Tropical Chicken with Coconut Mango Rice
Everybody loves tropical chicken with coconut mango rice. It's a quick meal with a little Caribbean flair.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the spice blend (great to make in bulk to have on hand)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon smoky paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
For the rice
- 1 1/2 cups rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 can about 14 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
- Chicken broth and/or Water to make up the volume of liquid to about 3 cups total
- salt to taste
- 1 large mango peeled and diced (about a cup of fruit)
- zest of a large lime use the juice from the lime to make the pan sauce
- chopped cilantro for garnish
For the chicken
- 2 boneless skinless breast halves about a pound, trimmed and sliced longways into thin fillets
- 1 tablespoon butter add more if needed when making the pan sauce
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- juice of a large lime
Instructions
- Mix up the spice blend first and set aside.
Begin cooking the rice
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan with a tight fitting lid.
- Add the rice and stir to coat thoroughly.
- Add the cooking liquid (the coconut milk and water) when the rice begins to change color.
- Allow it to come to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer.
- Add the mango, lime zest and about 1/2 teaspoon of spice mix.
- Taste and add salt as needed.
- Stir well and cover the pot with the lid.
- Cook for about 15 - 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
Start on the chicken
- Trim and slice the chicken into thin fillets. Season on both sides with the spice mix.
- After the rice has been cooking for 10 minutes, heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet.
- Add the chicken, in batches if necessary, and cook for a couple minutes on both sides. It won't take long to cook through because the pieces are thin.
- Remove the chicken to a plate while you make the pan sauce.
- Add the lime juice and chicken broth to the skillet. Use a whisk to mix up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer gently and allow to thicken slightly. Add more butter if you want the sauce to be richer.
- Keep an eye on the rice and remove from the heat if needed.
- Return the chicken and any juices to the pan.
- Turn the chicken in the pan sauce to coat well.
- Before serving, stir in a generous handful of chopped cilantro to the rice.