Recipe Background
Sweeter Than Honey Chicken is a celebration dish, perfect for sharing new beginnings.
Just after college, my friends and I decided to host a gleeful 'We survived!' dinner to celebrate our first days in the real world. We gathered in a cramped kitchen with mismatched chairs and way too many dog-eared cookbooks. My friend Sarah was obsessed with cilantro, always declaring it essential, so I knew it had to be part of the plan. I spotted a recipe scrawled in the margin that combined lime juice, honey, and avocado, and thought, why not throw in some pineapple for tropical flair? We marinated chicken breasts with an array of fresh ingredients that made us feel like real adults making smart culinary choices.
The grill, vintage and rickety, added an unexpected element of adventure. As we let the chicken marinate with lime-honey goodness, we shared stories of our first days at work, punctuated by the occasional pop of oil as slices of pineapple hit the grates. A vibrating sense of triumph buzzed as the scent of grilled citrus wafted through the patio, attracting neighbors like bees to honey. We learned firsthand the art of oiling grill grates to avoid sticky situations—quite literally. The moment we plated the chicken with pineapple salsa was the moment we knew we'd created a new tradition: eclectic dinner parties born from shared experiences and a dash of inventiveness.
Ingredients
- juice of 4 limes divided
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cilantro freshly chopped and divided
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for the grill
- 2 teaspoons honey
- kosher salt to taste
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 2 cups pineapple chopped
- 1 avocado diced
- 1/4 red onion diced
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- In a large bowl, whisk together 3/4 of the lime juice, 1/4 cup of cilantro, the oil, and the honey.
- Season the marinade with salt.
- Add the chicken to a large resealable plastic bag.
- Pour the marinade into the bag, massaging the chicken to ensure everything is coated.
- Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Preheat the grill to high.
- Oil the grates.
- Grill the chicken until charred and cooked through at 165 degrees F, about 8 minutes per side.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the pineapple, avocado, red onion, and remaining cilantro.
- Season the pineapple salsa with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the salsa over the chicken and serve.
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