Tomato, Chili and Basil Marinated Chicken

I am about to introduce you to what might be the best chicken marinade ever - and it only has 6 ingredients. This Tomato, Chili and Basil Marinated Chicken is perfect for throwing on the BBQ, or grilling to put on a salad. Heavy on the tomato, with a hint of chilli and plenty of herbs, this chicken marinade has it all.

Chicken breast are a great choice if you want a lean, healthy and filling meal. They are packed full of protein and really versatile, but that doesn't mean that it isn't easy to get stuck in a rut with how we eat them.

We find the easiest way to liven them up is to add a different homemade marinade every time. No need to buy anything fancy, you can just make something up with whatever you have in your cupboard and fridge - which is how we came up with this basil and tomato combination.

You can use any herb you like (to reduce waste), maybe add some finely chopped olives or capers, or add a sprinkle of fajita or Cajun seasoning for spice. You can adapt this in a lot of ways - just use it as a base.

What you will need

• 400g chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 0.5 tablespoon minced red chilli
• 2 tablespoon tomato puree
• 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• A pinch of sea salt and black pepper
• A handful of fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

Step by step

One: Make the marinade by mixing together the olive oil, tomato puree, chilli, salt and pepper, red wine vinegar, garlic and basil.

Two: Put the chicken breasts in a pan and pour the marinade over them. Leave for 30 minutes to let the flavours infuse.

Three: Put in the oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 7 for 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Grilled chicken breasts

There is nothing better than firing up the grill on a nice Spring/Summer day and cooking your food outside.

The best part about it is all the different sauces and marinades you can make to flavour your meat, fish and vegetables. They can change the flavour without adding loads of calories, which means a healthy BBQ.

It can be done healthily, and I will be bringing you lots of recipes in the coming months that will prove that. Think marinades, burger sauces, dips and chutneys.

You can use this marinade on chicken breasts to put on the BBQ, but you could also use it on fish and vegetables. It's a really versatile sauce. Tomato, Chili and Basil Chicken is a must at any BBQ.

It’s so easy to make a huge batch of it to feed a crowd. So, if you are looking for a healthy BBQ chicken recipe, give this one a try.

Chicken marinade

Is there a better flavour combination than tomato and basil? Well, yes, chocolate and orange, but this sure comes close. Chocolate and orange chicken wouldn’t work quite so well either.

Tomato and basil just scream summer and although they usually go together in a pasta dish, they pair perfectly in an easy tomato chicken marinade (which could be served on pasta).

I love a tomato marinade for chicken, rather than the honey and mustard chicken marinade (although that is good too). This is a healthy marinade for chicken, as there are only a few ingredients (just 6) and you are making it from scratch yourself.

No need to spend money on expensive sauces that are packed with sugar and salt.

We added a little bit of chilli to it, but you could like that out completely, or use less or more depending on your taste. Add a bit of a smokey flavour by using some chipotle en adobe rather than minced fresh chilli.

What to serve with this

The option here are pretty endless. You could chop it up to add to a taco or kebab, serve over rice like in these photos, stir it through pasta or slice it up to serve on a salad. Next time we are going to chop the chicken in to chunks and skewer them with some halloumi and vegetables to put on the BBQ.

We would definitely recommend serving it with some crunchy broccoli slaw though.

Can this be made in advance?

This isn’t just a healthy chicken marinade, but it’s a quick and easy one that can be made in advance too. You just mix all the ingredients in a bowl and slather it over the chicken and put in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

If you love tomato marinade, especially with a bit of a kick, then this is going to make your BBQs ten times better!

Extra tips

• Try chopping the chicken in to chunks and mixing with marinade. Then thread it on to skewers with vegetables and halloumi to put on the BBQ.
• You can make this in advance by mixing the chicken with the sauce and putting in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
• Add a bit of a smoky flavour by using some chipotle en adobe rather than minced fresh chilli. You could add some paprika too.
• You could finely chop some olives or capers to mix with the sauce.

More chicken recipes

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

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Recipe

Tomato, Chili and Basil Marinated Chicken

This Tomato, Chili and Basil Marinated Chicken is perfect for throwing on the BBQ, or grilling to put on a salad.

Low Carb

4.95 from 20 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Allergen:

Meat

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 348kcal

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Ingredients

UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures

• ▢ 400 g Chicken breasts
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Olive oil
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon Chili minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Tomato puree
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
• ▢ Sea salt and black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Chopped fresh basil
• ▢ 2 Cloves garlic, crushed

Instructions

• Mix all of the marinade ingredients together and set aside.
• Put the chicken breasts in a pan and pour over the marinade and leave for 30 minutes for the flavours to infuse.
• Put in the oven at gas mark 6/200 C for 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. To cook on the BBQ, cook for 10 minutes, flipping half way.

Notes

• Try chopping the chicken in to chunks and mixing with marinade. Then thread it on to skewers with vegetables and halloumi to put on the BBQ.
• You can make this in advance by mixing the chicken with the sauce and putting in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
• Add a bit of a smokey flavour by using some chipotle en adobe rather than minced fresh chilli. You could add some paprika too.
• You could finely chop some olives or capers to mix with the sauce.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1Chicken breast | Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 211mg | Potassium: 20mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Have you tried this recipe?Mention @hungryhealthyhappy on Instagram and tag #hungryhealthyhappy!

DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.