Grilled Cuban Chicken Tenders & Mango Salsa

Grilled Cuban Chicken Tenders with Mango Salsa ~ served with Cilantro Lime Rice & Black Beans.  Fresh mangoes really make this salsa rumba & the George Foreman Grill makes cooking the tenders a breeze!

Whole Foods had a sale on mangoes the other day, so I bought a few...OK, I bought a lot.  They looked so good, I just couldn't refuse.  So, I've been enjoying playing around with them & indulging in a few tropical recipes.  I decided a fruity salsa would be a perfect way to add some pizazz to a weekday chicken dinner & as long as I was making salsa ~ I decided to give the meal some Cuban flair.

Cuba Libre cocktail & mangoes ~ doesn't get any fresher than this!

I marinated some chicken tenders, for about an hour, in a Cuban inspired marinade.  While the chicken tenders were doing their thing, I made some rice, black beans & the Mango Salsa.  To jazz up the rice, I added some chopped, fresh cilantro & a squeeze of lime juice.  I doctored up a can of my favorite black beans with ~ a little bit of cumin, fresh lime juice, fresh chopped white onion & cilantro.  I let the black beans simmer gently, while the rice was cooking/chicken was marinating/mango salsa was being made ~ so all the flavors could meld.  While I was in the kitchen, I decided to really get into the Latin spirit of the meal & had a Cuba Libre cocktail while I was making dinner.  Ahh...  :) 

The dinner was full of rich, Latin flavors & the Mango Salsa was the perfect topping for the grilled chicken tenders.  The meal was really easy to pull together & was pretty simple to do.  Marinating the meat took the longest, but cooking it was only 5 minutes on the George Foreman Grill.  I already had everything ready to go long before the marinating was done, so once the chicken was on the grill, dinner got to the table pretty quick.  I love when the idea in my head for dinner works out so well in the kitchen!

Mango Salsa

makes approx. 2 cups
 

Mango Salsa is my new summer favorite, it's amazingly good!

• 1 cup chopped fresh mango (can use frozen mango, but the salsa will be mushier)
• 1 medium tomato,  chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion, sweet or purple (rinsed & drained after chopping)
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice, or to taste
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno ~ or to taste, finely diced ~ optional
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste (try 1/4 tsp first, then add more if needed)

Blend all together in a medium bowl & let salsa sit for 10 minutes so the flavors can develop.  Taste & adjust seasonings if needed, then serve over the grilled chicken tenders or with chips.

Grilled Cuban Chicken Tenders

marinade for 3/4 pound of chicken tenders, can be doubled
the longer it marinates, the more flavor it absorbs

• 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp rum (optional ~ could also use wine, beer or sherry)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt (optional ~ some like to marinate with, some without)

Blend all ingredients together, then pour into a ziplock bag, toss in chicken tenders & massage marinade onto the tenders.  Seal the ziplock baggie & let marinate in fridge for at least one hour.  Turn the bag over a few times as it sits in the fridge.  When ready to cook, drain off the marinade & discard.  Pat the chicken tenders to remove some of the excess marinade before cooking on the preheated Foreman Grill. (I've found if I leave too much marinade on meat, when I use the Foreman Grill, it 'steams' it more than grills it.  Personal preference, so leave it all on if you like)   Cook chicken tenders for approx. 4-5 minutes, or until done.

Spoon the Mango Salsa over the grilled chicken tenders & serve with the jazzed up rice & black beans.  Now it's time to enjoy your Cuban feast!  Care for another Cuba Libre?  Don't mind if I do...   :)