Honey Lime Chicken Avocado (Printable)

Tender spiced chicken with honey-lime glaze served over fresh avocado and vegetables for a light, satisfying meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Chicken

01 - 2 large chicken breasts (about 1.1 lbs), boneless, skinless
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
04 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ For the Honey Lime Marinade

07 - 2 tablespoons honey
08 - Zest and juice of 2 limes
09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ For the Salad

11 - 2 ripe avocados, diced
12 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
13 - 1/2 red onion, finely diced
14 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
15 - 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)

→ To Serve

16 - Lime wedges
17 - Extra chopped cilantro (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Whisk together honey, lime zest and juice, minced garlic, and olive oil in a small bowl until fully combined.
02 - Place chicken breasts in a shallow dish or ziplock bag. Pour half of the marinade over the chicken, turning to coat evenly. Reserve remaining marinade for later. Let marinate for at least 10 minutes.
03 - Mix cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle spice blend evenly over both sides of the marinated chicken.
04 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 6-7 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F). Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
05 - While chicken rests, combine diced avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño (if using) in a large salad bowl.
06 - Add sliced chicken to the salad bowl. Drizzle with reserved marinade and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with lime wedges and additional cilantro if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything comes together in just 30 minutes but tastes like you spent all day planning something special.
  • The honey lime marinade does double duty as a dressing, saving you time and dirty dishes.
  • Its the kind of meal that makes you feel like youre eating something restaurant fancy while standing in your kitchen.
02 -
  • Do not marinate the chicken longer than 30 minutes or the lime will start to cook the meat and change the texture.
  • Letting the chicken rest before slicing keeps all those juices inside instead of running onto your cutting board.
  • The residual heat from the chicken will slightly warm the avocado, which is actually lovely, but add the reserved marinade right before serving.
03 -
  • Pat the chicken completely dry before adding the spice rub, or it will steam instead of sear.
  • If your avocados are perfectly ripe but you are not ready to eat yet, store them whole in the refrigerator to pause the ripening process.

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