Cuban Chicken Bowl
Cuban Chicken Bowl
Just a little spin on the traditional Mexican Burrito Bowl. The black beans make this dish and while homeamde is always tastier, you can certainly opt for a store bought mango salsa here.
serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Chicken
3 Tbsp. avocado or olive oil
2 large chicken breasts, diced
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
4 garlic cloves
Zest and juice of 1 orange
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Black Beans
2 tsp. avocado or olive oil
½ yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
salt and black pepper to taste
Cilantro-Lime Rice
1 tsp. avocado or olive oil
½ yellow onion, diced
1 ½ cups Jasmine or brown rice
3 cups low sodium chicken broth (or water)
Zest and juice of 2 limes
½ cup cilantro, chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Chicken
To a blender, combine the ingredients for the chicken marinade. Add the cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper, 4 cloves garlic, zest and juice of 1 orange, and the zest and juice of 1 lime to the blender. Blend together until everything is finely chopped and smooth.
Add the chicken to a bowl or a Ziploc bag and pour half the marinade over the chicken. Toss to coat and allow the chicken to sit for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the marinade.
Heat a large skillet with oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot add the chicken and cook, 10-12 minutes or until browned all over and cooked throughout. Add the remaining marinade to the skillet and cook until it has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.
You can also opt to cook the chicken on a sheet pan or in the crock pot/instant pot
Black Beans
Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté 30-60 seconds. Add the black beans and spices and cook for 5-10 minutes. Using a potato masher, mash about half of the beans in the pan, then mix it all together. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Cilantro-Lime Rice
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil allowing to toast for about a minute. Add the chicken broth and increase the heat to high, allowing it to come to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and place the lid onthe pan. Cook for about 15 minutes, until most of the liquid has absorbed.
Turn off the heat and allow rice to sit with the lid on for an additional 5 minutes. Add the lime, cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
To serve, divide the cilantro lime rice among bowls. Top with chicken and black beans. Add mango salsa and fried plantains if desired!
most of my recipes are inspired by what I find online and are modified to fit my dietary preferences. I often use the picture from the originating website and do not claim ownership of these photos or recipes.