Garlic Lover's Chicken

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Servings: 6
Yield: 6 servings

Description

There's plenty of garlic flavor in these very flavorful and moist chicken breasts topped with bread crumbs and cheese.

Ingredients

4 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup white sugar
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dry Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
14 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup margarine, melted
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend, or to taste

Directions

1 Stir water, kosher salt, and sugar together until the salt and sugar dissolve completely into a brine.
2 Put chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag; pour brine into the bag with the chicken. Squeeze air from the bag and seal. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
4 Mix Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl; spread about 1/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
5 Remove chicken from the brine, shake off excess liquid, and pat dry. Discard remaining brine.
6 Coat chicken with olive oil. Arrange chicken atop the Parmesan cheese layer in the baking dish. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese mixture over the chicken.
7 Mix garlic, margarine, and lemon juice together in a small bowl; drizzle over chicken.
8 Cook chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 25-30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
9 Switch oven to broil. Sprinkle cheese over the chicken breasts.
10 Heat oven's broiler. Cook chicken under the broiler until the cheese is melted and golden brown, about 5 minutes more.