Cilantro Lime Chicken Rice Bowls

As you can probably tell this recipe takes some time and a ton of ingredients. Really most everything I already had on hand other than the produce. This was so yummy! I promise it is worth the money and effort. Jared described that it's a mixture between Cafe Rio and Rumbi, two of my favorite places. Yum!!

About 8 servings

Tip: marinate the chicken and make the dressing the night before

Ingredients

Cilantro Lime Marinade

4 Lg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

¾ cup vegetable oil

Juice and zest of two limes

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

½ C finely chopped cilantro

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

1 pkg. Ranch Dip

1 cup sour cream (or yucky mayo)

1 cup buttermilk

5 tomatillos husked, cleaned, and chopped in half

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 tsp. garlic, minced

Juice and zest of two limes

1 jalapeno (seeded or not depending on how spicy you like it)

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

Cilantro-Lime Rice

2 cups uncooked rice

4 cups water

4 tsp. garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. butter

2 chicken bullion cubes

4 tsp. granulated sugar

Juice and zest of two limes

2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mango Salsa (You could buy some but home-made is so much better)

2 mangoes, finely chopped

2 roma tomatoes, finely chopped

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno (with or w/o seeds), finely chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lime

½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

Salt to taste

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Olive oil, to taste

Assembly Ingredients

½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 ½ cups Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

Extra cilantro and limes, for garnish

Preparation

1. Prepare marinade by mixing everything together (I just used the same bag I marinated the chicken in. Place chicken breasts in a re-sealable plastic bag. Add prepared marinade and mix to coat. Marinate for 4 hours to overnight.

2. While chicken is marinating, prepare tomatillo ranch dressing. Place everything in a food processor until smooth. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

3. 30 minutes before removing chicken from marinade, prepare cilantro lime rice. I put the first six ingredients in the rice cooker and mix in the lime juice/zest, and cilantro once it’s cooked. Set aside for later use.

4. Remove chicken from marinade and grill in skillet or on the grill. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then cube.

5. While chicken is cooking prepare mango salsa by mixing everything together,

6. To compile rice bowl, place desired amount of rice in an oven safe bowl (I like to do individual servings and preferably the same bowl you’ll serve it in) Top rice with the following in this order: shredded chicken, cilantro, mango salsa, and finally shredded pepper jack cheese.

7. Place rice bowl under the broiler just until cheese is melted and the dish is warmed through. Serve with a drizzle of the tomatillo ranch dressing, garnish with cilantro and lime.

8. Enjoy!