Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad

My Favorite Chicken Marinade Ever

Many years ago, I created a chicken marinade for my cookbook called The Looneyspoons Collection, which I co-authored with my sister Janet. 

That was 14 years ago, to be exact, and this recipe is still my all-time favorite, go-to chicken recipe. 

It always gets rave reviews and it’s the chicken I’d make if company was coming and I wasn’t sure what type of food they like. 

Everyone needs a trusty recipe like this!!

It’s lemon-balsamic-maple-mustard & dill and it’s beyond DILL-icious, a pun I admit I overuse.

Don’t worry if dill isn’t your thing though. When it’s mixed with other ingredients and then cooked, it’s not a strong, overpowering flavor. It’s just perfect. 

Please trust me. And if you don’t trust me, you can use fresh rosemary instead of dill.

Here’s what you’ll need:

3 tbsp pure maple syrup (the real stuff, not Aunt Jemima)
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard (grainy, not the smooth kind)
2 tbsp minced fresh dill (not dried please)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (this is the place to use the good stuff if you have it)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together all the ingredients and pour the marinade over 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a small casserole dish. Make sure the pieces aren’t overlapping and that both sides of the chicken are coated in marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Longer is even better. 

Preheat the oven to 375F and bake the chicken, with all the marinade, for about 35 minutes. After baking, I baste the chicken with sauce from the bottom of the casserole dish before serving.

By the way, it tastes great COLD, too. Add it sliced to any salad, including this Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad. 

And here’s a bonus: Use this marinade for salmon fillets and you’ll swimming with the big fish!