Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

This recipe for grilled chicken, marinated in lime juice, and served with a cilantro infused black bean sauce is inspired by a recipe from my dear friend and site contributor Steve-Anna.

First posted in 2006, I’ve changed it over the years incorporating many of the ideas that commenters have given us after trying the recipe, plus a few ideas of my own.

Chicken cutlets are marinated in a lime juice cilantro marinade for a couple hours. They are grilled quickly on a hot grill and served with a simple black bean sauce made with canned black beans, onions, garlic, and oregano.

I’m garnishing the chicken with chopped red onions that have soaked in some water and seasoned rice vinegar for a quick pickling effect.

A note on the black beans. You only need a cup and a half of cooked black beans for the sauce in this recipe. In my book, this is not enough to warrant making a whole batch of beans from scratch, which is why we are using canned beans (I recommend Bush’s, S&W, or Goya).

But if you want to make beans from scratch, by all means do not let me deter you. Here’s an excellent method in our Black Bean Burrito Bowl recipe.

Updated recipe and photos, first published in 2006

Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce Recipe

If you don't have access to a grill, you can sauté the chicken breasts in a cast iron pan on medium high to high heat until lightly browned on both sides and just cooked through.

Ingredients

Grilled Chicken Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp lime juice (from 3 to 4 limes)
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup+ (more to taste) chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thin cutlets

Garnish:

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• Sliced avocados, sour cream, cilantro

Black Bean Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, including stems, loosely packed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, or more to taste

Read More: Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce