Nothing says “summer” like a backyard BBQ. What better way to kick off summer break than a little healthy cookout thanks to THE most amazing Honey Lime Grilled Chicken + Plantain Chips with Black Bean Dip recipe (thanks to Erika for this amazing recipe). Get ready to fire up the grill and give this yummy recipe a try—it’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser!
Honey Lime Grilled Chicken + Plantain Chips with Black Bean Avocado Dip
By: Erika Peterson, Clean Simple Foodie
You guys, BBQ doesn’t just mean steaks, burgers, or hot dogs. Grilling chicken is a great way to enjoy a BBQ that’s nice and bright without that heavy feeling. Enjoy this chicken (so gosh dang good and so easy) with or without the chips and dip. It’s totally up to you. If you’re looking for other great BBQ side dishes, I shared some more over here.
For the chicken:
6 chicken breasts
Season-All or Everything seasoning
1 small pineapple
2 tablespoons honey
1 lime
Black pepper
Gallon-sized Ziplock bag
For the plantain chips:
2 plantains (green, unripe)
Sea salt
Black pepper
Cumin
Cooking spray
For the black bean avocado dip:
1 can black beans
1 can sweet yellow corn (or fresh corn)
2 ripe tomatoes
2 ripe avocados
Handful chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 lime
1 packet Italian salad dressing mix (or homemade)
Directions
- Prepare your pineapple! Slice your pineapple into 6 rings, removing both the core and the shell. In a gallon-sized Ziplock bag, add the honey, juice from one lime, and a dash of pepper. Shake together. Add pineapple and massage until well coated. Set aside.
- To make the dip: Pour beans and corn into a colander. Rinse and drain. Pour into serving bowl. Chop tomatoes, avocados and cilantro. Add to the bowl. Add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, juice from 1 lime, and Italian seasoning. Stir, cover, and store in fridge.
- To make the chips: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice plantains into thin slices. Place thinly sliced plantains on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake 10 minutes. Flip and spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with sea salt, cumin, and pepper. Bake another 10 minutes. If still not crispy, broil 2 minutes (be careful not to burn!).
- Make the chicken (while chips are baking). Grease your grill and preheat to medium heat. Butterfly cut your chicken. Season both sides with your Everything seasoning or Season-All. Place on your greased grill. Cook about 5-10 minutes per side or until cooked through, but tender. Also add your pineapple to the grill and cook about 3-5 minutes per side or until the color darkens and grill marks appear.
To serve, stuff grilled chicken with black bean, corn, and avocado dip, top with one grilled pineapple ring and chips on the side OR stuff grilled chicken with one pineapple ring and serve chips and dip on the side.
That’s it. Easy peasy, right? The name of the game during the summer is simple and quick so we can spend more time with our kiddos outside at the end of the day. Even better…prep the dip and chips ahead of time. Have leftovers? This chicken makes a great zesty chicken salad perfect for a quick lunch or super fast dinner.
xo,
Related reading:
Get Fired Up! Top Tips to Create a Healthy Family BBQ
BLT Burger + Sweet Potato Fries
4th of July BBQ Recipes: Mouthwatering and Powell-Approved!
Savory & Sweet Treats || BBQ Chicken Pita Pizza & One-Minute Brownie
Clean Cheats + Tips to Enjoy Your Transformation-Friendly BBQ
15 Responses
Hey, I’m a big fan of ripe plantain, I’d like to know if it would be OK to include it as a possible carb of choice on a high-carb day (boiled or baked), or in any other way?? or is it contraindicated for some reason?
Thanks!
Hi Danielle: Yes, you can eat plantains and count them as a carb. 🙂
Yey! Thanks! You made my day!! 🙂 I have one more question though: what composition should I look for in vegetal milks?? Where I live I can find rice milk, almond milk, oat milk, and hazelnut and rice milk, and I like them all, so I would like to know if I they can be used while carb-cicling, instead of limiting it to almond milk (the most difficult milk to find unsweetened)
Thank you!
Hi Danielle: Look for milks with similar macros to unsweetened almond milk, and you’ll be good to go! 🙂
Do you have the nutritional information for this? Thanks!
This looks incredible. I can’t figure out if it’s a high carb or low carb meal since it has both carbs and fat in it. Thank you!
It’s probably a great option for a reward day/meal. Enjoy! 🙂
I cook with a lot of avocado oil as opposed to olive oil, is this the better choice?
Olive oil is very similar to avocado oil, so if that’s what you’d rather use, then go for it!
I started the turbo cycle three days ago. I have a couple of questions. If I eat a Quest bar do I need to pair it with something (on either day)? Also if by some wild chance I get the opportunity to sleep in (which is rare) do I cut one of the meals out or eat late?
I love Heidi and Chris! They are such an inspiration!
Lisa
Great questions! A Quest bar counts as both the protein and fat parts of low carb meals. As far as protein bars go in general, for low carb meals, Chris and Heidi prefer Quest and Kind + Protein bars. They have some carbs on the label, but since most of these carbs are dietary fiber, they are actually what we call “non-impact carbs,” and these carbs don’t count. They also have a good amount of protein and fat?perfect for low carb meals! For high carb meals, they recommend Think Thin and Cliff Builder, even though they do have some fat content. The key to knowing which bar is best for which type of meal is to look at both the carb and fat content. If more calories come from fat than carbs, then that bar is a good option for a low carb meal. If the reverse is true, then that bar is a good option for a high carb meal. Chris and Heidi do recommend consuming only one protein bar a day, since it is best to eat whole foods whenever possible. As far as sleeping and your 5 meals, you don’t want to skip meals, so just adjust your meal schedule accordingly. Hope that helps!
Good Morning! I love reading all the recipes you supply – gives me new ideas for my fianc? and myself. With that being said, we have purchased both books and are both Carb Cycling – I love it! In 5 months, I have lost 36 pounds and am now at my lowest weight since high school!!
I just have some questions, with things that I can’t seem to figure out from the books. The food potions are listed for “women” but what about men? My fianc? is around 400lbs, and I don’t know what kind of portion sizes he should be eating. Should he be eating 1600 calories? Should he be eating 1 1/2 portions of the women’s plan? I’m confused and am hoping to get some clarification.
Thanks!!
Men will follow the same portion guide (it works since usually they have larger hands), and will eat 1500 calories on low carb days and 2000 calories on high carb days. And congrats on those 36 pounds gone – that’s awesome!
Hi Heidi, Im wondering if you guys do workout in Arizona like boot camp? If there is a chance, I would like to join you!
Hi Helene: I’m so sorry, but Chris and Heidi do not have a boot camp program in Arizona.