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Basil Chicken Mediterranean Style

Features Homemade Basil Chicken Dry Rub. Braise, Grill or Broil.

by Shirley
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Basil Chicken with Black Pepper {featuring homemade Basil Chicken dry rub}

Basil Chicken Mediterranean Style is such a quick and easy way to make a delicious chicken. For basil, you can either use dried basil to make a homemade chicken dry rub or fresh basil. If you previously preserved your garden harvest basil in the form of basic basil pesto, you can use that too.

As for the chicken, it works great for either the chicken thigh or drum sticks. Regarding the cooking method, you can either braise, grill, or broil. I usually use the braising method, which takes less than 30 minutes.

Such an easy and flexible recipe that makes a naturally yummy chicken. Perfect to pair with rice, pasta, or salad for a healthy yummy meal.

Basil Chicken with Black Pepper {featuring homemade Basil Chicken dry rub}
Basil Chicken Mediterranean Style in the Pan

Basil Fun Facts and Health Benefits

An aromatic green leafy herb that belongs to the mint family, basil is well-known for Italian or Mediterranean cuisine. Did you know that basil is actually originated in Asia and Africa?

There are many varieties of basil. The small, round, and smooth leafy one is sweet basil, which is most widely grown and most commonly seen in the grocery store. The large, wrinkled, and pointy leafy one is lettuce basil. 

Varieties of Basil Growing in Our Vegetable Garden
Basil in our backyard garden

Basil is an extremely healthy and nutritious herb. It contains rich essential vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron, and Manganese. Just to name a few. Read more about Basil Fun Facts and Health Benefits here.

If you grow lots of basils during the summer as I do, I can say that making a basic pesto out of it is perhaps the easiest, most effective, and versatile way of preserving basil. Simply package them in small quantities, store them in the freezer and use them for the rest of the year. Read here for a detailed guided recipe.

Best Way to Preserve Basil When you have lots of them
Basic Basil Pesto

For a quick, easy, and delicious Basil Chicken with Black Pepper, you can either use dried basil, basic basil pesto, or fresh basil.

How to make an easy tasty Basil Chicken Mediterranean Style Chicken Dry Rub at home?

For each one and a half pound (1.5 lbs) of chick, mix 1 tbsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper together for an easy, tasty, and healthy chicken dry rub.

Sprinkle the homemade Basil Chicken Dry Rub over the chicken, on both sides. You can then either braise, grill, or broil them.

Chicken with homemade Basil Black Pepper Dry Rub

How to use fresh basil for Basil Chicken Mediterranean Style Recipe?

For each one and a half pound (1.5 lbs) of chicken, you will need a big bunch of basil, coupled with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Basil Chicken with Black Pepper using fresh basil

Can I use frozen basic basil pesto for this recipe?

Sure you can. It is a great way to use the preserved basil you have prepared. Basil Basil Pesto is mainly chopped basil with a tiny bit of olive oil. For each one and a half pound (1.5 lbs) chicken, use 1 tbsp either frozen or thawed basic basil pesto, 1/2 tsp salt along with 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Useful Kitchen Utensils for Braised Basil Chicken

A 12-inch hard-anodized fry-pan – A quality non-stick fry-pan that can withstand heat well makes braising evenly and fast. Also, it helps with browning the chicken nicely in the end.

A quality slotted turner – A good ergo friendly, flexible while firm slotted turn helps to flip the food in the pan easier.

Basil Chicken with Black Pepper {featuring homemade Basil Chicken dry rub}

Basil Chicken Mediterranean Style {Easy Yummy Healthy Way} Recipe

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Basil Chicken Mediterranean Style is such a quick and easy way to make a delicious chicken. For basil, you can either use dried basil, fresh basil or previously preserved basic basil pesto. Perfect to pair with rice, pasta, or salad for a healthy yummy meal.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs chicken, boneless or bone-in chicken thighs or drum sticks
  • 1/4 tsp canola oil, see notes
  • 1 tbsp dried crushed basil, or a bunch of fresh basil, or a tbsp basic basil pesto
  • 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

Prep Chicken:

  • Remove chicken skins if needed. Rinse under running water thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel.

