Unbelievable Chicken

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 9 hours

Ingredients

¼ cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons prepared coarse-ground mustard

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 lime, juiced

½ lemon, juiced

½ cup brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons salt

ground black pepper to taste

6 tablespoons olive oil

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

Mix cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, lime juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, and pepper together in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Add chicken and toss evenly to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours to overnight.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the preheated grill, and cook 6 to 8 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Discard any remaining marinade.

Notes

At first glance, this Unbelievable Chicken recipe might read like an odd mishmash of condiments and meat, but the unusual combination creates a surprisingly flavorful dish. I would argue that its success isn’t in spite of the “everything-but-the-kitchen-sink” approach—but rather because of it.

Your tastebuds first delight in the sweetness of the brown sugar and the tang of the apple cider vinegar, followed immediately by the sourness of the fresh lemon and lime juice, then the pungent garlic and spicy ground mustard. It’s a perfectly balanced medley that will have you creating this dish again and again.

How To Make Unbelievable Chicken

With a prep time of just 15 minutes and a cook time of less than 20 minutes, this recipe makes a quick-and-easy addition to your weeknight rotation. You’ll just need to prepare the marinade at least a day ahead.

It couldn't be easier to make it at home:

Combine the apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice, prepared coarse mustard, minced garlic, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. We prefer fresh-squeezed citrus juice because concentrated juices tend to overpower the other flavors. Whisk in olive oil until blended well.

Add chicken breasts to a large zip-top bag, and pour marinade over chicken. Seal the bag and gently toss so that the marinade evenly coats the chicken breasts.

Place the bag in the refrigerator and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 8 hours. When ready to serve, light the grill and set the temperature to high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Once the grill is preheated, add the chicken breasts and cook for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear when the meat is pricked with a fork. Be sure to not overcook it or you’ll end up with rubbery chicken. Discard any remaining marinade. Serve the grilled chicken with your favorite sides.

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What the Allrecipes Community Has To Say

Friends and family members of Ruth Phillips encouraged her to submit Unbelievable Chicken to Allrecipes, and we’re sure glad they did. Judging by the glowing reviews from other community members, it sounds like we’re not alone. Here are a few of our favorite comments.

“Followed the recipe exactly, marinated eight hours, and my grill-meister grilled the chicken to perfection. This blew away any other grilled chicken we’ve ever had: moist, tender, and sooo delicious!” —Linda

“I made the marinade as written and wasn't expecting anything amazing. But it really was great - just different enough that everyone commented on the flavor and how good it was. Will definitely be using this again!” —LoriJ

“My guests rave every time I make this for a BBQ. I always make a batch and freeze it so I can easily take it out, thaw in fridge overnight and throw on BBQ for parties or just nightly dinner.” —Chrissy

I normally hate chicken breast but this was, as advertised, unbelievable! I saved it in my recipe book to use again!” —greesemuunkie

“Hot d**n , this chicken IS unbelievable! I recommended it to some coworkers and, after reading the recipe, they scoffed and said it sounded like the kind of recipe a drunken person mixing all the condiments in their refrigerator would concoct. Well their loss because this chicken IS unbelievable. It's a regular staple in my household now. Thanks for the recipe, original poster!” —kage

Get the recipe: Unbelievable Chicken

Nutrition

• Calories: 337 kcal
• Total Fat: 16 g
• Saturated Fat: 3 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 67 mg
• Sodium: 736 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 22 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 18 g
• Protein: 25 g