Pomegranate Molasses and Honey Broiled Chicken Tenders

 

A chicken tender is a strip of lean white meat just under each breast of a chicken. They come off very easily and are often sold separately from the breast.  The most popular preparation is breaded and deep-fried; which begs the question why one would choose a cut of meat for it’s “leanness” only to then turn around and deep-fry it!

In this recipe, I first marinade them briefly with pomegranate molasses, honey, dried herbs, and roasted garlic, then broil them in the oven for about 15 min.

They’re tangy, sweet, herbaceous, smoky, and still lean!  Garnish with fresh rosemary and Moro blood oranges for an even more Mediterranean feel.




INGREDIENTS

8 chicken tenders (1 pack of Grove Ladder Farm chicken tenders)
3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp roasted garlic powder
Kosher salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Garnish with:1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves (garnish)
Moro blood orange carpels (yes that is what those individual parts of an orange that we eat are called)




DIRECTIONS

Preparation:

Mix the ingredients for the marinade; set aside.
Place the chicken tenders in one layer in a large, glass or ceramic baking dish.Note:  Chicken tenders may come with a white tendon attached to one end, trim them off and discard.

Spoon and spread the marinade over the chicken tenders, cover with plastic wrap; set aside.You can do this an hour or two ahead.  Just remember to take the marinading chicken tenders (or any raw meat for that matter) out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you put them in the oven.  This will allow the meat to get to room temp and cook more evenly.

FOOD SAFETY TIP!Make sure to wash everything used in preparing raw chicken such as kitchen tools, cutting boards, containers, surfaces, and especially your hands in hot soapy water afterward to prevent cross-contamination.
Also, I use a yellow cutting board just for poultry as an added precaution against cross-contamination.

Cooking:

Pre-heat the oven to broil, place a rack on the second from the top level.
When the oven has reached broil temp, remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish with the marinading chicken tenders, place the baking dish into the pre-heated oven on the second from the top level.
Cook for about 7 minutes on one side, turn over, cook on the other side for another 7 minutes.Note:  You can place the oven rack on the topmost level but monitor the broiling chicken tenders very carefully as the sugars in the molasses and the honey may burn before the chicken tender is fully cooked (about 10 minutes at the topmost level).

Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with fresh rosemary leaves and Moro blood oranges.
Your Mediterranean-inspired pomegranate and honey broiled chicken tenders are done!

ENJOY!

Pomegranate Molasses and Honey Broiled Chicken Tenders