A fresh, healthy grain bowl constructed from quinoa, grilled chicken, corn, black beans, tomato, avocado and mango served with a California style dressing. This hearty meal is sure to satisfy the heartiest of appetites.
Here we are in the middle of summer with warm balmy evenings, and my California Chicken Quinoa Bowl is perfect dish to enjoy on the patio, “Al Fresco”. It is refreshing and yet extremely filling. You may not be a fan of quinoa, but I implore you to please try it with this recipe.
Meal Prepping
This recipe is perfect for meal prepping. So many of the ingredients can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until you are ready for them. I recommend making the dressing and quinoa first. Dress the quinoa with 2 tablespoons of dressing. This allows the quinoa to absorb flavor from the dressing. Additionally, I prepare the black beans ahead by draining and rinsing them and dressing with a few teaspoons of the dressing as well. Another option is to precook the corn. The corn can be roasted or grilled several days in advance. In addition to precooking, the corn can also be cut away from the cobs well in advance.
The Quinoa
There are many different brands of quinoa to choose from and any will do. My go to brand is Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa. I prefer this brand as it has already been rinsed and air dried. Many brands recommend rinsing the quinoa prior to cooking as rinsing removes saponins, which will give your quinoa a bitter aftertaste. Saponins are a natural occurring compound in a variety of grains. They produce a soapy foam when mixed with water. Rinse the quinoa until there are no visible signs of foam being produced.
The Chicken
My go to flavor component for this dish is a simple taco seasoning. The chicken can be seasoned and refrigerated until ready to grill or it can be precooked as well. But let’s be frank, you don’t have to use this chicken. Feel free to use any left-over chicken you have on hand. Furthermore if you are following a meat-free diet, the chicken can be omitted altogether.
Mango or Peaches
During the peak of summer, the mangos are sweet and creamy. But not everyone loves mangos. Please, please, please use a fruit that gets you excited. Here are a few ideas: freshly chopped peaches or nectarines, papaya, pineapple or better yet grilled pineapple. Make it your dish and use what you like.
The Corn
Grilling corn on the cob is so easy. Furthermore, nothing could be sweeter than the rich caramel notes the corn develops as its natural sugars toast on the grill. During the summer months, I always grill up a few extra ears of corn when the barbecue is on. These sweet niblets are great tossed into so many dishes like tacos, green salads, omelettes and a variety of grain salads. Let your imagination take over.
To grill the corn, peel away all the husk and silk, rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the ears of corn on a plate and dress them very lightly with a teaspoon of olive oil. Roll the ears around into the drippings on the plate and distribute it well around the whole ear, massaging it around with your fingers. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and place on the grill. Generally, I place the ears on the top rack away from the high heat, turning every 4-5 minutes. In about 15-20 minutes your corn will take on a beautiful golden hue of caramelization. Remove, let cool and cut the kernels away from the cob. The corn niblets will keep well refrigerated for up to a week.
NOTE: The Citrus Dressing recipe makes 5 Tablespoons. If the entire recipe is used, it should be counted as 3 WW Smart Points. However if the entire 5 tablespoons is used on 4 servings, the smart point value would be 1 WW Smart Point per serving. But if the salad is prepared as outlined, less than 3 tablespoons of dressing are used. Therefore the point value for the dressing would be zero WW smart points.
A serving of 1 1/4 cups quinoa and black beans dressed as outlined below served with 4 ounces Chicken Breast, 2 Tablespoons of avocado, 1/2 cup corn, 1/2 cup tomato, and 1/4 cup mango is 6 WW Smart Points or 588 Calories.
However if you are looking to reduce the point count, simply omit the avocado. The same serving as above without the avocado is 5 WW Smart Points or 559 Calories.
Buon Appetito!
PrintCalifornia Chicken Quinoa Bowl
Quinoa and Black Bean Salad dressed with a light Citrus Dressing and garnished with chopped chicken, roasted corn, tomato, mango and avocado. This dish is perfect for quenching a hungry appetite on a hot summer day.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Healthy California
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 1/3 cup Orange Juice
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
- 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
For the Salad:
- 3 cups Quinoa, cooked
- 2 Cups Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 lb. Chicken Cutlets or Boneless skinless Chicken Breast
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 3 teaspoons Taco Seasoning
- 1 cup Mango, skinned, pitted and diced
- 8 Tablespoons Avocado, pitted, skinned and diced (2 Tablespoons per serving)
- 2 cups Roma Tomato, seeded and diced
- 2 cups Roasted Corn Kernels (about 2 Ears of Corn)
- Fresh Lime Juice
Instructions
For the Dressing:
- Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and whisk together OR place all ingredients for dressing in a lidded jar and shake until combined. Set aside.
For the Chicken:
- Season the chicken cutlets or boneless breast with one teaspoon of kosher salt and taco seasoning. Grill or bake until throughly cooked. Chop into bite sized pieces.
For the Black Beans:
- In a small bowl, dress with 3 teaspoons of dressing. Mix to combine and set aside for about 15 minutes or longer to allow the beans to soak up the flavor from the dressing.
For the Quinoa:
- Dress the Quinoa with 2 tablespoons of dressing. Mix to combine and set aside while you prepare the chopped ingredients.
- Place the avocado and tomato in separate bowls, and sprinkle with salt and lime juice to taste.
- Place the chopped mango in a small bowl.
- Combine the dressed quinoa and the dressed black beans together. Mix well to distribute the black beans evenly through the salad.
To prepare Quinoa Bowl
- Place 1 1/4 cups of quinoa black bean mixture in the center of each individual serving bowl. Arrange remaining ingredients around the quinoa attractively as follows:
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Tomato
- 1/2 Cup Corn Kernels
- 1/4 Cup Mango
- 4 ounces Chopped Chicken
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado
Notes
- A serving is 1 1/4 cups of Quinoa/Black Beans with dressing, 4 ounces grilled Chicken, 2 Tablespoons of Avocado, 1/2 cup Corn, 1/2 cup Tomato, 1/4 cup Mango and is 6 WW Smart Points or 588 Calories.
- A serving as outlined above without the avocado is 5 WW Smart Points or 559 Calories.
- If additional dressing is used per serving, an extra 1 WW Smart Point should be counted.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cup Quinoa/Black Bean
