Spiced Chicken with Tropical Salsa

I am so excited for fall this year. Fall means I can finally break out my favorite leather boots and soft sweaters, drink hot chocolate, and this October, turn 25! As much as I love sweater season, though, I'm still very much inspired by summer and its brighty, sunny flavors - lime, cilantro, jalapeno and mango, to name a few.

This spiced chicken with tropical salsa by One Lovely Life, a favorite blog of mine from a sweet girl named Emily, is the perfect way to keep celebrating the beauty and bounty of fresh veggies brought on by summer.

Emily flattened and pan-fried her chicken breasts to give them a nice crust, but I marinaded and then grilled mine for maximum juiciness, so follow whichever recipe suits you best. Topped with a delicious mango-avocado salsa, this is one healthy meal that's full of vibrant flavor and color, and I know you'll just love it!

Spiced Chicken with Tropical Salsa
Makes 2-4 servings
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For the chicken:
1 lb. chicken breasts
1/4 cup brown sugar
scant Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1/8tsp. garlic powder
1/8tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tbsp. olive oil

For the salsa:
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
4 scallions, diced
1 tsp. white vinegar
pinch salt and pepper
1/2 small jalapeno, minced (with seeds and ribs removed)

Directions

For chicken:
In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt and all spices. Coat chicken breasts lightly in olive oil, about 1 Tbsp. for each breast. Rub mixture onto both sides of chicken breasts and return to bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to absorb flavors. Grill (high heat, about 15 minutes, flipping frequently) or pan-fry (medium heat, 5 minutes per side).

Let chicken rest 1-2 minutes to allow juices to redistribute, then serve warm with salsa.

For salsa:
Combine all ingredients and toss to combine. Chill until ready to serve.

Enjoy!


Adapted from One Lovely Life