Caribbean Spiced Chicken and Grilled Vegetables

When an island getaway just isn’t in the cards for your summer holidays, bring the flavors of the Caribbean right to your dinner table with this citrus and spice marinated chicken bursting with the zesty brightness of fresh ginger, orange, lime, and green chili. The chicken is paired with a delicious array of grilled vegetables. Together, the bold chicken and the colorful vegetables make a perfect summer meal that is as easy to make as it is to enjoy. If you listen closely, you just might hear the ocean as you dine!

This week’s recipe: Caribbean Spiced Chicken and Grilled Vegetables

Why we like it:

This week’s recipe features chicken breasts from Miller Amish Country Poultry, a small, family-owned business from Northern Indiana producing delicious, vegetable-fed chicken that is completely free of antibiotics, growth stimulants, hormones, and animal by-products.

For the chicken:

2 Miller Amish Country boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 ½ limes

1 large orange

2 green onions

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

2 tbsp green chili, minced

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp allspice

½ tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp cloves

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp olive oil

For the vegetables:

1-2 zucchini

1 small eggplant

2-3 mini bell peppers (or 1 large)

6-8 grape or cherry tomatoes

6-8 cremini mushrooms

1 large red onion

1 bunch asparagus

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Start my making your Caribbean Spiced marinade. You’ll want to marinate the chicken breasts for at least 6-8 hours, but you can also leave them overnight to infuse the flavors. Juice your limes and orange, and pour the juice into a bowl or dish large enough to marinate your chicken.

Finely chop your green onions and add them to the juice.

Dice your garlic and green chili and add them to the bowl as well.

Now peel and grate your fresh ginger, and add it to the other ingredients for the marinade.

Finally, add the remaining ingredients, your allspice, cinnamon, and cloves, as well as the soy sauce, brown sugar, and olive oil, and whisk everything together well.

You can leave the chicken breasts whole, or slice them into large strips. The smaller you cut your chicken, the more flavor each piece will absorb from the marinade, and the less time it will take to grill it.

Place the chicken in the marinade and coat all the pieces with the marinade. Cover and keep in the fridge for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Once the chicken is done marinating, preheat the grill and begin prepping the vegetables. Wash your mushrooms and tomatoes, trim the ends off your asparagus, chop your onions and seeded bell peppers into large chunks, and slice the zucchini and eggplant into ½-inch thick pieces.

Spread the vegetables out on a baking sheet and drizzle or brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top for seasoning.

Grill the vegetables in batches over medium-high heat until they are tender and lightly charred. The onions and the bell peppers will take about 8-10 minutes to cook. Meanwhile, the mushrooms, zucchini, and eggplant will take about 7 minutes to cook, and the asparagus and tomatoes will take 4-5.

When the vegetables are nearly finished, add your chicken to the grill until it is thoroughly cooked Using an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast, the internal temperature should read 165°F. The chicken should be nicely charred on the outside but still moist and tender inside when it’s done. You can boil the leftover marinade for a few minutes and use it as a sauce to drizzle over the chicken or vegetables.

Now dig in to your delectable dinner and imagine you’re far from home, enjoying your meal in a tropical island paradise!