Name: Grilled Spicy Lime Chicken with Black Bean and Avocado Salad
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1/3 cup lime juice; 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 chipotle chiles, roughly chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce; 1 tablespoon honey; 3 medium cloves garlic, minced; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; Salt and pepper; 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts; 2 (16-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed; 1/2 cup chopped scallions; 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin; 1 ripe avocado, sliced thin; Lime wedges for serving

Why This Recipe Works

The complex flavors of smoky chipotle chiles, pungent cumin, and aromatic cilantro are a natural match for grilled chicken. When developing our Grilled Spicy Lime Chicken with Black Bean and Avocado Salad recipe, we wanted to make one spicy, lime juice–flavored vinaigrette that could serve both as a marinade for the chicken and a base for a quick salad. Our very acidic vinaigrette—1/3 cup lime juice to 1/4 cup olive oil—quickly flavored the chicken and cut through the starchiness of a bean-based salad. In the time that it took for the grill to heat, the vinaigrette flavored the chicken. Adding a little more of the vinaigrette to the cooked chicken reinforced and brightened the flavor.

Before You Begin

To determine when chicken is done, peek into the thickest part with the tip of a small knife. The chicken should be opaque at the center.

Instructions

Light grill. Whisk lime juice, cilantro, oil, chiles and sauce, honey, garlic, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in small bowl.

Toss chicken with 1/4 cup lime juice mixture in separate large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Marinate chicken in refrigerator while grill continues to preheat.

Toss beans, scallions, red pepper, and avocado with 1/4 cup lime juice mixture in serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grill chicken over very hot fire until well browned on both sides and cooked through, 8 to 13 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving platter and drizzle with remaining lime juice mixture. Serve immediately with black bean and avocado salad.