Four chicken breasts are seasoned with mineral sea salt and black pepper, grilled until the thickest part reaches 165°F, and served with one completed batch of separately prepared green olive tapenade.
I homeschool and work second shift, so a short ingredient list is useful in our kitchen. Prepare the separately linked tapenade earlier in the day; at dinner, grill the chicken and check its center with a thermometer.
The chicken and green olive tapenade are complete separate recipes. The cooked meat carries the raw condiment on the plate. The chicken still needs attention for turning and the temperature check, even though the cook is short.
GAPS stage: Full GAPS
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Mineral-rich sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 complete batch Green Olive Tapenade for Full GAPS, prepared separately
Four boneless, skinless chicken breasts make the four-serving meat portion. Salt and pepper season them before grilling. One completed batch of linked Green Olive Tapenade is a finished topping, added only after the chicken leaves the heat. Its olive oil does not go onto the hot grill or into a chicken marinade.
Look at the breast sizes before cooking. Pieces of very different thickness may finish at different times; check the center of the thickest piece and keep each piece on the grill until it reaches the stated endpoint.
Why This Fits Full GAPS
This measured dinner is for Full GAPS. Raw shallot, parsley and olive oil are in the separately prepared tapenade, which goes on after cooking. Use it once those forms fit the person’s Full GAPS meals; this ingredient list does not establish an early Introduction Diet adaptation.
Method
- Heat an outdoor grill or an enameled cast-iron grill pan to medium.
- Season both sides of the chicken breasts with sea salt and black pepper.
- Grill the chicken, turning as needed so both sides brown, about 10 minutes total. Check the thickest breast with a food thermometer and continue cooking until it reaches 165°F before taking it off the heat. Thick pieces may need longer than the approximate time.
- Put the grilled chicken on a platter and spoon one completed batch of the separately prepared green olive tapenade over the top. Serve immediately.
No cooking fat is measured for the chicken. Keep the completed tapenade unheated; its olive oil does not go onto the grill. The approximately 10-minute grilling time is a guide; check the thickest breast for 165°F.
The surface changes from pink and shiny to opaque as the chicken cooks and may take on brown grill marks where it touches the grate or pan. Those exterior cues show browning, not the center temperature. Turn as needed, then use the thermometer for the endpoint.
Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of a breast and continue cooking until it reads 165°F (74°C). About ten minutes is an estimate; pieces of different thickness can need different times.
Related Recipes
Prepare the separate Green Olive Tapenade recipe before serving.
Grilled Chicken with Green Olive Tapenade
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat an outdoor grill or an enameled cast-iron grill pan to medium.
- Season both sides of the chicken breasts with sea salt and black pepper.
- Grill the chicken, turning as needed so both sides brown, about 10 minutes total. Check the thickest breast with a food thermometer and continue cooking until it reaches 165°F before taking it off the heat. Thick pieces may need longer than the approximate time.
- Put the grilled chicken on a platter and spoon one completed batch of the separately prepared green olive tapenade over the top. Serve immediately.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Storage and Serving
Serve the chicken hot off the grill with its tapenade freshly spooned over the top, while the contrast between the warm meat and the cool, raw condiment is at its best.
If there is chicken left over, store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container, separate from any remaining tapenade so the raw olive oil does not sit directly on hot leftovers when they are reheated. Reheat the chicken gently, then spoon on the tapenade cold once the chicken is warmed through, rather than heating the tapenade itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need to Marinate the Chicken Before Grilling?
No. This recipe seasons the chicken with only sea salt and pepper right before it goes on the grill. The flavor comes from the tapenade spooned on afterward, not from a marinade.
Can I Grill the Chicken Indoors If I Don’t Have an Outdoor Grill?
An enameled cast-iron grill pan is the indoor option named in the method. Keep the same center-temperature check instead of assuming the outdoor and indoor surfaces will heat identically.
How Do I Know the Chicken Is Fully Cooked?
Check the thickest part of the largest breast with a food thermometer. It is done once that reading reaches 165°F, regardless of how long it has actually been on the grill.
What If My Chicken Breasts Are Uneven in Thickness?
Thicker pieces will need more time than thinner ones. Use the 165°F reading in the thickest piece as your guide rather than pulling every piece off the grill at the same time.
Should the Tapenade Be Warmed Before Serving?
Serve the separately prepared tapenade unheated after the chicken comes off the grill. If it has been refrigerated, stir the tapenade before spooning it over the hot meat.
Can I Make the Tapenade Ahead of Time?
Yes. Because the chicken and tapenade are two separate recipes, the tapenade can be made earlier in the day and kept ready until the chicken comes off the grill.
Can I Season the Chicken with Anything Besides Salt and Pepper?
This recipe keeps the chicken simple by design, since the tapenade is where the flavor comes from. Sea salt and black pepper are the only seasonings the measured recipe calls for.
Why Is the Tapenade Spooned on Top Instead of Mixed into the Chicken?
Keeping the tapenade as a spooned topping, rather than a marinade or mix-in, is what keeps its olive oil raw and its texture intact right up until it meets the hot chicken.
Recommended Equipment
- An outdoor grill or an enameled cast-iron grill pan
- A food thermometer
- Stainless-steel tongs for turning the chicken
- A serving platter
Next Steps
The Dinner Cookbook is coming soon, with more measured Full GAPS family meals. While it is being prepared, browse all recipes and prepare the separately linked tapenade for this chicken dinner.
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