Lime Chicken and Black Bean Rice Bowl
Seared chicken breast over rice with black beans, sweet mango and a squeeze of lime. A light, high-protein bowl that comes together on the stovetop.
- Total
- 40 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 25 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Resting meat
- Savory
- Mexican
- Light
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Rinse the rice under cold water until it runs clear, then put it in the small pot with 150 ml water and a pinch of the salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender, about 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
~20 min
Rinsing removes surface starch so grains stay separate, and the covered rest lets residual steam finish cooking them evenly.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the rice cooks, dice the mango into 1.5 cm cubes, thinly slice the red onion, and drain the black beans. Cut the lime in half.
~5 min
-
Pat the chicken breast dry and season both sides with the remaining salt and the black pepper. Heat the olive oil in the frying pan over medium-high until it shimmers, then lay in the chicken. Sear until golden underneath, about 5 minutes.
~5 min
Drying the chicken and searing in shimmering oil drives off surface moisture so the meat browns through the Maillard reaction instead of steaming.
Searing Pat the meat bone-dry and wait for the oil to shimmer before adding it. Leave it undisturbed until it releases easily; moving it early tears the crust.
-
Flip the chicken and cook until the other side is golden and the thickest part reaches 74°C, about 5 more minutes. Move it to a board and let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice it.
~5 min
Resting lets the contracted muscle fibers relax and juices redistribute, so slicing loses less moisture; 74°C ensures safety.
Searing Pat the meat bone-dry and wait for the oil to shimmer before adding it. Leave it undisturbed until it releases easily; moving it early tears the crust.
Resting meat Rest the chicken off the heat for about five minutes before slicing. Cutting immediately lets the juices run out and leaves the meat dry.
-
Add the black beans and sliced red onion to the same pan over medium heat. Stir for 3 minutes until the onion softens slightly and the beans are hot, scraping up the browned bits.
~3 min
The moisture and acidity from the beans and onion lift the browned fond off the pan, dissolving those flavorful bits into the dish.
-
Fluff the rice with a fork and spoon it into a bowl. Top with the black beans and onion, the sliced chicken and the mango. Squeeze over the juice of half the lime, cut the rest into wedges, and serve.
~2 min