Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce
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This recipe for grilled chicken, marinated in lime juice, and served with a cilantro infused black bean sauce comes from my dear friend Steve-Anna, who, by the way, lives in Arizona, and is clearly not afraid of using her grill in the summer desert heat. Steve-Anna has contributed several recipes to this site, all winners. Making this tonight, I was inspired to pull out the electric grill which hasn't been used in years. We cleaned it, reviewed the instructions, got it all set up, plugged it in, turned it on, and blew out the electricity in half of the house. So much for the outdoor grill. Plan B - the cast-iron grill pan - worked just fine. We used 2 pounds of chicken breasts, instead of the 1 1/2 the recipe calls for, and cooked it for 30 minutes versus 20 in the recipe. The breasts were perfectly done. The black bean sauce is a must for the chicken. I think I may add a little sour cream to it next time. Thanks Steve-Anna, for yet another terrific recipe!
Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce Recipe
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Ingredients
Grilled Chicken Ingredients:
Juice of 4-5 limes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup+ (more to taste) chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 red onion, halved then sliced into 1/4” strips
Black Bean Sauce Ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained, rinsed
1 quart filtered water
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic (minced and crushed - I use a garlic press)
Stems from one bunch of cilantro, chopped into 1/4” bits (approx. 1/2 cup)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method
1 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 at room temp (or overnight in the fridge).
2 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, then transfer the bean mixture to a food processor. Process well, adding water if needed to make desired consistency. (I haven't needed to add any, and I like the sauce moderately thick).
3 Preheat oven to 350° F, and prepare grill (gas or hot coals). 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 (separate them) and set aside. Save the marinade for grilling.
Optional: If you prefer the onions cooked more, heat a skillet with an additional 1 tbsp of olive oil and cook over medium heat until the onions are very soft. Drain and set aside.
4 Place the chicken breasts on the grill over very hot coals or gas flame, and grill until they are thoroughly cooked but still moist (approximately 2 minutes on each side). Drizzle with remaining marinade while cooking. Remove to platter when grilled.
Serve the grilled chicken with the red onions, drizzle with the black bean sauce. Garnish with sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes or fresh cilantro - or serve with a leafy green side salad - as desired.
Serves 4.
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Hi, Elise! I'm so glad y'all liked the recipe! Sorry to hear about blowing out the electricity. I hope this doesn't mean you'll give up on grilling!
As a PS, I used the marinade the other night with salmon and it was fantastic. I didn't bother cooking it in the oven first, just put it on the grill (and drizzled the remaining marinade over it while it was cooking). I also doubled the "bean sauce" recipe and made black bean soup - it was gone in 2 days. If you thicken it up, the bean sauce makes a great bean dip, too!