Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

I found this excellent grilled chicken recipe on the blog Simply Recipes a couple of years ago, maybe longer. We loved it the first few times I made it! I mean my kids really raved about it, even the picky one! and it's been a long time since I made it again, and it was such a nice afternoon here, perfect for grilling, our dinner menu was set. This is a great recipe. The grilled chicken is great on it's own, but once you put the sauce on, it's fantastic! The Salsa is from there, too! Perfect with the chicken.


For the sauce I adapted the original recipe a bit. I used chicken stock instead of water, added cumin and chili powder, few drops Tabasco, some fresh lime juice, couple of fresh jalapeño's, 4 cloves garlic and I needed it to serve a lot so I added more black beans, 3 cans total. Pureed the whole thing, then added in the bay leaves. Simmered for about an hour and a half. I used thin sliced cutlets because they take no time to cook, and some skinless, boneless thighs. but I did cook them about 15 minutes at 350 and then finished on the grill. I did not re-use the marinade at all because I forgot. It marinated about three hours in the frig and the flavor was great, even without using the marinade on the grill. Leftovers for lunch tomorrow, the grilled chicken will go in a salad and the Black Bean Sauce will go in a soup bowl with a little sour cream and some more Fresh Tomato Salsa! Thanks to Elise at Simply Recipes, your recipes are delicious! I made some changes, the original recipes are at Elise's site.

Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce
adapted from a recipe from Elise @ Simply Recipes blog
Printable Recipe

For the Grilled Chicken:
Juice of 4-5 limes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (more to taste) chopped fresh cilantro ( I used less)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (worked well with thighs and skinless drumsticks, too!)
1 red onion, halved then sliced into 1/4” strips

For the Black Bean Sauce:
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained, rinsed (I used 3 cans total)
1 quart water (I used chicken stock)
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 4)
Stems from one bunch of cilantro, chopped into 1/4” bits (approx. 1/2 cup)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, oregano, salt and pepper in a glass bowl and mix well. Trim the chicken breasts, then add to the marinade. Cover lightly and marinate, turning the chicken occasionally, for 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.

Prepare Black Bean Sauce while chicken is marinating. Place beans in a large sauce-pan or soup pan, and add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 hours. Add additional water if needed. Remove bay leaves, and then transfer the bean mixture to a food processor. Process well, adding water if needed to make desired consistency.

Preheat the oven to 350° F, and prepare grill. Place the red onion slices in the bottom of a shallow, oven-proof dish, then cover with chicken breasts and marinade. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil, then bake for 15-20 minutes (only until the chicken is opaque). Remove the chicken breasts and onions to a platter and set aside.

If you like the onions softer, heat a skillet with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook the onions over medium heat until they are soft.

Place the chicken breasts on the grill. Grill until they are thoroughly cooked through but still moist. Remove to a platter when it's done cooking.

Serve the chicken with the red onions, drizzled with the black bean sauce. Garnish with sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, fresh salsa, whatever you like.


The Salsa
I grated the jalapeño's and serrano's on a microplane because it mixed it nicely and the heat blends in instead of my poor kid getting a chunk of jalapeño in one bite. Besides, I keep them in freezer so I have some when I need them and they grate really well frozen. I use a lot less cilantro than the recipes called for because my kids think it tastes like soap in large doses!

and how do you dice a tomato anyway? I tried, but it still tasted really good. So much for a dice, chunks work:)

Fresh Tomato Salsa
adapted from a recipe from Elise @ Simply Recipes
Printable Recipe

2-3 medium sized fresh tomatoes, stems removed, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced
1 Serrano chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced
Juice of one lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop up 2 medium sized fresh tomatoes. Prepare the chilies. Be very careful preparing the hot peppers. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling and avoid touching your eyes for several hours. If the salsa isn't hot enough, you can add as many as you like for more heat.

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Give it a taste. I add less heat at first, you can always add more.

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