Smoky Orange Chicken Bowls with Mexican Street Corn Cauliflower Rice

Smoky Orange Chicken Bowls with Mexican Street Corn Cauliflower Rice - this orange zest, smoked paprika and ancho chile marinated chicken is quickly broiled in the oven to get crispy smoky caramelized edges and then served on a bed of creamy corn and jalapeno cauliflower rice. Packed with so much flavor, gluten free and really beautiful!

I think I saved the best for last....
My Entree entry for the "Lifeway Foods Blogger Recipe Challenge" might be the best thing I've made in a while! I used Lifeway Organic Plain Unsweetened Kefir two ways in this dish- as a marinade for the chicken and as a dressing for the cauliflower rice salad.
Marinating the chicken in Kefir keeps it super tender, juicy and flavorful! Broiling the chicken saves you from having to fool with the grill and you still get deliciously caramelized brown edges that add to the smokiness that the chili powder and smoked paprika introduced to the dish!
The Mexican Street Corn Cauliflower Rice is packed with veggies, color and flavor and way more healthy than the traditional mayo laden version.

Just look at all those crispy edges! So delicious, and so easy to quickly broil all of the chicken on one pan - no chasing food on grill grates here!

Smoky Orange Chicken Bowls with Mexican Street Corn Cauliflower Rice

1 large orange

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 cup Lifeway Organic Plain Unsweetened Kefir

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons ancho chile powder

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 ½ -inch cubes

1 (11 ounce) bag frozen fire roasted corn with peppers

1 (1 pound) bag frozen cauliflower rice

6 Tablespoons Lifeway Organic Plain Unsweetened Kefir

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped

½ cup crumbled cotija cheese

1 jalapeno, minced

¼ cup sliced green onion

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Juice of 1 lime

Zest the orange and then cut into wedges. Add the orange zest, garlic, Plain Unsweetened Kefir, olive oil, salt, smoked paprika, ancho chile powder, pepper and cumin to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the chicken and stir until all the pieces are evenly coated. Cover tightly and set in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Remove the chicken from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Set the broiler on high and place an oven rack on the top third of the oven. Transfer chicken to a broiler pan and discard marinade. Broil the chicken for 5-7 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are browning. Remove the pan from the oven and flip all of the chicken pieces over, return the pan to the oven and continue to cook for about 3-5 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through.

While the chicken is broiling, prepare the frozen fire roasted corn with peppers and frozen cauliflower rice according to package directions. Pour both into a medium mixing bowl and stir together until evenly combined.  Stir in the Lifeway Organic Plain Unsweetened Kefir, mayonnaise, cilantro, cotija cheese, jalapeno, green onion, kosher salt, garlic powder and lime juice. 

To serve, place scoops of the Mexican Street Corn Cauliflower Rice into 6 serving bowls. Top each with an equal amount of the Smoky Orange Chicken and an orange wedge. 

Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings. 

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