Honey Lime Chicken Avocado (Printable)
Tender spiced chicken with fresh avocado, tomatoes, and tangy honey-lime dressing creates a satisfying meal in under 30 minutes.
# What You’ll Need:
→ For the Chicken
01 - 2 large chicken breasts (about 1.1 lbs), boneless, skinless
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
04 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
→ For the Honey Lime Marinade
07 - 2 tablespoons honey
08 - Zest and juice of 2 limes
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
→ For the Salad
11 - 2 ripe avocados, diced
12 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
13 - 1/2 red onion, finely diced
14 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
15 - 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
→ To Serve
16 - Lime wedges
17 - Extra chopped cilantro
# Steps:
01 - Whisk together honey, lime zest and juice, minced garlic, and olive oil in a small bowl until well combined.
02 - Place chicken breasts in a shallow dish or ziplock bag. Pour half of the marinade over the chicken, turning to coat evenly. Reserve remaining marinade for later. Let marinate for at least 10 minutes.
03 - Mix cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken breasts.
04 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 6-7 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
05 - While chicken rests, combine diced avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño in a large salad bowl.
06 - Add sliced chicken to the salad bowl. Drizzle with reserved marinade and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with lime wedges and extra cilantro if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The marinade doubles as a dressing, which means fewer bowls to wash and bigger flavor payoff
- Everything comes together in thirty minutes, making it perfect for those evenings when you want something special but do not want to spend hours cooking
02 -
- Do not marinate the chicken longer than thirty minutes or the lime will start to cook the meat and change the texture completely
- The reserved marinade that has not touched raw chicken is perfectly safe to use as a dressing, but never reuse anything that has been in contact with the raw meat
03 -
- Pat the chicken completely dry before adding the spice rub, or the spices will just slide off instead of forming a nice crust
- Room temperature chicken cooks more evenly, so take it out of the fridge about twenty minutes before you plan to cook