Mango Avocado Chicken Bowls (Printable version)

Grilled chicken with mango avocado salsa, black beans, and brown rice in a nourishing bowl.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
04 - 1 teaspoon cumin
05 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
09 - Juice of 1 lime

→ Brown Rice

10 - 1 cup uncooked brown rice
11 - 2 cups water
12 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Black Beans

13 - 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
14 - ½ teaspoon cumin
15 - ½ teaspoon chili powder
16 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Mango Avocado Salsa

17 - 1 large ripe mango, diced
18 - 1 ripe avocado, diced
19 - ½ small red onion, finely chopped
20 - 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
21 - ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
22 - Juice of 1 lime
23 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Serving

24 - Lime wedges
25 - Additional chopped cilantro

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine rice, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and keep warm.
02 - In a bowl, mix olive oil, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Add chicken breasts and coat evenly. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes.
03 - Preheat grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill chicken 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until cooked through and juices run clear. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice.
04 - In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine beans, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Stir and heat through for about 5 minutes.
05 - In a bowl, gently combine mango, avocado, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.
06 - Divide brown rice among 4 bowls. Top with sliced chicken, black beans, and a generous scoop of mango avocado salsa. Garnish with lime wedges and fresh cilantro.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than most weeknight dinners, yet feels special enough to serve friends without apology.
  • The salsa is so bright and fresh that it genuinely makes you feel like you're eating something good for your body.
  • Everything can be prepped ahead, so you're really just grilling and assembling when hunger strikes.
02 -
  • Avocados wait for no one, so if you're prepping ingredients ahead, cut and add your avocado to the salsa no more than 30 minutes before eating, otherwise it browns and loses that beautiful green color.
  • Don't skip the resting period after grilling your chicken, those 5 minutes allow the juices to redistribute and keep every bite moist instead of stringy.
03 -
  • Toast your spices briefly in a dry pan before mixing them into the marinade oil, it wakes them up and deepens their flavor significantly.
  • If your mango is slightly underripe, cut it a few hours before and let it sit at room temperature, it will continue ripening and give you better flavor and texture in the final salsa.
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