You may not miss the sliced deli meat that your parents used to put in your lunches, but it has its advantages: it lasts awhile, is easy to grab as you’re rushing out the door, and is much better on a sandwich than plain old grilled chicken. Too bad all the preservatives are so not worth it.
So I did my research and found a Japanese style of preparing chicken that essentially replicates lunch meat. The recipe offers a lot of variations in terms of length of marinating, cooking style, and spices.
I choose to marinate it for 24 hours, bake it based off of the recipes recommendation, and use thyme and rosemary. While it involves a lot of waiting, hands-on prep is minimal, and you can prepare enough over the weekend for a week’s worth of grab-and-go lunches.
Transportable, moist, and long-lasting like the store-bought stuff, homemade deli meat has the added benefit of being more cost-effective, customizable, and preservative-free.
Torihamu (Chicken "Ham")
- Prep Time:7-74 hours
- Cook Time:1 hour
- Total Time:8-75 hours
- Servings:2
- Advanced
- 8 oz chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon spice (optional)
Ingredients
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Step 1
Place all ingredients in large re-sealable storage bag and massage chicken until well coated.
#SpoonTip: Because you’re letting it marinate in the fridge, it’s totally okay to start with frozen chicken breasts.
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Step 2
Press out all air and tightly seal bag.
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Step 3
Marinate in the fridge for five to 72 hours.
#SpoonTip: The longer you marinate, the more pronounced the flavor of the spices will be.
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Step 4
Rinse the chicken in cold water.
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Step 5
Soak chicken in bowl of cold water for 30 minutes
#SpoonTip: For every 24 hours you marinate it, soak the chicken for 30 minutes.
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Step 6
Dry the chicken and place it on baking sheet lined with parchment.
#SpoonTip: To get a more prominent flavor, sprinkle additional spices onto the chicken.
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Step 7
Bake at 250°F for 35 to 40 minutes, until the outside is light brown.
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Step 8
Slice as thinly as you would like and store in fridge for up to one week.