Spice Rubbed BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Salsa Rice Plate

Unfortunately I can’t take full credit for this recipe. I wish I could, but I can’t.

My wonderful hubby (hey sweetie!) is the master behind this amazingly delicious spice rubbed chicken – so therefore it is man-approved, so likely Dad-approved (well unless he’s vegan, then you could do spice rubbed tofu??) and would make a perfect meal for upcoming Father’s Day this Sunday… or any other day for that matter!

Since the first sign of Summer, the hubby and I have been firing up the BBQ on the daily, almost. We love to BBQ – chicken, fish, bison, tofu, veggies, fruit… you name it, we probably have tried to grill it. So we’ve been trying to add some variety to our grilling dishes and the hubby went to town in the pantry one day and came up with this killer-of-a-spice-mix.

When I first tried it; the combination of garlic, onion, smoky paprika, cayenne, mustard, and herbs… there was an audible “MmmMMmMmmMmMm!”. It was SO yummy!

The perfect amount of heat and a mouth full of amazing flavour. My mind went to work on how I could use this spice mix to create a blog-worthy meal that would be perfect for Summertime grilling!

I love chicken thighs. They are a nice change from chicken breasts and I find they have a little more flavour. They are higher in saturated fats, but are still a great source of protein, so we swap them in for breasts every now and then. I knew that chicken thighs would be a perfect fit for this awesome spice mix!

Because the mix carries some heat from the cayenne and smoked paprika, I thought a cool, refreshing, sweet salsa would be the perfect compliment!

The spice mix almost reminds me of a Jerk Chicken seasoning (a little) so that thought inspired the simple pineapple salsa I whipped up as a compliment to the spicy, delicious chicken!

Pineapple is a favourite of mine and we love to toss sliced pineapple on the grill too!

For a healthy dose of complex carbohydrates to accompany the chicken and salsa I chose simple, brown rice. Not wanting to overshadow the other bold flavours I knew brown rice would work well, plus it makes a great base for soaking up all the juices that run from the salsa!

Father’s Day is this Sunday and if you are celebrating a grilling man, I highly recommend you put this delicious Spice Rubbed BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Salsa Rice Plate on the menu!

P.S. Don’t be intimidated by the length of this recipe – it’s mostly spices!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Spice Rubbed BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Salsa Rice Plate

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the chicken:
8 chicken thighs, skinless/boneless (preferably organic)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp Keg spice (or run of the mill steak spice)
½ tsp mustard powder
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried parsley
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
For the salsa:
1 cup diced pineapple
½ cup diced tomato
¼ cup diced red onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
juice of 1 whole lime
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
For the rice:
1 cup brown rice
2 cups organic chicken broth

Instructions

Prepare the rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop by combining 1 cup brown rice with 2 cups broth. Once cooked set aside, or while cooking, prepare the rest.
For the salsa, in a bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Taste and add more salt or lime as preferred. Set in the fridge to chill.
For the spiced rubbed chicken. Add all of the spices to a bowl and stir to combine.
Dredge each chicken thigh in the spice mix and rub the spice thoroughly into each chicken thigh.
Grill the spice rubbed thighs on the BBQ until done.
Between 4 plates divide the cooked rice, top with 2 chicken thighs (or more), and a big spoonful of the salsa.

Have a splendid Thursday!

Also – if you haven’t grabbed your copy of the NITK Meal Planning Guide – head over to this post! Just $5.49 for the guide to help you become a Master Meal Planner!

Christal

Nutritionist in the Kitch