I have inexplicably been picking up an avocado each and every time I buy groceries. I didn’t have a recipe for the avocados, I just kept buying them. I guess my subconscious really wanted one. So I finally sat down and found a recipe highlighting them: Seared Chicken with Avocado. I added some tomato to give it a bit more freshness but the rest of the recipe is pretty intact.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons blackened seasoning
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 diced peeled avocado
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime), plus the zest of the lime
- 1/2 a tomato (or one plum tomato), diced
For the blackened seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried leaf thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to your taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
To make the seasoning, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl or jar. Mix to combine.
Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add the coconut oil. Sprinkle the seasoning on both sides of the chicken pieces and add to the pan.
Cook 1-2 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned.
Combine the cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and tomato in a small bowl.
Top each piece of chicken with 1/4 of the salsa.
I was a bit skeptical. This recipe was entirely too easy to have any flavor at all, right?
Wrong. I loved the seasoning on the chicken paired with fresh salsa! The coconut oil added a teeny bit of sweetness that worked really well with the blackened seasoning, which has a bit of heat in it. This would probably also be fantastic grilled!
I’d suggest serving this with Cooking Light’s Grilled Corn with Chipotle-Lime Butter, yum!
I had to go back and look at those breasts a second time (that sounds really bad) because 1-2 minutes per side seems like it’s not enough time to fully cook the protein through, but it looks like they were sliced thin which makes sense.
No guacamole with the avocado?
Looks yummy! I like putting salsa on meat. I can stil enjoy it without eating a bunch of chips!