This is a great summer-y meal I made this week — and it’s super easy too. I’ve revisited my “Simply Delicioso” cookbook by Ingrid Hoffman lately, and this recipe is taken from that. Most of her stuff has a Latin flair and this dish definitely has that, and it’s delicious/delicioso if I don’t say so myself. The chicken is coated in a sweet/spicy rub with brown sugar, cayenne pepper and allspice, and the corn/black bean salsa alongside is awesome and fresh. One of the best things — this is awesome cold and straight out of the fridge, so leftovers are super easy and perfect for a hot day when you don’t want to eat something hot.

I was a little frustrated I couldn’t find jicama at my grocery store since I’ve definitely seen it there before, so I had to omit that in the salad. It would add a nice crunch I think.

TW’s Tips

• I had a little issue when I discovered I didn’t have allspice. Oops. Quick Google search revealed I should mix nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Done. It was pretty clove-y so I’d tone that part down next time.
• Next time I’d add a bit more heat to the rub with more cayenne.
• Instead of cutting up plum tomatoes I used cherry tomatoes and halved them.
• Recommend using fresh corn. I cooked it in the pasta water after that was done cooking since it was already at a boil.
• Double the salsa recipe like I did and use half of it to make a pasta salad alongside. Just add a bit more lemon juice and olive oil.
• Serve with a veggie alongside.
• For leftovers, I just ended up cutting up the chicken and asparagus and threw everything into the pasta salad. Awesome leftovers.

Ingredients

For the Salsa:

• 1½ c. fresh or frozen corn kernels (from about 1 ear of corn)
• Fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 c. peeled and chopped jicama (about 8 oz.)
• 2 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
• 2 scallions, light green and white parts only, finely chopped
• ¼ c. finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Chicken:

• 1/4 c. light or dark brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. ground allspice
• 2 tsp. garlic powder (or 3 garlic cloves, finely minced)
• Salt
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves trimmed of excess fat, rinsed and patted dry
• 1½ c. canola or vegetable oil

Directions

To make the salsa, fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the corn kernels and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Strain and set aside to cool. Whisk the lemon juice and olive oil together in a large bowl. Add the corn, beans, jicama, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, and some salt and pepper. Toss to combine, cover with plastic wrap and set aside or refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

To make the chicken, preheat the grill to high heat. Combine the brown sugar, allspice, garlic powder (or fresh garlic), some salt and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Place 1 chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and, using a flat meat mallet or rolling pin, pound until it is 1/2-inch thick. Repeat with the other 3 breasts. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub them with vegetable oil. Sprinkle both sides with the spice rub and rub it into the meat. Grill the chicken until each side is marked with grill marks and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest on a serving platter for 5 minutes. Serve with the salsa.