Last updated: July 15th, 2024
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A simple, nutritious meal of avocado cilantro lime chicken and rice that elevates healthy eating to a whole new level.
In yet another effort to get back in shape, we’ve recently spent some time brainstorming healthy recipe ideas. We both know that in order to stick with healthier eating habits, we have to still enjoy the meals we make. Which meant we needed to come up with thoughtfully-planned, flavorful yet nutritious recipes that we’d want to make over and over again.
This proved to be a bit of a challenge (we only came up with two solid ideas in about two hours of brainstorming), but resulted in one majorly successful recipe that revolves around some of our favorite flavors.
Drum roll please…
Introducing: our Cilantro Lime Chicken & Rice!
Cilantro Lime Chicken And Rice Ingredients:
- Brown rice
- Chicken
- Avocados
- Cilantro
- Limes
The brown rice is a great base for this dish that really lets the chicken shine, while also providing extra nutrients. The avocados, cilantro, and limes are used in a few different ways in this recipe, which tie together the two main components of this dish nicely:
- Cilantro-Lime Chicken: Chicken marinated in lime juice, fresh cilantro, avocado oil, and minced garlic; grilled and seasoned with salt & pepper
- Cilantro-Lime Crema: Sour cream, avocado, lime juice, fresh cilantro, and sea salt; blended and refrigerated
To serve this dish, we created a bed of brown rice, layered sliced avocado on top, then placed a piece of chicken over the avocado and topped it with a drizzle of Cilantro-Lime Crema. (And added a fancy smear of crema on the plate, just for fun). Layering everything not only makes for great presentation, but ensures every bite is balanced so you can taste all the delicious flavors at once.
The first time we made this dish, we served the chicken over the sliced avocado and had the brown rice on the side. And we can 100% say that it made a difference serving the rice under everything. With every new recipe we create, we’re learning more and more that the way a meal is plated influences the way you eat it – which ultimately influences the way it tastes.
The presentation of this dish is just half the reason we think it makes a great meal for date night, “fancy” family dinners, or showing off your cooking skills to friends. The other part? How healthy this chicken and rice combination is, without being bland and dry. The cilantro-lime marinade, fresh avocado slices, and Cilantro-Lime Crema add a ton of flavor and moisture to a dish that could otherwise be pretty plain.
All it takes is a few simple, nutritious ingredients and about 45 minutes to make our healthy avocado cilantro lime chicken and rice. Try the recipe below next time you want a healthy and delicious meal, and let us know what you think in the comments!
Love this recipe? You may enjoy these other healthy dinner ideas, too:
- Chili Lime Chicken Burrito Bowls
- Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken with Summer Squash & Tomatoes
- Black Bean and Rice Bake
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Rice Bowls
To browse more of our latest recipes and seasonal dishes, visit our homepage here.
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Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice
Equipment
- Cast iron grill pan optional
Ingredients
Cilantro-Lime Chicken
- 1½ pounds chicken breast trimmed & tenderized
- 2 medium limes juiced
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 pinch sea salt
Cilantro-Lime Crema
- 2 to 3 medium limes juiced
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain greek yogurt
- 1 medium avocado
- Sea salt to taste
Additional Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice cooked
- 2 medium avocados sliced
Instructions
- First, prepare the cilantro-lime chicken. Combine the juice from 2 limes, 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro, avocado oil, and minced garlic in a medium bowl. Then, add the chicken to the bowl and stir until chicken is evenly coated in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- While the chicken marinates, prepare the Cilantro-Lime Crema. Combine the lime juice, chopped cilantro, sour cream, avocado flesh, and sea salt in a blender. Blend on medium speed until smooth, scraping the sides and bottom of the blender with a rubber spatula to ensure all the chunks of avocado break up. Transfer crema to a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
- Next, cook the Cilantro-Lime Chicken. Preheat a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat and lightly grease with cooking spray. Transfer marinated chicken to the pan and grill until cooked through, flipping every 3 minutes, about 9 to 12 minutes total. Then remove the chicken from the grill pan and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Finally, plate the dishes. Create a bed of brown rice (about a half cup per plate), then top with fresh slices of avocado and chicken. Drizzle with cilantro-lime crema and serve immediately.
Tried this and liked it – and liked it again the next night, incorporating the leftovers into tacos! We found the lime crema a little overpowering at first, but it has definitely grown on us and just might be a must-have addition to every taco night!
We love using these leftovers for tacos too! So glad you enjoyed it!