Zingy, tangy, spicy chicken

This citrus-y recipe is one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken. When I’m meal-prepping this recipe, I know I’ll find a way to finish it before any other proteins I’ve prepared for the week. This savory dish works just as well with lemon, and I wouldn’t be averse to trying it with grapefruit. Try adding a quarter teaspoon of grated zest for added zing.

Prep time: 10 - 15 minutes
Marinate: 10-15 minutes (optional)
Cook time: 9- 11 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb Chicken, cut into strips (see notes below)
3/4 tsp salt
1.5 tsp garam masala (see notes below)
2 tbsp jalapeño, chopped (see notes below)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (see notes below)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/4 cup cilantro chopped extra

Method:

Coat chicken with all the ingredients, reserving the extra 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro.

Let sit for 10-15 minutes. This is optional, but if you have the time, this will make for a more flavorful chicken.

Heat 2 tsp flavorless oil in a skillet. Sear chicken on high heat for about 1.5 minutes on either side. Then lower heat to medium and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, until chicken is done. Cooking time may vary according to how thick your chicken is sliced.

Turn off heat.

Stir in the reserved 1/4 cup of cilantro and serve.

Notes: substitutions and variations

Chicken: You can substitute with fish or shrimp which do just fine without marinating. Just be aware that garlic doesn’t go all that well with all kinds of fish, so stick with less pungent varieties.

Garam masala: This has become available in most American supermarkets over the past few years. If you’ve never cooked with it before, I’d recommend buying a small jar or bottle, unless you know you like the flavor.

Garam masala is a mix of several different spices, including black pepper, black cumin, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves, so it’s difficult to substitute it with other things. But if you don’t like spicy foods, try cumin in this recipe instead.

Jalapeño: Jalapeño provides heat in this recipe. If you don’t like spicy foods, try substituting with green bell pepper. It won’t be the same thing in my opinion, but it’ll give you the pepper flavor without the bite.

Cilantro: Can I substitute parsley for cilantro, a work friend asked me. My gut response was no, they’re very different herbs. But on second thought, you could make this recipe with parsley and lemon (not lime), and add a sprig or two of thyme to ground the flavor. If cooking with parsley, add to the dish only after turning off the heat at the end to preserve both color and flavor of the herb.

If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to see your photos or hear from you.

Happy cooking!