Strawberry Chicken with Avocado
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 35 mins
Cilantro Lime Strawberry Chicken with Avocado. A healthy, fresh meal! Juicy grilled chicken in a cilantro lime marinade, topped with fresh strawberry salsa and avocado. Whole30, Paleo, and gluten free.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts — or thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 tablespoon lime zest — from about 2 limes
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice — from the same 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil — plus additional for oiling the grill
- 2 cloves garlic — minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey — omit to make the recipe Whole30 or Paleo
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro — leaves and tender stems
For the Strawberry Avocado Topping:
- 1/2 small red onion — diced (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 cup diced strawberries — roughly 2/3 dry pint of whole strawberries
- 1 medium jalapeno — cored seeded and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice — from about 1 small/medium lime
- 1/2 teaspoon honey — omit to make the recipe Whole30 or Paleo
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 medium avocado — diced
Instructions
-
Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board with some space between and cover with a large piece of plastic wrap. With a mallet, lightly pound the meat to an even thickness so that each piece cooks evenly. Place in a large ziptop bag.
-
In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, honey, salt, pepper and cilantro. Pour over the chicken, seal the bag, then "squish" to coat the chicken evenly. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 1 day, rotating the bag once or twice if time (and memory) allow.
-
When ready to grill, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium high (about 425 to 450 degrees F).
-
While the grill preheats, prepare the strawberry salsa: Place the red onion in a small bowl and cover with very hot tap water (this takes off some of the red onion's bite while preserving its flavor. You can skip if you like raw red onion just as it is). Set aside. In a mixing bowl, gently stir together the strawberries, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, honey, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir in the avocado. Taste and add a bit more salt if you feel it tastes a little too flat or additional honey if it is too spicy. Drain the red onion and it to the salsa. The longer it sits, the more mild its taste, so you can wait to drain and add it just before serving if you like.
-
Lightly oil the grill. Grill the chicken until completely cooked through and the temperature on an instant read thermometer reads 160 to 165 degrees, about 8 to 12 minutes total, flipping the chicken once or twice throughout. The amount of time you need will vary based on the size and thickness of each breast. Remove to a plate, cover, and let rest 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to serving plates and top each with a few generous spoonfuls of the strawberry salsa. Enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Store leftover salsa in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Leftover chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Nutrition information is meant to be an estimate and has been calculated with half the amount of marinade, as some is discarded. If you'd like to calculate it differently, you can do so for free at myfitnesspal.com.
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
Healthy Baked Chicken Recipe, Paleo Gluten-Free Dinner, Strawberry Chicken with Avocado