We’re excited to share another delicious recipe from Richard Holden. This lemon and thyme chicken is the perfect choice for a light summer evening dinner, perfectly paired with a tomato and rocket salad. Richard shows you a step-by-step how to BBQ your chicken correctly using a Thermapen, resulting in a moist chicken breast full of flavour.

Richard is a man on a mission to get Brits up and down the country barbecuing not only delicious food but correctly and safely cooked food.

“As a nation we still have a lot to learn about what it is to successfully barbecue, and a lot of it comes down to temperature. I never serve food without quickly checking the core temperature and a Thermapen is the easiest and most reliable way of doing that.”

“Food that is cooked properly while retaining its natural flavour and succulence would put British BBQ on the map, and using a thermometer is part of that picture!”

Here is a step-by-step video and below the full recipe blog. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 4 chicken breasts, skin-on
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme, picked
• ½ lemon, zest and juice of
• 2 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
• sea salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil

For the salad

• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp cold pressed rapeseed oil
• 40g pine nuts, toasted in a dry frying pan
• ¼ chilli, diced very small (optional)
• 2 tsp capers, drained of their brine
• 75g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 3 springs of fresh mint, picked and torn large
• 75g washed mixed salad leaf
• sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Whisk the mustard, lemon juice and oil in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Add the pine nuts, chilli, tomatoes and capers and coat with the dressing. Lightly toss in the mint and salad leaves.
• Place the chicken fillets in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, evenly coat, cover and set aside for 1 hour to infuse.
• Preheat your BBQ to 250°c grilling heat with the lid down, vents open as applicable.
• Oil the cleaned cooking grate and place the chicken skin side down over the area of heat. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes or until it comes away easily when checked.

• Turn over and close the lid, cook for the same time before checking the core temperature using a thermometer.
• If the chicken is 75°c at the core it is safe to remove to a warm serving plate.
• If the core temperature is less than 75°c move the chicken pieces to the area of roasting heat and close the lid to cook further.
• Once all pieces are 75°c or higher, remove from the barbecue to a warm plate, cover and rest for 10-15 minutes.

Richard Holden

Trained Chef & BBQ Specialist

@richardholdencooks

"I'm all about cooking from scratch using the best quality ingredients. When you know exactly what's gone into your food you want to make sure it's cooked perfectly. With the speed and accuracy of a Thermapen you know this is spot on every time."