Big delish: The marinade for this Mediterranean topped grilled chicken is worth the wait.

By JULIE BRINKLEY

They say that good things come to those who wait, so don’t be in a rush when making this recipe.

Allow the chicken to soak for hours and enjoy amazing flavors that will transport you straight to the Mediterranean.

MARINADE: WHAT’S IN IT

½ cup olive oil

1/3 cup Nakano Original Seasoned Rice Vinegar

2 cloves minced garlic

2 slices red onion

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tbsp. fresh chopped basil

1 tsp. fresh oregano

CHICKEN AND TOPPING

4 (6-oz each) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 ½ tsp. olive oil

2 teaspoons Nakano Original Seasoned Rice Vinegar

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. dried basil

1/8 tsp dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

½ cup chopped grape tomatoes

½ cup chopped cucumbers

12 pitted kalamata olives, cut in half

1 tablespoon sliced or chopped fresh basil leaves

1 thin slice red onion, chopped

2 oz crumbled feta cheese

HOW TO MAKE IT

Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade in one-gallon Ziploc bag, add chicken and seal.

Use your hands to massage the chicken through the bag and make sure the breasts are evenly coated.

Place the bag in refrigerator and allow the chicken to marinade for 6-10 hours.

Pre-heat grill until hot (ours was set at a medium temperature). Remove the breasts from the marinade and sprinkle with a bit of salt to taste.

Transfer the chicken breasts to the hot grill. Cook through, flipping as needed. Ours took 10-15 minutes to cook, but depending on your grill, cooking times may vary.

For the topping, combine the olive oil, rice vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and black pepper and stir together until well combined. Add tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, fresh basil, red onion and feta cheese and stir until well coated.

When the chicken breasts are finished cooking, divide the topping evenly over the breasts and serve.

Serves four!