Grilled Chicken With Strawberry-Jalapeño Salsa Recipe

Strawberries paired with chicken is a classic combo you’ll see here in California, most often during the spring and summer months. This tasty chicken dish showcases this combo beautifully by topping grilled sweet-and-spicy rubbed chicken with vibrant strawberry salsa. The strawberry salsa is very pico-de-gallo-esque, with the usual suspects, including fresh jalapeños, onion, cilantro and lime along with California classics like fresh strawberries and a touch of honey for sweetness. My favorite part about this dish is the crispy caramelized bits on the chicken after it’s grilled — they’re so good! And the fact that this delicious Cal-Mex dish is ready in less than 30 minutes means that you’ll love it too. ​—Caitlin Prettyman

 

Grilled Chicken with Strawberry-Jalapeño Salsa

Serves 4

Total time: 25 minutes

 

Ingredients

For Strawberry-Jalapeño Salsa:

• 2 cups chopped strawberries
• 1 large jalapeño, deseeded & finely chopped
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro (leaves & stems)
• 2 green onion stalks, sliced (green & white parts)
• 1 lime, juiced
• ½ tbsp honey
• Salt, to taste

For Grilled Chicken:

• Olive oil, to brush over the grill
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)

 

Directions

To make the strawberry-jalapeño salsa, mix the strawberries, jalapeño, cilantro, green onion, lime juice and honey together in a bowl and season it with salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate the salsa.

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates to prevent sticking.

While the grill heats, in a small bowl, mix the smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper together. Rub the spice mixture evenly over both sides of each chicken breast.

Once the grill is hot, place the chicken directly on the grill and cook it for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until the chicken is lightly blackened and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a tray once it’s done and let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Alternatively, you can bake the chicken at 400°F for 20 to 22 minutes.

Serve the chicken hot with the strawberry-jalapeño salsa spooned over each breast.

Caitlin’s flavor tip: Add another ½ tablespoon of honey to the salsa if you prefer it sweeter.

Reprinted with permission from Fast and Fresh Cal-Mex Cooking by Caitlin Prettyman. Page Street Publishing Co. 2024.