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Grilled Chicken and Rice Bowls
After all the heavy, rich foods of the holidays I always find myself in the mood for something lighter and more refreshing in the new year. These rice bowls are easy and delicious - the chicken is marinated with garlic, jalapeño, and orange, and then served on top of fluffy rice with black beans and zucchini. I top it all off with lettuce, tomato, and avocado for a delicious meal that's full of flavor.
For the marinade, I combined soy sauce, orange juice, lots of crushed garlic cloves, smoked paprika, and jalapeños.
Add a big pinch of salt and pepper and whisk everything together, then add the chicken breasts and marinate for 2 hours up to overnight. (So easy to prepare the night before!)
For the rice, start by sautéing a diced onion in olive oil with salt and pepper.
Once the onion is tender and starts to caramelize, add the rice and your choice of water or broth. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the rice, and allow it to gently cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, drain and rinse a can of black beans.
In a cast iron skillet, sauté a diced zucchini in olive oil over high heat with salt and chili powder. Once the zucchini is browned and crisp-tender, remove it from the pan and set aside.
Off the heat, wipe the pan clean of residue from the zucchini, and then place it back over medium-high heat with a touch of olive oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess liquid. Add the chicken the pan, and cook for about ten minutes per side until the chicken is browned and cooked through.
Combine the rice with the zucchini and beans, and slice the chicken.
Serve the rice mixture in bowls topped with the chicken, and add any other topping you like such as shredded lettuce, tomato, avocado, chipotle dressing, cheese, etc.
Recipe:
Total time: 15 minutes (8 hours inactive) | Serves: 2
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tbs soy sauce
1 jalapeno, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
1 tbs olive oil
For the rice:
1/2 white onion, minced
1/2 cup white basmati rice
1 cup water or broth
Salt and Pepper
1 zucchini, diced
1 tsp chili powder
3 tbs olive oil
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
For the toppings (optional):
1 ovacado, sliced
1 tomato, diced
Shredded lettuce or kale
Chipotle dressing
Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Diced onion
Pickled jalapenos
For the chicken:
1. Combine the chicken in a bowl with the orange juice, soy, jalapeno, garlic, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and set aside to marinate up to 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to overnight in the fridge.
2. Heat a frying pan to medium-high and add the tablespoon of olive oil. Sear the chicken on both sides until cooked through, about 8 minutes per side.
3. Allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minute before slicing or dicing it.
For the ricec:
1. Season the zucchini with salt and the chili powder.
2. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in the same saucepan you plan to cook the rice in.
3. Add the zucchini and cook until tender and slightly browned. Remove from the saucepan and set aside.
4. Add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and saute the onion until it starts to turn golden.
5. Add the rice and water or broth to the saucepan along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes until the rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.
6. Stir the zucchini back into the rice along with the black beans.
For the bowls:
1. Scoop half the rice into each bowl. Top with the chicken pieces and your choice of additional toppings.