The special aspect of this dish isn’t so much the chicken or the rice, but the accompanying garnishes added to the bowl. It takes a little extra preparation time, but the fresh accoutrements make the basis go from “good” to “fantastic” in short order. This is one of the more requested recipes from family members, along with the Cucumber Vegetable Salad that can be found here. It makes for quite the colorful meal. The complex layering of the spiciness of the chicken, the sweet of the mango and tartness of the pickled onions make a memorable dish.
The one shortcut I use here is a boxed rice mix such as this one. I often make two boxes, as this one makes only 2 to 2 1/2 cups of finished rice. Note the product link is informational; I make no profit from it.
Serve it with your favorite sauce or salsa. I recommend a tomatillo or avocado sauce (pictured, above).
Special Equipment:
Gas, charcoal or propane grill, 1 quart zipper-top storage bag, strainer
Ingredients:
For Marinade:
- Juice of 4 limes
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Rest of Recipe:
- 2 chicken breasts, deboned and skinned
- 2 6.9 oz. boxes Cilantro Lime Rice mix
- Water, according to directions of rice, above
- 1 ripe mango, diced
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- 2 ears of fresh corn, removed from the cobs
- 1/2 cup pickled onions
- 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 green onions, chopped
- Salt and Pepper for chicken seasoning, to taste
- Cajun Blackening seasoning, to taste
Directions:
Marinade the chicken breasts by placing them into a 1 qt. zipper-top bag and adding to it the wine, olive oil, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper. Close the top and shake the bag to combine ingredients, and allow to marinade for four hours, up to overnight in the refrigerator.
Gather your produce and wash the green onions and mangoes. Slice off the corn and place into a small saucepan, along with enough water to cover.
Remove the beans from the can and use the strainer to rinse the beans. Place into another small saucepan and add enough water to cover. Simmer both for 10 minutes.
After cooking, drain both the corn and beans and place them into separate bowls.
Moving back to the vegetables, remove the skin from the mango and cut around the pit. Take the fruit and chop into a medium dice into a prep bowl. Chop the green onions and similarly place into another bowl. Lastly, cut the avocado in half latitudinally around the stone, twist the avocado halves in opposite directions, and remove the stone.
Remove the flesh of the avocado by inserting a serving spoon between the flesh and the skin, and gently work the spoon underneath to separate. Cut slices of avocado and place on a plate, and cover with food wrap if there is any significant time until serving.
Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, pat dry and discard the used marinade and storage bag. Season with salt, pepper and Cajun Blackening seasoning. Preheat the grill to Medium Low.
Place the chicken breasts on the grill for approximately 7 minutes a side, using a food thermometer to ensure that the chicken reaches 165° F. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the breast after the first turn, with the probe thermometer set at 160° F. When this temperature is achieved, remove the breasts and quickly cover with foil so carryover cooking will add 5 to 10° with a few minutes of rest.
During this time, start the rice cooking in a medium saucepan according to the package directions.
Set out bowls for the rice and
After the chicken has rested, slice on the bias into strips and ready the rest of the components to assemble the bowls.
Add a cup of rice, and a few tablespoons of the beans, corn, and mangoes as artistically as possible. Place two to three chicken strips to the top, add a few slices of avocado and a sprinkle of chopped green onions, and garnish with the pickled onions. Serve with your favorite salsa or sauce.
Serves 4.
