Sheet Pan Cilantro Chicken Thighs and Rice

@shredhappens

Say hello to one of the BEST chicken dinners you’ll ever make at home. It’s so good you’ll prefer it over takeout any day. Eat it as is or with your favorite base.

Sheet Pan Cilantro Chicken Thighs and Rice

Ingredients

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    • 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

    • 2 tbsp olive oil

    • Zest of 1 lime

    • Juice of 1 lime

    • 1 tbsp sweet paprika

    • 1 tbsp dried oregano

    • 5 cloves garlic, crushed

    • 1 tsp ground cumin

    • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

    • Salt and black pepper

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    • 1 shallot, very thinly sliced

    • Juice of 1 lime

    • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

    • 3 generous pinches salt

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    • 1 large avocado, diced

    • 3–4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

    • Juice of 1/2 lime

    • 1/2 tsp onion powder

    • Salt and black pepper

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    • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

    • 2 tbsp avocado oil mayonnaise

    • 1 large handful fresh cilantro

    • 2 green onions, roughly chopped

    • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

    • Juice of 1 lime

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    • 1 (8 oz) box Kaizen Rice

    • Chipotle hot sauce

    • Sesame seeds

    Directions

    1. Prepare the Chicken. Add two pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs to a bowl. Season with 2-3 pinches salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil, zest of 1 lime, juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, 1 tablespoon oregano, five cloves crushed garlic, and 1 teaspoon cumin, and a 1/2 cup cilantro. Mix really well, cover, and ideally marinate for two hours, but you can also make it right away.

    2. Cook the Chicken. You can grill these, air fry them, or put them into the oven. I placed them on an oven-safe tray, added parchment paper, placed the marinated chicken, and put them in the oven at 400F for 33-35 mins.

    3. Make the Express Pickled Shallots. For the express-pickled shallots, super thinly slice a shallot (as thin as possible) and add it to a small bowl with 3 generous pinches of salt, the juice of 1 lime, and 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Mix well, then let it sit for 20 minutes, stirring a few times.

    4. Make the Avocado Salsa. For the avocado salsa, cube up 1 large avocado, add it to a bowl with 3-4 tablespoons of roughly chopped fresh cilantro, the juice of half a lime, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Give it a mix, taste, and adjust.

    5. Make the Cilantro Green Onion Sauce. For a large batch of the cilantro green onion sauce, add 1/2 cup thick greek yogurt to a food processor with 2 tablespoons avocado oil mayo, a large handful of cilantro, 2 green onions/scallions (white+green), 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder, and the juice of one lime. Process well.

    6. Finish Off the Chicken. Remove chicken from sheet pan. Spoon rice onto the pan to soak up the juices from the pan before adding to your plates. Top cooked chicken with the avocado salsa and shallots, the cilantro green onion sauce, some chipotle hot sauce and sesame seeds.

    Sheet Pan Cilantro Chicken Thighs and Rice

    Sheet Pan Cilantro Chicken Thighs and Rice