Black Beans and Rice with Chicken
The Cuban Black Beans and Rice with Chicken is a vibrant and flavorful dish, combining marinated chicken, tangy mango salsa, and soft black beans, all served with cilantro-lime rice and sweet fried bananas. This recipe offers a delightful fusion of textures and flavors, perfectly encapsulating the essence of Cuban cuisine in every bite.
Ingredients
Cuban Chicken
- 1.1 pounds chicken breast
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- 1 lime (zest and juice)
- 1 tbsp cumin
- ½ tbsp chili powder
- ½ tbsp dry oregano
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅙ tsp black pepper
Mango Salsa
- 1 mango
- ½ red bell pepper
- ¼ red onion
- ½ lime (zest and juice)
- ⅛ tsp chili powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
Fried Bananas (Maduros)
- 2 bananas big
- oil for frying
Black Beans
- 1 can black beans (15 oz)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika spice
- ⅓ tsp salt
Cuban White Rice
- ½ cup white rice
- 1 chicken broth cube
- water
- ½ lime (zest and juice)
- 2 tsp fresh cilantro chopped
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
Marinating and Frying the Chicken
- Cube the chicken breast and place it in a Ziploc bag. Combine lime zest and juice, vegetable oil, cumin, chili powder, dry oregano, crushed garlic cloves, salt, and black pepper. Pour this marinade over the chicken in the bag. Seal and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Remove the chicken from the bag, letting excess marinade drip off.
- Fry the chicken in the skillet for about 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, until it's thoroughly cooked and has a nice, golden-brown exterior. Set aside once done.
Making Mango Salsa
- Prepare the ingredients. Dice mango, red bell pepper, and red onion.
- In a bowl, mix the diced mango, bell pepper, and onion with lime zest and juice. Sprinkle with chili powder and salt, stir well, and let it rest to enhance the flavors (at least 10 minutes).
Cooking the Rice
- Cook the rice in chicken broth as per package instructions. Once cooked, sieve to remove excess liquid.
- Once the rice is cooked, stir in the zest and juice of ½ lime, 2 teaspoons of freshly chopped cilantro, and black pepper to taste.
Preparing Black Beans
- In a skillet, heat vegetable oil and cook chopped onion and minced garlic until the onion is translucent.
- Drain and rinse the black beans. Add them to the skillet with the onion and garlic. Stir in cumin and smoked paprika, cooking for a minute, just to heat everything up.
- Season with salt.
Frying Bananas (Maduros)
- Pour enough oil into a frying pan to cover the bottom and heat.
- Peel and diagonally slice bananas.
- Fry the banana slices until they turn a deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
To Serve
- Place cilantro-lime rice in bowls.
- Placefried chicken cubes and black beans next to it. Add a side of mango salsa along with fried bananas.