Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

Lime marinated grilled chicken cutlets! With a thick and creamy black bean sauce.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated June 16, 2022
Elise Bauer
Grilled Lime Chicken Black Beans
Elise Bauer

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 how you can make them on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker.

Updated recipe and photos, first published in 2006

Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

Prep Time 2 hrs
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 2 hrs 25 mins
Servings 4 servings

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 tablespoons lime juice (from 3 to 4 limes)

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more to taste)

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thin cutlets

Garnish:

  • 1/2 cup red onion, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

  • Sliced avocados, sour cream, cilantro

Black Bean Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 cup red onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans

  • 1 3/4 cups water

  • 1 bay leaves

  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, 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

Method

  1. Marinate chicken breasts:

    Combine the lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, cilantro, oregano, salt and pepper in a glass bowl and mix well. If the chicken breasts are not already thin cutlets, make them so by cutting them in half horizontally.

    grilled-lime-chicken-black-bean-method-1
    Elise Bauer

    They should be no more than 3/4-inch thick at their thickest point. Trim the chicken breasts of excess fat, then add them to the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

  2. Soak chopped red onion for garnish in rice wine vinegar and water:

    Place 1/2 cup chopped red onion in a small bowl and add a couple tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, and enough water to just cover the onions. Chill until dish is ready for garnish.

  3. Sauté onions for black bean sauce:

    First, taste the liquid in the canned beans. If it tastes good, use it, if not, drain the can, and rinse the beans. (Depending on the brand of canned beans, the liquid might be good tasting or not.)

    Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. When hot, add the chopped red onions and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more.

    grilled-lime-chicken-black-bean-method-2
    Elise Bauer
  4. Add beans, water, bay leaf, spices, then simmer:

    Add the beans to pot, including the can liquid if using (if not, replace with water). Fill up the empty can with water and add that to the pot as well (about 1 3/4 cups of water).

    Add the bay leaf, chopped cilantro, oregano, black pepper, and salt. Increase the heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a low simmer.

    grilled-lime-chicken-black-bean-method-3
    Elise Bauer
    grilled-lime-chicken-black-bean-method-4
    Elise Bauer

    Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.

  5. Purée sauce:

    Remove the bay leaf. Pulse in a blender (or use an immersion blender) until somewhat smooth. (Remember to only fill a blender a third of the way if you are blending hot liquids, and hold the top down while you blend.)

  6. Grill chicken breasts:

    Prepare your grill for medium-high, direct heat. Place the chicken breasts on the grill, and grill until they are just cooked through (approximately 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side). Remove to platter when grilled.

    grilled-lime-chicken-black-bean-method-5
    Elise Bauer
    grilled-lime-chicken-black-bean-method-6
    Elise Bauer

    Serve the grilled chicken with the black bean sauce. Sprinkle with the strained red onions, and garnish with sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes or fresh cilantro.

Grilled Lime Chicken Black Beans
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
491 Calories
17g Fat
24g Carbs
60g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 491
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 21%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 145mg 48%
Sodium 778mg 34%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 8g 30%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 60g
Vitamin C 13mg 64%
Calcium 91mg 7%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 876mg 19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.