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This Citrus Chicken with Avocado Salsa is bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors! Easy marinade and a simple salsa make this a satisfying and delicious meal.
Featured with this recipe
I first tasted this Citrus Chicken with Avocado Salsa while visiting our Edwards cousins in Hawaii. It was so delicious, I immediately asked if I could share the recipe. Luckily, they directed me to their recipe blog, Edwards Edibles, and it was right there (Kristen’s recipe, thanks Kristen)! It has since become a family favorite. We love the bright, summery flavors that come with just a few sweet, tangy, citrus ingredients.
Citrus Chicken Marinade
This vibrant, flavorful marinade is really easy to make, and turns an ordinary chicken breast into a tropical flavor experience! Here’s what you need:
- Use zest and juice from the limes, oranges, and grapefruit that you’ll use in the fresh salsa.
- Honey, for added sweetness
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Serrano Chile (find it in the produce section of your grocery store)
- Use fresh basil, cumin, and cilantro if you can, otherwise dried herbs will work great.
- Mix it all together and allow the chicken to marinate in a sealed plastic bag or a bowl for at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight.
- Grill it up and use any extra marinade to brush on during grilling.
Avocado Salsa
This avocado salsa could easily be eaten with a spoon! But save a bit to serve over the chicken. Dice some limes, oranges, and grapefruit sections along with fresh cilantro, basil, green onion, honey, cumin and Anaheim chile peppers. Right before serving, add some diced avocado. It’s such a colorful, fresh, and tasty dish!
Frequently Asked Questions
The main difference between avocado salsa and guacamole is in the chunkiness of the avocado. With guacamole, the avocado and other ingredients are mashed into a creamier consistency. In avocado salsa, the avocado and other ingredients are chopped rather than mashed, and left separate.
I like to pair avocado with chicken, bacon (salads and sandwiches), beef (like on burgers), turkey (sandwiches), salmon (sushi or grilled), or with black beans, just to name a few ideas.
Read More: 35+ Quick and Easy To Follow Dinner Ideas Your Family Will Surely Love
Other Yummy Chicken Recipes
If you love the flavor the grill gives to chicken as much as we do, try some of our other grilled chicken recipes:
- Coconut Curry Grilled Chicken – Grilled Chicken with a taste of India. The chicken is marinated in coconut milk, curry, honey, lime, and cilantro and then grilled to perfection.
- Grilled Malibu Chicken – This grilled chicken is marinated in a honey mustard sauce and then topped with ham and cheese. It is served with a fabulous dipping sauce made with Greek yogurt.
- Grilled Balsamic Chicken – This has been a go-to recipe of ours for years. The chicken is marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Italian seasonings. It has so much flavor and always comes out tender, never dry. It is perfect for slicing and serving on a big, green salad.
- Top 10 Chicken Breast Recipes – Still looking for more dinner inspiration? We’ve got you covered. These are our Top 10 chicken recipes chosen by YOU, our readers!
How to Make Citrus Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Citrus Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Ingredients
Salsa:
- 2 limes segmented
- 2 oranges segmented
- 1 medium grapefruit segmented
- 1 Serrano Chile stemmed, seeded and minced
- 1 green onion white part only minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon minced Anaheim Chile pepper
Marinade:
- 2 tablespoons citrus zest reserved from the salsa
- 1/2 cup citrus juice reserved from the salsa
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 Serrano Chile stemmed, seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts I prefer to use the chicken tenders
- 2 Firm Ripe Avocados
Instructions
To make salsa:
- Wash and dry the limes, oranges, and grapefruit. Grate their zests and set aside for use in the marinade. Peel and section the citrus fruit, discarding the membranes, and reserve the juice for the marinade. Cut each citrus segment into three or four pieces and place in a large mixing bowl with the remaining salsa ingredients. Mix and refrigerate until one hour before serving.
To make marinade:
- Whisk the reserved citrus zest and juice with remaining ingredients.
- Rinse chicken breasts under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in large plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press out the air and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, place in a bowl and refrigerate for 4-8 hours, turning occasionally.
1 Hour before serving:
- Cut the avocados into chunks and mix with salsa, Let sit at room temperature.
15 minutes before serving:
- Grill the chicken! Discard the marinade and grill at direct medium heat until juices run clear. (8-10 minutes)
Is there a different citrus fruit I could use? I can’t have grapefruit? I take a medication that reacts badly with grapefruit.
This recipe sounds so delicious, I can’t wait to fix it!
Yum!
Of course, you can just use an additional orange and leave out the grapefruit. Thanks for asking!
The marinade was exceptional as promised! It’s my new go-to. And anytime I have an avocado this is what I’m making.
My family LOVED this! We will be adding it to the rotation, thank you!
I’m using this avocado salsa for so many things. Chips mostly! Thanks for the recipe.
Your recipe sounds and looks amazing! but I need to make a correction…
In your instruction you state: “Cut each citrus segment into three or four pieces and place in a large
stainless steel mixing bowl with the remaining salsa ingredients”…
I am Latina and grew uo around dishes such as this and the first thing mama (grandmother) taught us was NEVER put citrus and metal (stainless or otherwise) together as it will change the flavor of the food/recipe. For citrus it’s better to use glass or wooden dishes/ bowls when cooking…. Just saying
THANK YOU so much for catching this! We have never heard this rule before but after reading your comment it makes complete sense. I will start going by this rule from now on. Thank you! (I changed the recipe instructions as well)
I need to make a correction. Instruct to make marinade first, Salsa next. Instruct to have extra juice in a different way . Chronologically that would have helped. Looking forward to it!
Happy New Year-& Here’s to a Prosperous & Healthy One! Boy-you pretty ladies always have the best recipes & I can come here & find something different every time! Thanks! Can’t wait to try this one!
Karen– you are so awesome 😀 Thanks so much! You are going to live this recipe… SO good, Seriously.
Hooray! I am so glad you tried this! You should try the pork chop recipe that Karen put up a month or so ago – I ate them tonight and they were good. You guys have to buy the Weber Grill book – it is amazing. Everything that I have made from it has been great. Most has been incredible.