Author: Susanne at Dish With Me
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Jump to RecipeThis Super Easy Catalina Chicken Breast recipe is super easy to fix and super quick to cook, hence the name!
Have you ever been to Catalina Island off the coast of southern California? It’s a pretty cool place to visit. I’m pretty blessed to have been able to experience it…although that has been many, many years ago. If you ever get the chance to go, I highly recommend it.
WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
The dressing really has nothing to do with the island, that I am aware of, it simply makes me think of it when I hear the name. I did wonder if maybe the dressing was made on the island, but no. In my readings, I read that many will say that Kraft invented Catalina dressing, while others say that the dressing originated in the Catalonia region of north east Spain. I have no idea!
I do use Catalina dressing for one savory salad that I make, because the ingredients of said salad are savory and balance out the sweetness of the dressing. For most salads, though, it is a little too sweet for my taste. BUT, it is marvelous as a marinade for chicken! But, hey, the only Catalina dressing I’ve ever tasted is from a bottle, so maybe I’ll do some experimenting and come up with a slightly less sweet version. Stay tuned…
Also, this chicken can certainly be baked in the oven, if that’s what you would rather do, or all you have access to, but, I’m telling you, it tastes SO much better grilled, especially on a charcoal grill. Hands down!
HELPFUL HINTS FOR SUPER EASY CATALINA CHICKEN BREASTS
My Super Easy Catalina Chicken Breasts recipe pairs well with almost anything; my Catalina Salad, Super Easy Sheet Tray Herb Roasted Potatoes, Everything But The Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad, The Very Best Bacony Baked Beans, Delicious Rosemary Zucchini, Creamy Dilled Cucumber & Onion Salad or Garlic Spinach are all great options.
AND, if you have left over Super Easy Catalina Chicken, it will pair perfectly on top of my Catalina Salad for a super easy weekday dinner! See…cook once, eat twice. Catalina Salad recipe coming soon…
SUPER EASY CATALINA CHICKEN BREASTS
Ingredients
- 5-6 Chicken breasts Cut in half, horizontally, so you are left with 2 thinner matching pieces of chicken.
- 16 ounce bottle classic Catalina dressing
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons Cavender's seasoning blend
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 green onions very finely chopped
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the Catalina dressing, orange marmalade, Worcestershire sauce, Cavender's seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder. Remove about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the marinade to a separate bowl for basting later. Set both aside.
- Finely chop the green onions. Set aside.
- Cut any visible fat off of the chicken breasts.
- Slice chicken breasts in half, horizontally, so that you end up with 2 exactly matching, but thinner halves.
- Place chicken breast halves in a zippered bag, add the marinade to the bag of chicken. Zip the bag and massage the dressing into the chicken.
- Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Make sure to massage and turn the bag of chicken over at least twice during the marinating process, so that all chicken gets to soak in the marinade.
- Once the chicken has marinated long enough, heat the grill to 400°F.
- Once the grill is preheated to the proper temperature, place the marinated chicken pieces on the grill, lightly sprinkle with Kosher salt, and cover with the lid. Grill for about 3 minutes per side, or until proper temperature is reached. Do NOT overcook it! Remember, the pieces are very thin…they will cook SUPER FAST!
- Be sure to brush the reserved marinade onto the chicken when it is placed on the grill and again when you flip the chicken to the next side.
- Discard the marinade that was in the zip-lock bag with the chicken…it is contaminated.
- Once the chicken is finished cooking, remove it from the grill to a platter and garnish with green onions, if desired.