite cooking companion.

What happens when we coat our chicken in toum?

I truly don't know except to say it's magical! I'm talking boneless breast and thighs - coating them in toum and a bit of salt then grilling to perfection. What I see happening is the toum creates this glaze but also locks in moisture to create this perfectly crispy exterior and extremely juicy interior. If you're worried about intense garlic flavor, don't. It's there, but it's subtle. And the best part is you don't even have to marinade long, simply mix, light your grill or heat your grill pan and cook. No time needed waiting hours.

Let's dive in to this simple recipe that I promise you'll be making on repeat!

Ingredients

I love using a combination of both boneless chicken breasts and thighs - but both or either work. Depends on what you're craving! Today I'm simply using some chicken breast I had in the freezer.

• Boneless Chicken Breast and/or Thighs
• Toum - I will steer you to my recipe, but Trader Joe's has their own style which is ok. Any middle eastern grocery store or natural store will typically have some varieties. I personally think homemade is best and most cost effective.
• Salt

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Equipment

A grill or grill pan is really essential for this recipe. You can simply pan fry if you'd like but the effect of the grill is really what makes the chicken shine! Here are my top picks, I have actually given up my traditional grill for a Blackstone and it has been a game changer!!!

• 36" Blackstone - Costco actually has the best deal on this and it comes with the cover! Definitely worth it!
• Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan - Great for grilling indoors, the cast iron helps to simulate a grill better than anything else.
• Lodge Cast Iron Grill/Griddle - This is slightly larger and works with 2 burners, best for use with gas range.

Storage

Cooked chicken is good stored in the fridge for 5 days, you can also wrap with plastic wrap and tuck into ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.go

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