Just when you think you have cooked chicken every possible way, there is a flavor or recipe that totally takes boring chicken and transforms into a spectacular dish that you can’t believe you lived without your whole life. This recipe is one of those from me! I LOVE every single aspect of this dish. The crispy, mojito chicken that is lightly browned in olive oil and covered in panko crumbs. The creamy avocado slices on top of the hot chicken, the melted pepperjack cheese over the chicken. Oh my! If you were to stop there this dish would be fantastic, however, it gets even better. Place the hot, crispy chicken onto a bed of arugula and drizzle with the most delightful Sweet Chili Dressing. The combination of lime, chili powder, spicy cheese, moist chicken. There just aren’t words enough to tell you how great this dish is. And the shocking thing is it looks super fancy–nice enough to feed a crowd, but it was easy enough we ate this on a busy Tuesday night. Surprisinlgy it doesn’t take long to make and is super amazingly delicious. I can’t wait for you to try this one. (If you are counting calories, just grill the chicken instead of brown it and it would be just as great and overall, lowfat 😉 Enjoy!
Ingredients
- CHICKEN:
- 6 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
- 1 Tablespoon McCormick Mojito Lime Seasoning
- 8 slices pepperjack cheese
- 3 avocados
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 3-4 cups arugula or spinach
- SWEET CHILI DRESSING:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 limes juiced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
Instructions
- For the dressing, place everything into a bowl and whisk together until smooth (or put in a blender). Set aside. Slice the grape tomatoes, avocados and set aside. For the chicken, cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally so they are thin. Trim any excess fat from the chicken. In a shallow dish, stir together the panko crumbs and Mojito Lime Seasoning. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large sauté pan with a drizzle of olive oil so that the oil covers the bottom of the pan with a very thin layer. Heat the pan to medium-high heat. Place one chicken breast at a time into the panko mixture and press the panko onto the chicken on all sides. When the chicken breast is breaded, place the chicken into the hot olive oil. Continue to do this with several more of the chicken, or until the pan can no longer fit any other chicken pieces in it (you don't want to crowd the chicken or it won't brown). Let the chicken cook on both sides until nice and golden brown, but not cooked all the way through. Place the browned chicken onto a cookie sheet while you continue to brown the remaining chicken breasts. Once all of the chicken has been browned, place the chicken on the cookie sheet into the oven at 350 degrees. Let the chicken bake for 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven and place the sliced avocados onto each chicken breast and cover with the sliced pepperjack cheese. Place the pan/chicken back into the oven and turn to broil. Broil the chicken until the top cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Once cooked and browned, remove the chicken. To serve, place the chicken on a platter with a bed of arugula or spinach. Garnish with cilantro and grape tomatoes and drizzle with the Sweet Chili Dressing to taste. Serve hot. Serves about 6-7 people.
