Tangy, smoky, sweet, and a little spicy. Chipotle honey marinaded chicken over a Mexican green rice, topped with a blistered shishito and charred pineapple salsa, finished with avocado for a creamy and light contrast.
Serves 4
For the chicken marinade:
1.5lbs chicken thighs
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp oregano
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 cup honey
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, whisk to combine. Add chicken thighs into the bowl and toss to coat. Let marinade for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight for best results.
For the rice:
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
1 jalapeño (seeded), roughly chopped
1 bunch cilantro
1 lime, juiced
2 cups chicken bone broth (or low sodium bone broth, or water)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup rinsed basmati rice
Add rinsed rice to a medium sized pot. Combine garlic, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, bone broth/water, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large blender. Add mixture to the rice, stir to combine. Place over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then immediately cover and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the pan from the heat (do NOT remove the lid) and allow to steam for another 10 minutes. Fluff rice once it is finished cooking, set aside until you’re ready to serve.
For the salsa:
2 cups pineapple, grilled and diced (grilling is optional, but adds a great flavor)
2 cups shishito peppers, tossed with olive oil
2 tbsp red onion, minced
Handful cilantro, finely chopped
Juice of one lime
Salt to taste
First, blister the shishito peppers. Set a large skillet over medium high heat (I recommend cast iron here, but any pan will work). Add your shishito peppers to the skillet (make sure you toss them with olive oil first so they do not stick). Arrange the shishito peppers in a single layer on the pan, then leave them for a couple minutes to char. Once they’ve charred on one side, scoot them around to get them blistered on all sides. Once they have a nice char on them, turn off the heat and transfer the shishito peppers to a chopping board to let them cool.
Once shishito peppers are cool enough to handle, chop them into small chunks (discard stems). Add chopped shishitos to a medium sized bowl. Add diced pineapple, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and a pinch of salt to the bowl, toss well to combine. Taste and adjust salt level as needed. Add a bit of honey if you’d like a touch of sweetness! Set salsa aside or in the fridge if you want it chilled until you’re ready to serve.
To assemble, add 1/4 of the rice to each plate. Add a sliced chicken thigh (or two, depending on size) to each plate. Top with 1/4 of the salsa on each plate, with some avocado slices or purée* for a creamy contrast. Enjoy!!! Serving suggestion below.
*the avocado puree shown on the plate is simply 3 hass avocadoes, the juice of one lime, and ¼ tsp salt blended together. Add some cilantro or jalapeño for extra flavor.
