Healthy Avocado Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice

A simple, nutritious meal of avocado cilantro-lime chicken and rice that elevates healthy eating to a whole new level.

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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 Healthy Avocado Cilantro-Lime Chicken & Rice!

Cilantro lime grilled chicken and brown rice topped with avocado crema served on a plate with a fork
This recipe revolves around 5 basic 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.

A plate of brown rice topped with cilantro lime chicken and avocado crema

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 & Rice. Try the recipe below next time you want a healthy and delicious meal, and let us know what you think in the comments!


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5 from 1 vote

Healthy Avocado Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice

A simple, nutritious meal of avocado cilantro-lime chicken and rice that elevates healthy eating to a whole new level.
Servings 4 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

Cilantro-Lime Chicken

  • lbs raw chicken breast trimmed & tenderized
  • 2 medium limes juiced
  • ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 pinch sea salt

Cilantro-Lime Crema

  • 2 to 3 medium limes juiced
  • ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped
  • 2 tbsp 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 9-12 minutes total. Then remove the chicken from the grill pan and let rest for 2-3 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.

Notes

Lime juice for the crema: Use enough lime juice so that the crema is pourable but still creamy. You can also make adjustments within this range based on your preference for flavor and texture. You really can’t go wrong!
Cilantro-Lime Crema: You’ll make more than enough crema for this dinner with the amounts the recipe calls for. Refrigerate whatever’s leftover and use it on tacos or in other Mexican dishes!
Refrigerating the crema: Put the crema in the fridge while the chicken marinates/cooks so it solidifies just enough to get a nice, creamy texture. This step is important!
Grilling the chicken: We like to grill on our Lodge cast iron grill pan, so the instructions are based on this method – but this chicken can also be done on a regular grill.
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Author: Nicole
Calories: 653kcal
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Avocado, chicken breast, grilling, healthy, rice, summer

Nutrition

Calories: 653kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 1115mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 332IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 3mg

Join the Conversation

  1. 5 stars
    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!

    1. Nicole Author says:

      We love using these leftovers for tacos too! So glad you enjoyed it!

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