Description
Sizzling fiesta lime chicken brings zesty Mexican-inspired flavors straight to your dinner table with tender grilled chicken marinated in tangy lime and spices. Creamy avocado adds a cool, fresh finish that perfectly balances the spicy, grilled goodness of this simple weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- 2 medium avocados
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 ear fresh corn
Marinade Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 lime zest
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼–½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Supporting Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup red onion
- ½ red bell pepper
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 2 tablespoons cilantro
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Mix 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp brown sugar, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼-½ tsp chipotle chili powder, and ¼ tsp pepper in a small bowl to create your zesty seasoning blend.
- Pat your chicken breasts dry and generously coat both sides with the spice mixture, pressing the rub into the meat to ensure deep flavor penetration.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and looks slightly rippled, about 2 minutes.
- Carefully place seasoned chicken breasts into the hot skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes on the first side, developing a golden-brown crust.
- Flip the chicken and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the meat is no longer pink in the center.
- While chicken cooks, dice 2 medium avocados, quarter 1 cup cherry tomatoes, and chop ⅓ cup red onion, ½ red bell pepper, and 1 jalapeno.
- Combine diced vegetables with fresh corn kernels, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tablespoons lime juice, ¼ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp pepper to create a vibrant salsa.
- Transfer cooked chicken to serving plates and generously top with fresh avocado salsa, ensuring each piece gets a colorful mixture of ingredients.
Notes
- Toast the spices in the dry pan before mixing the rub to enhance their flavor and release deeper, more complex notes.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after cooking to keep the meat juicy and allow the spices to settle into the protein.
- Dice the avocado just before serving to prevent browning and maintain a fresh, vibrant appearance in the salsa.
- Adjust the jalapeno amount to control the heat level, removing seeds for less spice or adding more for extra kick.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 to 4
- Calories: 388 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 440 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg