Mango Chicken Bowl

A black bowl with filled with a mango, chicken rice combination.

This Mango Chicken Bowl is filled with grilled lemon chicken, white rice, butter lettuce, avocado, and sweet slices of mango, all drizzled in a spicy habañero vinaigrette. It's a delicious lunch or light dinner option and perfect for meal prepping, too.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Marinate Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 844kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (see note 1)
2-3 habañero chiles stemmed and seeds removed, minced
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (see note 2)
Salt to taste

For the the chicken:

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil plus more for oiling the grill
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

For the bowl:

1 head butter lettuce cut or torn into 1-inch pieces (see note 3)
2 cups cooked rice (see note 4)
1 cup diced mango (see note 5)
1 pound Persian cucumbers or other thin-skinned cucumber, cut in half and sliced into 1/4-inch slices, about 2 cups (see note 6)
1 large avocados peeled, pitted, and sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the vinaigrette:

In a medium bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid, add olive oil, red wine vinegar, habañero chilies, and oregano. Whisk or shake to combine and season to taste with salt. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To make the chicken:

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme leaves. Place the chicken in a large freezer-safe plastic bag. Pour in marinade, squeeze out air and close the bag. Mash until chicken is evenly coated. Place the plastic bag in a dish and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Preheat grill over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Oil grates. Place chicken over direct heat on the grill, close the cover, and grill 5 minutes on each side, turning once.
Transfer chicken to indirect heat and continue to cook until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the largest chicken breast reaches 165 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Slice or chop into small pieces and season to taste with salt.

To assemble the bowls:

Divide lettuce between 4 bowls. Top with chicken, cooked rice, mango, avocado, and cucumber. Garnish with scallions. Drizzle with habañero vinaigrette and serve.

Notes

Red wine vinegar:If you don't have red wine vinegar, substitute lime juice for an equally delicious dressing. If habañero chiles are too spicy, just make regular Red Wine Vinaigrette.
Mexican oregano: Mexican oregano has a lemony-citrus flavor and is preferred here, but you can substitute Mediterranean oregano (Italian, Greek, or Turkish) if desired.
Butter lettuce: Or substitute romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, or iceberg lettuce.
Cooked rice: Steam a package of instant rice in the microwave or on the stovetop. Or try my Baked Rice or Homemade Brown Rice if you have time.
Mango: To peel the mango, using a paring knife, cut off the stem end. Using a Y-shaped vegetable peeler, peel from the cut bottom edge in one swift motion. Continue until all of the peel has been removed. You could also use your paring knife to carefully remove the peel, tracing strips from top to bottom until all of the peel has been removed.
Cucumbers: Look for thin-skinned hot house, English, or Persian cucumbers. To substitute standard cucumbers, peel them before slicing.
Yield: This recipe makes four entree-sized bowls with about 6 ounces of cooked chicken per bowl.
Storage: Store extra chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition