Easy, cheesy grilled chicken breast fillet must be one of the favourites of kids everywhere. It’s so simple and so tasty it might become your weekly feature.
Chicken: a boring yet loved staple
Chicken is racing ahead on its little feet, overtaking cows, pigs and lambs. Yes, the average British household consumes 200 g chicken per head a week, leaving beef, pork, lamb and fish behind.
The price matters, by all means: chicken is the cheapest and the easiest source of protein. By easiest, I mean versatile and easy to cook, especially chicken breast fillets. It doesn’t change the fact that the cut is unbearably boring, lacks in flavour and always tastes pretty much the same, no matter what you do to it.
But hey, demand’s diktat is king. And I’ll admit that chicken fillets make crowd-pleasing food. This is one of them: so simple and easy, you wouldn’t believe. Like cheese on toast, only the toast is chicken. It takes about two minutes to prep and barely ten to cook. Perfect for a weeknight!
How much chicken per person?
I’ll say it’s usually whole chicken breast fillet per person, if it’s on the small side. If it looks bigger, you might want to cut off the little mini fillet attached to the side. I suggest these minis, also known as ‘chicken tenders’, are worth collecting in the freezer until you have enough for a meal.
If the chicken was a giant and your fillets are in the region of 300 g (10 oz) and over – and they do come that big especially free range, from happy farms – two people might want to share one.
It’s best to slice it horizontally for equal portions. It’s not very hard: place the fillet on a board, eyeball the middle and slice across with a sharp knife. Any uneven surfaces will be smoothed out by flattening it.
Flatten the chicken
Because the fillet is going to be just quickly grilled, it better be evenly thick. That’s why we usually need to flatten it, especially the top, thicker part.
You can use a wooden mallet but chicken is tender enough to be flattened with a bottom of a saucepan or a skillet. Cover it with cling film to limit the mess and washing up, and bang it energetically a few times on both sides. Aim at a 2 cm (¾ in) thickness rather than paper thin schnitzel material.
How to prepare cheesy grilled chicken
Apart from being supremely tasty, this version of chicken is also very easy. Season the fillets on both sides with salt, then some mild chilli powder and oregano, or a spice combo of your choice.
Place the chicken on a grill tray or any shallow roasting tray and grill on high for six to eight minutes.
That will virtually cook the chicken through, so when flipped over and topped with cheese, it will only need a couple of minutes, to get the cheese to melt and bubble.
What cheese should I use?
Any melting cheese is fine, Cheddar being the most popular choice though it’s good to mix it with some more rubbery (in the best sense) cheese like Gruyere, Emmental, Gouda or mozzarella, so it doesn’t completely run off the chicken.
I also like to top the portion with some Parmesan for a touch of crust.
If you’d like to experiment, any good Greek cheese will serve like halloumi, manouri or even feta. And an addition of some blue cheese into the topping will interestingly sharpen the flavour.
More chicken breast recipes
Easy chicken Creole with chicken breast chunks and homemade Creole seasoning, is best served with rice or plain tortilla chips.
Crispy chicken Milanese with tarragon flavour, traditionally served with just a rocket salad. Marinate the chicken in buttermilk before coating in breadcrumbs: that’s the secret to extra crisp crust and succulent meat.
Chicken Fiorentina, or petto di pollo alla fiorentina. Chicken Florentine style with creamy spinach sauce is an easy and incredibly tasty dish, ready in minutes.
More cheesy dinner recipes
Swiss cheese tart, käsewähe, can be served hot or cold and is equally delicious. Swiss street and marketplace food, savoury cheesecake, has a shortcrust base and cheesy but light filling. Cut it into wedges – who needs pizza?
Spicy, cheesy lentils bake, a superior vegetarian dish put together in 15 minutes. Baked cheesy lentils, ready cooked from a pouch or a jar, for speedy suppers.
Chorizo and sweetcorn filo pastry pie with a cheesy layer of ricotta and cheddar mix is a delicious weekend family brunch dish or a dinner party centrepiece since it’s perfectly good to prepare ahead.