A little magic went down in the kitchen earlier today, and they involve these Cuban Chicken & Black Bean Rice Bowls.
Cilantro-limerice and Cuban style black beans serve as the base for juicy chicken tossed in a blend of fresh orange juice, lime juice, garlic, smoked paprika, oregano, and cumin. If that’s not enough, the bowls are then topped with mango salsa and some sweet fried plantains on the side, perfection.
This recipe is special for me as it is near and dear to my heart. One of the reasons I fell in love with cooking was because I always had strong, positive female role models who always took such care and pride in preparing meals for their loved ones. From my grandma, to my mom, down to my aunties they showed me how to put love in food, and how it was the most important ingredient. Recently I lost one of my aunties, and I want to dedicate this post and recipe to her.
One of my earliest memories of my Aunt was her preparing breakfast for my Uncle and all of her nieces and nephews. She used to make the best sausages, and her kitchen was never dull as she would dance and sing all while cooking. We used to laugh as kids because food used to fly around the kitchen whenever she was in there, and man her food was ALWAYS amazing!
It’s been tough dealing with losing her, but I take comfort in knowing that she’s always with me especially when I’m in the kitchen. In my culture, we celebrate life and not death. So to celebrate her life and the love of the journey that life takes us all on, I decided to get in the kitchen and whip up these Cuban Chicken & Black Bean Rice Bowls (something I know she would’ve loved) and pour a glass of Wente Vineyard’s Riva Ranch Chardonnay as a toast to her and all the lives she touched.
These bowls are full of life, flavor, and spice just like my aunty. Let me break down the components of yumminess for you!
- Cuban Style Chicken- I marinated this chicken in such amazing spices! Cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, chili powder, fresh garlic, lime juice and zest, and orange juice and zest! This chicken is perfect with pretty much anything. In a salad, tacos, sandwiches, etc! Very similar to my Mojo Cuban Porkrecipe, how can you pass up on delicious moist and juicy chicken?!
- Cuban Style Black Beans- Oh! These may just be my favorite part! More amazing flavors of cumin and smoked paprika. I mash half of the beans and mix it all together to keep some texture, and it’s just delicious! I’ve been known to just eat a whole pan of these, lol!
- Cilantro Lime Rice- Okay by now we all know how much I love rice, but this rice is next level! Chipotle has nothing on this cilantro lime rice! 🙂
MANGO SALSA RECIPE
You can top the bowls with whatever you like. I went with a mango salsa, which I have an amazing recipe for here, and of course some fried plantains! Also, if you guys are interested in a fried plantain tutorial let me know in the comments, and I will definitely try to get one up! <3
UPDATE: As promised here is the FRIED PLANTAIN RECIPE <3
Wente’s Riva Ranch Chardonnay 2014 went PERFECTLY with these Cuban Chicken and Black Bean Rice Bowls!! As I poured the first glass and we made a toast to my Aunt, it truly was a magical moment. Notes of tropical fruit and creamy butter make this wine smooth and crisp and they were made for each other.
Did you guys know, May 25th is National Chardonnay Day? Perfect way to celebrate is with Wente and toasting to the love of the journey with your loved ones! Check out their page for a list of all of their delicious wines, and if you’re making this recipe don’t forget to grab a bottle of the Riva Ranch 2014 Chardonnay!
Cuban Chicken & Black Bean Rice Bowls
Yield: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Cilantro-lime rice and Cuban-style black beans serve as the base for juicy chicken tossed in a blend of fresh orange juice, lime juice, garlic, smoked paprika, oregano, and cumin. If that’s not enough, the bowls are then topped with a mango salsa and some sweet fried plantains on the side, perfection.
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
- ½ 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
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 ½ cups Jasmine rice
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- Zest and juice of 2 limes
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Chicken
- To a blender, combine the ingredients for the chicken marinade. Add the cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper, 4 cloves garlic, zest and juice of 1 orange, and the zest and juice of 1 lime to the blender. Blend together until everything is finely chopped and smooth.
- Add the chicken to a bowl or a Ziploc bag and pour half the marinade over the chicken. Toss to coat and allow the chicken to sit for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the marinade.
- Heat a large skillet with vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot add the chicken and cook, 10-12 minutes or until browned all over and cooked throughout. Add the remaining marinade to the skillet and cook until it has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.
Black Beans
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute for 3-4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and saute 30-60 seconds. Add the black beans and spices and cook for 5-10 minutes. Using a potato masher, mash about half of the beans in the pan, then mix it all together. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Cilantro-Lime Rice
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil allowing to toast for about a minute. Add the chicken broth and increase the heat to high, allowing it to come to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and place the lid onthe pan. Cook for about 15 minutes, until most of the liquid has absorbed.
- Turn off the heat and allow rice to sit with the lid on for an additional 5 minutes. Add the lime, cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- To serve, divide the cilantro lime rice among bowls. Top with chicken and black beans. Add mango salsa and fried plantains if desired!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 829Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 1633mgCarbohydrates: 112gFiber: 23gSugar: 21gProtein: 49g
