Mexican Chicken Bowl
Large Mexican inspired spicy chicken bowl with charred corn, beans, avocado, tomatoes and cheese. It's perfect to share amongst good friends!
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 1 kg chicken thighs (cut into small cubes) (NOTE 1)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (NOTE 2)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 small brown onion (finely chopped)
- 1 small red capsicum (sliced thinly) (red bell pepper or red pepper)
FOR THE CORN
- 4 whole corn on cob (NOTE 3)
- 40 gm butter
- 1 tsp chicken salt (NOTE 4)
- ½ tsp dried mixed herbs
FOR THE BOWL
- ½ iceberg lettuce (thinly shredded)
- 1 420gm tin of black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup tasty cheese (shredded) (NOTE 5)
- 1 large avocado (chopped roughly)
- 2 tomatoes (chopped into small cubes)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup pickled jalapenos (optional) (NOTE 6)
- 2 limes (optional) (NOTE 7)
Instructions
- Start off with the corn as they take the longest to cook, so while grilling them you can prepare and cook the remaining ingredients. Preheat the grill on high heat. Place the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and melt it by zapping it in 10 second burst until completely melted. Add chicken salt, dried herbs to the melted butter and stir.
- Brush the butter mixture generously on each corn and grill or BBQ on each side for 10 minutes or until slightly charred. Leave to cool slightly before slicing off the kernels.
- In a bowl add in chicken, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper and mix well to combine.
- Heat up the oil in a large frypan on medium to high heat. Add in garlic and onions and stir quickly for a minute before adding in the chicken. Cook and stir the chicken regularly for 2 minutes then add in the capsicum, continue to cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is tender and just cooked. Season to taste if needed.
- In a large bowl neatly arrange the chicken, corn, beans, jalapeños, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, lime and sour cream in sections to serve.
Notes
(NOTE 1) Chicken thighs - Chicken breast or thighs can be used. I prefer to use thighs as it's juicy and tastier than breast meat.
(NOTE 2) Cayenne pepper - If you prefer mild heat on the chicken then go easy on the cayenne pepper or skip it altogether. A teaspoon of hot ground cayenne pepper gives the chicken a nice kick but it's not crazy hot. In saying that, keep in mind that everyone has a different level of tolerance when it comes to heat. If you're a bit crazy like me and love your spice then go ahead and add more cayenne pepper.
(NOTE 3) Corn - Try and use fresh and sweet corn on the cob for the best flavour when grilling or on the BBQ.
(NOTE 4) Chicken salt - If you're not in Australia and you can't get your hands on chicken salt, use the following seasoning mix instead:
I tsp of powdered chicken stock, 1/4 tsp of garlic powder and a large pinch of paprika.
(NOTE 5) Cheese - I used 'tasty cheese' but you can use your favourite shredded cheese in this bowl such as cheddar, Monterey Jack or mozzarella.
(NOTE 6) Pickled Jalapeños (optional) - If you love heat and pickles then pickled Jalapeños will definitely be a winner for you and it shouldn't be missed!
(NOTE 7) Lime (optional) - I highly recommend lime as it adds a little zest and burst of flavour to the bowl.
To serve - If you feel like bulking this meal up to feed more people you can serve it with rice, soft tortillas and corn chips.
Leftovers - The bowl is ideally supposed to be shared and eaten in one sitting. However, if there are leftovers it can be wrapped in clingwrap, stored in the fridge but eat it on the same day. If you have served the cooked chicken in a separate bowl it will keep in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 440kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 40gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 189mgSodium: 816mgPotassium: 936mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 2012IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 227mgIron: 4mg