FOIL-WRAPPED TERIYAKI CHICKEN WITH SCALLIONS AND LEMON

Foil-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken with Scallions and Lemon image

A foil-wrapped "bake and serve" dinner is like a small, sealed envelope that allows the chicken to steam in its own flavorful juices. It requires very little fat for cooking and the flavors are very clean. The packets can be assembled in advance and cooked just before serving. In this recipe, we focus on a tasty kicked-up teriyaki sauce to bring the chicken and vegetables to life. I make these in the morning and store them in the fridge. There's nothing like getting home after a long day and just baking and serving dinner!

Provided by Alex Guarnaschelli

Categories main-dish

Time 45m

Yield 2 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

1 large clove garlic, peeled and grated
4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Two 6-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
8 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces, green and white parts both
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 large lemon, cut into 6 slices

Steps:

Get ready: Arrange 2 shelves in the upper and lower middle areas of the oven at a fair distance from one another; the foil-enveloped chicken will need some room to puff and expand as it cooks. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Make the teriyaki: In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, teriyaki sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, mustard and black pepper.
Wrap the chicken and vegetables: Spread two 12-inch layers of tinfoil on a flat surface. Fold each piece of foil in half. Open the foil at the seam and use 1 tablespoon of the butter to grease the middle of each. Place the scallions, zucchini and lemon slices in the middle of each. Season the chicken with salt on both sides. Place the chicken in the middle on top of the vegetables. Top with more lemon slices and scallions.
Fold the two sides of each foil towards the chicken so it is like a large envelope with sealed sides and only the top part is open. There should be enough room left around the sides to allow for the steam to build up as it cooks, like a loose envelope around it. Spoon half of the teriyaki sauce in each of the packets. Close the tops and fold them down 3 to 4 times to ensure they're closed, leaving a little room between the chicken and the foil.
Cook and serve: Place the chicken on a baking sheet, place in the lower rack of the oven and cook, undisturbed, until the "envelopes" begin to puff, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and poke a thermometer in the center of the chicken breasts to assure they are cooked; they should register 165 degrees F. If not, cook a few minutes more. Remove from the oven, cut open the foil packets and dig in.