The Lemon Trick That Makes Chicken Taste Like Summer

If I had to choose one recipe that defined summer on a plate, Lemon Chicken Steaks with Heirloom Tomato Salad would be it! I love making this meal-in-one at the end of the summer when the farmers markets and backyard gardens are bursting with cucumbers and tomatoes. It’s a great new way to use all that extra produce.

The secret to this chicken isn't in the marinade—or even in the seasoning. It's what happens in the five minutes after it comes off the grill.

The Chicken “steaks” start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are lightly pounded to about ½-inch think. This makes the chicken cook quickly and more evenly. And for all of those cooks who are a little nervous about pounding the chicken, here’s a few things to remember.

Make sure you remove the tenderloin from the backside of the chicken breast and reserve for another use before pounding. Place a chicken breast half that has been coated with olive oil, one at a time, in a re-closeable plastic bag. Note that the oil is essential, as it will prevent the chicken from shredding as you pound it. Close the bag, and using a rolling pin or a meat pounder, pound away until the chicken breast is larger and flat—about ½-inch thick all the way around. You can do this step up to a day before and keep the chicken in the refrigerator in the closed bag until you are ready to cook.

Once the chicken is pounded out, it’s time to prep the salad and the Tzatziki if you are making it from scratch.If you are buying it pre-made, check that off your list!

The beauty of this salad is that there is no lettuce, so it can be made in advance and left undressed. And, because I am “dressing” the chicken with my homemade Tzatziki/Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce, I don’t add any dressing at all—just a small pinch of fleur de sel and freshly-ground pepper.

The base of the salad is comprised of chunks of your favorite heirloom tomato (eos), basil, feta cheese and salty-oil-cured black olives. Note that both the feta and olives are salty so I don’t over-salt my tomatoes.

And, this is not a precious salad. This is an opportunity to use your favorite summer produce. Tomatoes + basil + olives + feta is the foundation. After that, set yourself free…Have ripe peaches? I love summer tomatoes and peaches together! Radishes? Throw them in. Sugar snaps? Absolutely. Love onions or scallions? Mushrooms? Why not? This is the kind of salad that is happy to clean out the vegetable drawer.

You can add or subtract anything that you like or you need to use up. It’s best to do the chopping and mixing before you grill the chicken as it won’t take long and you’ll want to serve the chicken soon after you grill it.

I prefer using an outdoor grill because there is virtually no clean up but you can also use a grill pan. The chicken is grilled with a light coat of olive oil and seasoned simply with kosher salt and pepper.

The real magic happens when the grilling is done. As soon as the chicken comes off the grill, you squeeze fresh lemon juice from lemon wedges over both sides. The hot chicken absorbs the lemon juice as it rests and you can not believe the difference a little lemon juice makes!

The chicken tastes light and fresh from the lemon and meaty and savory as it’s kissed by the grill. The uniform “steak” shape and the little lemon trick really elevates simple grilled chicken.

Wait five minutes and place a chicken “steak” next to a generous portion of the salad and serve with a dollop of garlic-cucumber yogurt dressing [a.k.a. Tzatziki].

I have included my favorite Tzatziki recipe below because it is very easy to make, but these days you can buy it pre-made if you don’t want to make it from scratch. If you do make it from scratch, look for the Cabot Plain Yogurt. This yogurt is so thick and rich that it reminds me more of sour cream that sour cream does!