Cuban Chicken & Black Bean Rice Bowls

There are quite a few steps for this one, but it's worth it! There is so much flavor in these bowls! However, you can also pick and choose which parts you want to make. I can usually meal prep about 10 bowls with this recipe, but sometimes I'll make extra chicken and plantains for a better balance of each item. Original found at Ev's Eats.
cuban-chicken-bowls

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 large chicken breasts, diced
  • 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime

Black Beans

  • 2 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cans black beans, drained
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Cilantro-Lime Rice

  • 1 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1-1/2 cups Jasmine rice
  • 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • Zest and juice of 2 limes
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Mango Salsa

  • 3 ripe mangoes, diced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
  • 1 large lime, juiced (about 1/4 cup lime juice)
  • 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste

Fried Plantains

  • 2-3 plantains
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Salt to taste

Directions

Chicken

  1. In a blender, combine cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper, garlic, zest and juice of orange, and zest and juice of lime. Blend until smooth.
  2. Place chicken in a bowl or Ziploc bag. Add half of the marinade and toss to coat. Allow chicken to sit for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
  3. Heat a large skillet with vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 10-12 minutes, or until browned and cooked through. Add remaining marinade and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

Black Beans

  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and saute for 3-4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute 30-60 seconds.
  2. Add black beans and spices and cook for 5-10 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash about half of the beans in the pan, then mix it all together. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Cilantro-Lime Rice

  1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until soft.
  2. Add rice and toast for about a minute. Add chicken broth and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil.
  3. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes, until most of the liquid has absorbed.
  4. Turn off heat and allow rice to sit covered for an additional 5 minutes. Add lime and cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Mango Salsa

  1. In a serving bowl, combine mangoes, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and jalapeño. Drizzle with juice of one lime and mix well. Season to taste with salt.
  2. For best flavor, let the salsa rest for 10 minutes or longer.

Fried Plantains

  1. Using a sharp knife, cut both ends off the plantain. This will make it easy to grab the skin of the plantains. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain and remove skin. Cut plantains in diagonal pieces or medium sized slices and set aside.
  2. Coat a large frying pan with cooking oil spray. Spray the tops of the plantains with a generous layer of oil spray and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Let the plantains "fry" on medium heat, shaking the frying pan to redistribute them every few minutes. You can also deep fry them, but I like to make them a little healthier.
  3. As the plantains brown, continue to add more cooking oil spray, salt and pepper (if needed) and/or cinnamon sugar until they have reached the desired color and texture.

To serve, divide the cilantro lime rice among bowls. Top with chicken and black beans. Add mango salsa and fried plantains if desired!