Marisa's Healthy Kitchen

I always make big batches of chicken so Michael has leftovers for lunch and dinners and I am always trying to come up with new ways to prepare chicken for him. I bet this is a quam with people everywhere! haha This is a twist on the classic lemon pepper chicken.  I liked using whole peppercorns because I bet it gave it more a spicier bite 🙂 Plus it was fun to crush them up!

Cracked Pepper Chicken
Serves 4

2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
Four skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Place peppercorns in a small ziplock bag and crush with a meat mallet, hammer or back of skillet. Dry chicken breasts and sprinkle peppercorns on both sides to adhere.
2. Whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, and olive oil together in large bowl. Season with salt  and add chicken breasts and turn to coat. Marinate 15 minutes, turning several times.
3. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in pan (reserving marinade) and cook both sides until golden. Lower heat if they are starting to burn.  Pour reserved marinade over chicken to baste. Serve and enjoy!