Blackened Chicken & Cilantro Lime Quinoa
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that I may receive a commission at no cost to you if you use a link provided. All opinions shared are my own. You can review my full disclosure policy here.
Sometimes I like to have a lighter but filling meal for dinner, & this is just that. It is packed with protein so it keeps you full & it’s full of flavor!
The avocado cream is a great touch & is so cool & refreshing paired with the spicy chicken! I gobbled my dinner up pretty fast & I am not a huge fan of quinoa, but I like it fixed this way. Yum! Plus this was a quick meal to put together as well, so that is always great!
Blackened Chicken & Cilantro Lime Quinoa
Ingredients
- 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock
- 1 Cup Quinoa
- Juice and Zest from One Lime (reserve 1 tsp of lime juice to use separately)
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Cilantro, chopped
- Flesh of 1 avocado
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
Instructions
- Combine all the dry seasonings in a small bowl. Mix them together and then season both sides of each chicken breast. (I cut my chicken breasts in half width wise [like you are butterflying it] and made four servings.)
- Add the teaspoon of olive oil to a large pan or skillet. Heat the olive oil for a minute over medium/high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook for seven minutes on each side with the lid on.
- Add the chicken stock and quinoa to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium/low heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes with the lid on, until all the stock has been absorbed.
- After the chicken breasts have cooked all the way through, remove them from the pan and let them rest for several minutes before slicing them.
- To the quinoa: Toss in the lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste, and chopped cilantro. Mix to combine. (I would add the lime juice/zest mixture a little at a time & taste it because 1 whole lime was too much citrus for my liking.)
- To make an avocado cream sauce: Just place the flesh from an avocado along with two tablespoons of sour cream (or greek yogurt) & 1 tsp of reserved lime juice in a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt & pepper & thin with water, if needed/desired.
- Serve the sliced chicken breast on top of the quinoa & add a dollop of avocado cream sauce. Enjoy!
2 Comments on “Blackened Chicken & Cilantro Lime Quinoa”
This sounds simply perfect! I have to try this one!
Thank you so much for sharing this at Wednesday Extravaganza! Hope to see you there again this week 🙂
Love the avocado cream! This needs to make an appearance on my menu soon!