Southwest Grilled Chicken and Veggie Bowls are something we make pretty often during the warmer months and we're constantly out grilling. This bowl has chicken, corn, zucchini, avocado, peppers and onions, but there are a ton of amazing options using the same basic recipe, but switching up the meat or veggies.
HOW TO MAKE GRILLED CHICKEN AND VEGGIES
The prep for this recipe is very simple. You're simply blending the seasonings and cutting the veggies to optimal grilling size.
THE BEST SOUTHWEST SEASONING BLEND
This southwestern seasoning blend is one that I make all the time. Check out the recipe to make a big batch of it here. It goes great with a ton of meats, veggies, eggs and makes great guacamole!
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
- Smoked paprika
HOW TO PREPARE THE CHICKEN CHICKEN AND VEGGIES FOR THE GRILL
The idea behind cutting the chicken and veggies a certain way is to make sure they cook in the proper time with all the other items. We want to be pulling them all off the grill at the same time.
- The first thing you want to do is get the corn shucked and in a pot of boiling water to blanch for about 5 minutes.
- Cut the chicken in half through the center of the breast to make 2 cutlets from each breast
- Cut the pepper stems and bottoms off and then slice lengthwise and open them up to remove all of the whites and seeds. Then cut them into quarters or thirds.
- Remove the stems and ends from the zucchini and then cut in half, then cut the halves into halves. You should end up with 8 triangular and long pieces.
- Slice the red onion ends off and peel. Then cut into 1-inch slices so that the rings stay together on while they grill.
- Slice the avocados in half and remove the pits
- Cut the limes in half
- Pull the corn out of the boiling water and get it into an ice bath to stop it from cooking. After a few minutes, remove and pat dry for seasoning.
MARINADE AND GRILL THE CHICKEN AND VEGGIES
Brush the chicken and veggies with avocado oil and then season generously with the southwestern blend. Once fully seasoned, you can get them straight on the grill, or I like to bag them (make sure to put the chicken and veggies in separate bags) and refrigerate them for 1-2 hours so the spices can really sink into them.
Heat your grill on high to get the burners very hot. Once preheated, lower the heat to medium and coat the grill plates with avocado oil (we like to use spray here).
First you'll add the chicken to get it cooking, as it takes the longest. Next add the corn, peppers, zucchini, onions, and avocados. After each side is browned:
- 3 minutes, flesh side down for the avocado and limes
- 3-4 minutes for each side of the zucchini, corn and onions
- 5-7 minutes per side for the peppers and chicken (the chicken should read 160˚F with an instant read thermometer)
Once the veggies are finished cooking, pull them and let them cool slightly so you can handle them to chop them up for your bowls. Squeeze those grilled limes over all the bowls and enjoy!
FIXED ON FRESH'S TOP WHOLE30 RECIPES:
- Whole30 Chicken Stew
- Apple Pecan Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash
- California Burger Bowls
- Avocado BLT Chicken Salad Wraps
HEALTH BENEFITS OF SOUTHWEST GRILLED CHICKEN AND VEGGIES
This is a big bowl of protein, fiber and great fat sources. Check out some of the nutritional highlights:
PROTEIN. This bowl has a whopping 30 grams of protein to aid in muscle development and recovery.
POTASSIUM. Get 36% of your daily recommended value of potassium from this bowl. A vital electrolyte to help mental and physical function.
FIBER. 9 grams of fiber aid in digestive function, keep you satiated, and regulates blood sugar.
So eat up in good conscious. This bowl is filled with goodness for your taste buds and your body.
📖 Recipe
Southwest Grilled Chicken and Veggie Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon southwest seasoning blend
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 ears corn (shucked)
- 2 (8 oz) chicken breasts (sliced in half to make cutlets)
- 2 red or yellow bell peppers (stemmed, seeded and quartered)
- 2 large zucchini (stemmed and quartered)
- 1 medium red onion (peeled and cut into 1-inch slices)
- 2 avocados (halved and pitted)
- 1 lime (cut in half)
Instructions
- IN A SMALL BOWL, combine all seasonings and set aside
- BRUSH THE CHICKEN AND VEGGIES with avocado oil and then season generously with the seasoning blend
- OPTIONALLY, BAG THE CHICKEN AND VEGGIES in separate bags and refrigerate to marinate further
- HEAT THE GRILL ON HIGH until smoking hot, then reduce heat to medium and spray with additional cooking fat.
- PLACE ALL ITEMS, FLESH SIDE DOWN on the hot grill in the following order: chicken, peppers, corn, onions, then zucchini
- TURN THE VEGGIES AND CHICKEN PERIODICALLY until seared on all sides and cooked to crisp-tender. The chicken should read 160˚F on an instant read thermometer.
- THE LAST 3 MINUTES add the avocados and limes and quickly char them.
- ONCE ALL OF THE ITEMS ARE REMOVED from the grill, allow them to cool 5-10 until they are cool enough to handle.
- CUT ALL OF THE CHICKEN AND VEGGIES into bite-sized pieces and evenly distribute over 4 bowls. Squeeze the limes over all 4 bowls and serve warm.
Nutrition
**This blog post contains affiliate links to products that I actually use and that align with my values. See my affiliate disclaimer here.
PIN IT NOW, MAKE IT LATER!
Leave a Reply