Sometimes the best and simplest recipes are created when I least expect it. I didn’t have much of a plan, but opened cupboards and created this recipe for Cumin Lime Grilled Chicken with a Two Bean Avocado Salad with what I had on hand. We have a big green egg smoker that we use all the time to slow-cook meat, and this recipe would work great there if you have the time or patience. However, for a quick, weeknight dinner, this chicken is great cooked on the gas grill and served over corn tortillas. Grated Queso Fresco is a nice addition to the salad. Sopresata salami can be substituted for the chorizo if it is too hard to find.
Cumin Lime Chicken
Author: Salty Fig
Ingredients
For Chicken:
- 2 lbs. chicken breasts, thighs or legs
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey, local if possible
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt, Kosher
- juice of 1 lime
For Salad:
- ½ lb. green beans, French cut or left whole, blanched
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1~15oz. can Garbanzo Beans
- 2 oz Spanish Chorizo
- 2 Tablespoons fresh orange/Clementine juice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 Tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- salt, Kosher
- pepper, black fresh ground
- ½ avocado, sliced very thin
- ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, optional
Method
For Chicken:
- If using chicken breasts, slice them into strips.
- Heat a dry skillet on medium, and toast the cumin seeds until fragrant. Remove from pan.
- For the marinade, combine the warm cumin seeds, olive oil, honey, garlic, salt, and lime in a medium bowl.
- Add the chicken to the marinade allow to sit for at least 20 minutes to 24 hours before grilling.
- Heat the grill to high and then turn it to medium.
- Scrape the grill well with the grill brush. Wipe the grill with a bit of oil and a paper towel. This helps to keep the chicken from sticking on the grill and makes the grill marks look nice and brown.
- Place the chicken thighs on the grill, skin side down and cook until golden brown. Flip them to the other side and cook until they reach an internal temperature of 160F.
- Remove and place on a platter.
For Salad
- Blanche the green beans: place them in boiling salted water for 3 minutes until tender but they still have a crunch. Drain and submerge in ice cold water until cold. Drain again, and place beans in a medium bowl
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet, add the chorizo and fry until crisp. remove the crispy chorizo and set aside. Add the garbanzo beans to the skillet and fry in the chorizo oil until they start to turn brown. Season with ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt.
- Add the hot garbanzo beans to the green beans.
- Add orange juice, extra virgin olive oil and chopped cilantro to the beans and toss well. Season to taste with Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
- Layer the avocado on a serving dish lengthwise. Scoop the bean salad along side the avocado. Garnish the top with the fried chorizo and pumpkin seeds if desired.
- Drizzle some of the dressing over the avocado.
These recipes look delicious and perfect for summer and healthy meals. Thanks!
Julie,
Thanks for the sweet comment. They are perfect for your spring/summer entertaining repertoire. Enjoy!
Suz, this looks so delicious and easy enough for even me to try! Thanks for the great Cinqo de Mayo idea.
Thanks Dawn!
Making this for dinner tonight! And will repeat all summer long…thank you, Suzanne!
Thanks Kim, It’s fun to write recipes for pope who love trying them!