Use Dried Basil to Make a Basil Chicken Dry Rub:

  • Add 1 tbsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp of Himalayan Pink salt, and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper into a small bowl and mix & whisk well.
    Ingredients for homemade Basil Chicken Dry Rub
  • Use a flat spoon to scoop the basil chicken dry rub and sprinkle evenly over the chicken, on both sides.
    Chicken with homemade Basil Black Pepper Dry Rub

Use Fresh or Basic Basil Pesto:

  • If you are using fresh basil, then wash, rinse, air dry the basil, and then chop it into small pieces, and set it aside.
    Basil Chicken with Black Pepper using fresh basil
  • If you are using basic basil pesto, chop a small block, equivalent to 1 tbsp, and set it aside.
    turn basil into pesto to preserve basil
  • In a small bowl, mix 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt and 1 tsp black pepper together.
  • Use a flat spoon to scoop the black pepper and salt mixture and sprinkle evenly over the chicken, on both sides.

Cook the Chicken:

  • You can either braise, grill, or broil. The dry rub version is especially suitable for grill without having to worry about fresh basil falling off the chicken.


For the Braising Method:

  • Turn the heat to medium and heat a hard-anodized fry pan for 1 minute.
  • Spray about 1/4 tsp canola oil and spread out evenly using a silicon spatula and lay the chicken flat on the pan. Sprinkle evenly the chopped basil or basil pesto over chicken if you are not using dried basil.
    Chicken with homemade basil dry rub in the fry pan
  • Cook for 2 minutes, and then flip the chicken and cook the other side for another 2 minutes.
    Sear basil chicken in the fry pan
  • Add water to the pan to barely cover the chicken. For boneless chicken thighs, use about 3/4 cup of water. For bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks, use up to 1 1/2 cup of water.
  • Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10-20 minutes, flip and baste the chicken halfway through. Organic boneless chicken thighs require about 10 minutes. Bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks take about 20 minutes.
    Braising Basil Chicken
  • The liquid should be disappearing by now. Remove the lid and cook for another 2 -5 minutes or so to brown the chicken. Flip the chicken every 30 seconds. 2 minutes for organic boneless chicken thighs and 5 minutes for bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks.
    Braised Basil Chicken with Black Pepper in the Pan
  • All done! Enjoy a yummy healthy Braised Basil Chicken Mediterranean Style.
    Braised Basil Chicken with Black Pepper in the Pan

For the Broil Method:

  • Lay the chicken flat in a baking pan. Sprinkle evenly the chopped basil or basil pesto over chicken if you are not using dried basil.
  • For Organic boneless chicken thighs - Broil at high temperature for 20 minutes, and then flip the chicken and broil for another 20 minutes.
  • For bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks - Broil at high temperature for 60 minutes, flip every 20 minutes. In the end, turn off the heat, flip the chicken and let them rest in the oven for 15 minutes before removing them from the oven.

For the Grill Method:

  • Sprinkle evenly the chopped basil or basil pesto over chicken if you are not using dried basil.
  • For organic boneless chicken thighs - Medium heat, grill for about 45 minutes, flip the chicken every 2 minutes initially, and increase frequency gradually to every minute. Toward the end, flip every 30 seconds or so.
  • For bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks - medium heat and grill for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Flip the chicken every 2 minutes initially, and increase frequency gradually to every minute. Toward the end, flip every 30 seconds or so.

Notes

  • You can skip the oil when you are using a hard-anodized fry pan which has a superb nonstick function, or grill or broil, and especially when the chicken has some fat attached to it.
  • Boneless chicken thigh takes the least time to cook since the meat is much thinner. For bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks, it takes a longer time to cook.

Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 388Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 178mgSodium 277mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 41g

Nutrition calculation is provided by Nutritionix to the best knowledge per ingredients description and isn't always accurate.

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