Molly Baz’s Dill Pickle Chicken Recipe Will Help You Break Out of a Cooking Rut

OK, while there are 15-ish minutes of prep involved, that doesn’t mean you can start this recipe half an hour before you’re ready to eat. You’ll need to let the chicken marinate in a mixture of grated garlic, Baz’s own Dill Pickle Ayoh (a pickle-infused mayo), salt and pepper for at least an hour before cooking. I made it in the morning as I packed my kids’ lunches.

The $10 bottle of Ayoh was the second-priciest part of the meal, but the recipe calls for half a cup, so you have more than half a bottle to use later. And, while I initially eye-rolled that a specialty sauce was the star ingredient, I have to say: Ayoh is legit. It has a salty, briny, strong dill flavor, paired with a creamy, slightly-runnier-than-aioli consistency, and I’ve been dousing it on everything—sandwiches, fries, chicken, salads. (Within a week of trying this meal, I’ve already bought another bottle. It’s a problem.)

That said, I did make one modification to suit my family's tastes, subbing the chicken thighs for chicken breasts. (Still every bit as tasty—more on that in a sec.)

Even if you’ve never grilled chicken or made crispy rice, the recipe is easy to follow. The Cherry Tomato-Nectarine Pickle Salad just involves halving cherry tomatoes, slicing a few pickle spears and two pitted nectarines, then tossing them with lemon juice, a little sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

As you prep the salad, you can cook the rice, boiling it like you usually would. Once cooked, you simply toss it with a little olive oil and spread it in an even layer on a sheet pan or skillet to get a crispy bottom as you grill the chicken. (And if you don’t have a grill, a skillet on the stovetop works fine.)

Serve all three together grain-bowl-style, and you’re good to go.

The beauty of this dish is its variety of textures and flavors. Each bite takes you on a journey. The marinade lightly infuses the chicken with a bright brininess and tenderizes the meat, so it’s juicy and fork-tender. Meanwhile, the crispy rice offers a bit of crunch and tones down the sweet-salty-sour flavor punch of the Cherry Tomato-Nectarine Pickle Salad, so it isn’t overwhelming or mouth-puckering.

“I wouldn’t have thought of this flavor combination, but I’m really loving it,” my husband said, going for seconds. We couldn’t get enough of it.

Though, admittedly, my daughter is in a bit of a beige foods phase, and she wasn’t as enthusiastic about part of the meal.

“Sour salad isn’t my jam,” my six-year-old said. (She isn’t a pickle or cherry tomato person, so this was a hard sell from the start.) The chicken and crispy rice, however, were a surprise hit, even from the dill-despiser: “I love the chicken. Can I have more?”

Days later, my husband and I were still raving about the meal—and how it broke us out from our dinner rut. I may trade out the veggies for my kids, but the pickle-brined chicken is definitely part of our permanent rotation (and you better believe I’ll be making the salad again for myself—and for future dinner parties). Just don’t skimp on the Ayoh.