I made these cute guys on my cast iron skillet. And there is absolutely a big difference between these and the ones cooked on a regular non stick skillet. These are perfect! This skillet is my first cast iron item in kitchen and it will not be the only one. But how did I decide to start using cast iron? Just after reading this article by Oysterculture, I was persuaded not to use teflon (non stick) pans that often and this was the starting point of my cast iron experience. When you read her article, you will see that there is an unbelieavable link between teflon and dead birds.Go read that article if you want to learn further on how chemicals harm nature and our body.
(Before seasoning)
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Searching cast iron on the Internet, I learnt that it is the healtiest cookware material. I must admit that I was so excited when we brought this skillet to home. You have to look after cast iron cookware, which makes it special and different from other pans. And it needs a process at the beginning before starting to use it called seasoning. With the guidence of salesman’s advice, we washed it just with water (no detergent), dried, brushed all around it with olive oil (including its holder), and cooked it in oven at 200C for 1 ½ hours. Then it was ready to use!
We love to grill beef or chicken on this skillet. As heat distributes equally on cast iron, this is a perfect way of grilling. And the cleaning part is not difficult. Just wash it under water, use salt instead of detergent to remove any remnants, dry, and oil it again before placing it on shelf. This method is like a natural seasoning and you will see how tasty your beef or chicken is each time you use it. So the more you use your cast iron skillet, the more scrumptious results you have.
I generally marinade chicken or beef in a simple olive oil and thyme mixture, but I used a different one this time. I saw this great marinade here by dokuzuncubulut. Her sauce is much more flavorful, so it was a must for me to try. It is mainly a Turkish blog with many scrumptious recipes with helpful tips. Besides she shares not only her vacations but also her gardening and craft experience. It’s always fun to visit her blog and I always learn something from her blog. You know what? She also has some recipes in English, too. Go visit her blog! I’m sure you will find many things you like there.
I adapted this marinade from her recipe with what I have in my kitchen. She used red and black peppercorns, but I used ground blak pepper only as I didn’t have peppercorns. Also, I used a bay leaf and dried thyme although she didn’t. And also I used ginger powder although she used grated fresh ginger.
Demir Dökümde Piliç Bonfile
Mix all ingredients of marinade in a bowl.
Put fillets in a plastic bag and pour the sauce on them. Make sure all fillets are coated with sauce. And tie the bag. Put it on a plate and wait it in refrigerator for about 5 hours.
Put your cast iron skillet on stove over high heat (I didn’t add oil in it as I already keep my skillet oily as explained above). When it’s heated enough, you see fumes rising up.
(After seasoning)
Bring it to low heat and place chicken fillets on skillet. Turn them over after about 5 minutes. And brown the other sides for another 5 minutes. When they reach the color you desire, take them on a plate. Repeat the same steps until you finish the fillets.
You can serve these well browned chicken fillets with a minced parsley topping. And a fresh green salad is a perfect companion for them.
Chicken Fillets On Cast Iron
Very well marinated chicken fillets roasted on cast iron skillet.
- Prep Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 2
Ingredients
- 10 chicken fillets
- Marinade:
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- 1 lemon zest, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, peels on, just broken gently with palm
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients of marinade in a bowl.
- Put fillets in a plastic bag and pour the sauce on them. Make sure all fillets are coated with sauce.
- Tie the bag, put it on a plate and wait it in refrigerator for about 5 hours.
- Put your cast iron skillet on stove over high heat.
- Bring it to low heat when heated enough and place chicken fillets on skillet.
- Turn them over after about 5 minutes. Brown the other sides for another 5 minutes.
- When they reach the color you desire, take them on a plate. Repeat the same steps until you finish the fillets.
- Serve these well browned chicken fillets with a minced parsley topping.
That looks outstanding! And I couldn’t agree with you more about the cast-iron skillet. Mine gets used about three times a week and there’s just something about that seasoned pan that makes everything so much better!
Cast iron cookware is simply the best. I used non-stick pans for a long time, but a nice steak done in a cast iron pan plays in a whole different league. Besides, you can buy a quality pan for under 70 dollars and it will last you a lifetime. The non-stick cr*p may last 4 years or so if you are very lucky. If you search the web a bit, you can often get a quality pan on sale. There are always some amazing offers on cast iron cookware posted on the website. Alright, that did it, now I’m starving. I’m off to the kitchen to fry up some steak and eggs.
Lovely, Spicy Chicken Fillet.
I so love the look of your blog!! COOl!
I also love this tasty marinade!! I love marinating & grilling my meat,…mmmmmmm: a really cool & great dish!
cast iron skillets are probably the best thing to have around the kitchen. I love mine!! I do plan to get a larger one, too.
Hey, woow you remembered that article – that was sometime ago, but I think about it and shudder whenever I see folks cranking the heat.
I love cast iron, because you can use high head you can get a texture and taste to the meats you just can’t achieve with the non-sticks. Case in point your perfect looking chicken fillets. These little guys look amazing. I am breaking out my skillet right away.
I just bought a friend of mine a cast iron pan! Now I wish I had bought myself one, too! It sounds like a perfect tool for cooking fabulous meats and veggies.
Wow that looks delicious and great spices too.
This chicken sounds very flavorful. I love cooking with cast iron pots and pans. Seasoned cast iron pans have an almost non-stick quality to it.
I have the same cast iron grill pan and I love it. Nice looking chicken.
Cast iron cooks things so nicely with its even heat. I love the pretty grill marks on the chicken — looks delicious!
These fillets look perfectly done! While I still use a non-stick pan, I keep it at a lower temperature and watch out for signs of any breakdown in the coating. However, the vast majority of my cooking is done in stainless steel and cast iron – I have have three in different sizes as well as several that are porcelain-coated. I love how they conduct and retain heat, so excellent for searing meat or cooking slow stews.
I wish I could buy all the different kinds out there! 😎
Funny how the more steps forward we take technology-wise, the more we realize that the “old” ways are better and better for us. Great article and beautiful dish.