Juicy Grilled California Avocado Chicken (Printable)
Grilled chicken breasts crowned with creamy California avocado salsa, tomatoes, lime, and cilantro for a fresh, light meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
04 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
06 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
08 - Juice of 1 lime
→ Avocado Salsa
09 - 2 ripe California avocados, diced
10 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
11 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
13 - Juice of 1 lime
14 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
15 - 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
16 - Optional: 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat grill to medium-high heat, approximately 400°F.
02 - In a small bowl, combine olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, black pepper, and lime juice to form the marinade.
03 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels and brush both sides evenly with the prepared marinade.
04 - Place chicken on the grill and cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and juices run clear. Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
05 - While chicken grills, gently toss diced avocados, quartered cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, sea salt, black pepper, and jalapeño if using in a medium bowl.
06 - Serve grilled chicken breasts topped generously with fresh avocado salsa.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The salsa doubles as a dressing, a dip, or something you eat straight from the bowl with a fork when nobody is looking.
- Thirty minutes start to finish and most of that is the grill doing the work while you sip something cold.
02 -
- Marinate the chicken for up to two hours in the fridge if you have the time, the lime juice starts to break down the fibers and makes every bite more tender.
- Add the lime juice to the salsa at the very last second or the avocado will start browning faster than you expect.
03 -
- Dice the avocado last, right before you serve, because even with lime juice it waits for no one.
- Let the chicken rest on the cutting board loosely tented with foil, not wrapped tight, so the crust stays crisp.