On days where time is in short supply or you need a last minute meal, this is your saving grace. Grilled chicken gets marinated in lime and serrano chilies AFTER cooking—yeah, you read it right—and served with a cooling cilantro-lime sauce for truly fast summer fare.
Start by making the sauce by blitzing all the ingredients, except the cilantro, in a small food processor until its completely combined and everything is finely chopped. Stir in the cilantro, and store in the fridge.
Next smear the chicken evenly with the vegetable oil and most of the salt.
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat until hot. Put the chicken on and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for just 2-3 minutes before rotating 90° to get crossed grill marks. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes, flip, and repeat.
Meanwhile, mix the lime juice, Serranos, coriander seed and remaining salt. Line the bottom of a shallow dish or plate, with a little bit of a rim to it, with foil and pour the Serrano-lime cocktail onto it.
Once the chicken has finished grilling, move it to the foil lined dish. Flip a few times so each side gets coated with the lime and Serrano and cover tightly with another piece of foil. Allow to rest for 5 – 10 minutes before serving, either whole for 4 or sliced for 6, with big mounds of the sauce.
Recipe Notes
This would go great with a fresh corn and avocado salad or a bed of halved cherry tomatoes, black beans and green onions. Another option would be to cut up about 4oz of Spanish chorizo into quarter-rounds, sauté with a sliced clove of garlic and the whites from 3 – 4 green onions just to get its oils flowing. Dump in 6 cups of frozen or fresh corn kernels and just warm through. Top it off with the greens of the scallions and you’re all set.