If you are looking for the perfect side dish for delicious jerk chicken, consider this all-in-one Healthy Pineapple Jerk Chicken Bowl!
Flavorful skillet chicken is seasoned in organic jerk spices and paired with steamed broccoli and the bright flavors of pineapple black bean salsa on top of wild rice in a bowl!
The smoky flavors of spicy jerk chicken and the sweet flavor of pineapple salsa combine for the perfect balance in this weeknight dinner favorite.
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I was in love since the first time trying Jamaican Jerk chicken. This has become one of my very favorite chicken and rice dishes.
The kids love pineapple (and all things sweet, of course) so the pineapple jerk chicken bowl became an instant favorite.
The sweetness of pineapple juice makes for the perfect pair for the savory flavors of jerk chicken!
I adapted this from a recipe I tried a few years ago, published by Budget Bytes.
To make it even better, healthy bowls are a great way to mix up the salad scene and create a complete meal with the best side dishes mixed together with your main ingredient.
If you are into having traditional sides, you can still add a delicious cucumber salad with leafy greens or roasted sweet potatoes and root veggies (yum!)
Another healthy rice bowl to try is our popular Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Stir Fry Bowl.
Setting Intentions
Take in a few deep, slow breaths and get ready to set some powerful intentions as our primary ingredient to a healthy meal. Then, we will head on over to the grocery store and back to the kitchen for a quick, healthy, and mouthwatering dinner that even a toddler's taste buds will love!
Intentions are key to manifesting abundant health in every endeavor. Clean and healthy food pairs perfectly with clear and healthy intentions. Setting intentions is quick and easy.
With practice, it easily becomes second nature. Even during an action-packed day, take a moment to breathe and infuse positive and upward-moving thoughts and prayers into each meal and activity.
This powerful practice amplifies positive results and experiences exponentially. Learn more about setting intentions here.
Examples of Intentions
Some examples can be as simple as one word- health, wellness, strength, peace, love. Others may resonate with specific intentions. In the same way, you are infusing positive vibrations into all that you do, create, and consume!
*I choose clean, healthy ingredients that fuel my body.
*My intention is to enjoy this delicious jerk chicken meal that will help my family feel fantastic.
*My blood pressure is in the perfect range for me. I am grateful for healthy food that satisfies me.
*It is my intention to create a healthy and nutrient-dense meal that the whole family enjoys!
*The possibilities are endless, with each positive affirmation and intention you speak and actualize into existence.
The subconscious directs your cells to conspire in your favor 🙂 Keep up the good work and happy manifesting!
Now onto the food creations!
Ingredients
- Wild rice (or cauliflower rice)
- Broth or water (You can also opt to use organic canned coconut milk to make coconut rice for an option of different flavor combinations!
- Chicken breast- organic is best!
- Pineapple (or mango) Using fresh fruits always tastes best!
- Red onion
- Cilantro Organic
- Lime juice
- Garlic Garlic is always best bought organic to avoid bleached garlic grown in unsanitary conditions (usually in China)
- Black beans Canned organic black beans in BPA-free cans!
- Jerk seasoning an organic jerk seasoning blend is best. As a good practice, check ingredients to ensure that the only ingredients are spices (without health-compromising preservatives or additives!)
- Avocado oil (extra virgin olive oil works as well, but avocado oil is recommended for its high smoke point)
- Broccoli (organic is best!)
- Garlic salt
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Cook rice
Cook butterflied chicken breasts with seasoning to 165F. Remove from heat, cool, and shred.
Steam broccoli
Put rice in a bowl and top with shredded chicken.
Mix onions, pineapple, cilantro, black beans, lime juice, and salt in a bowl and top the chicken and rice with the bean salsa. Add broccoli and enjoy!
Hints: If you have separate pans the rice, chicken, and broccoli can cook simultaneously. (Dinner will be ready even sooner!)
Cook chicken and rice at the same time and start the broccoli near the end.
While the chicken and rice cook, chop the pineapple and onion, squeeze the lime, and rinse the beans.
While broccoli steams, chop the chicken and mix everything together!
Substitutions and Variations
- For a vegan alternative, consider using jackfruit or tempeh as the protein! They can even be substituted with jerk-seasoned zucchini
- Wild Rice may be substituted with brown rice or jasmine rice. It can also be substituted with quinoa or cauliflower rice for a low-carb/ grain-free alternative.
- Broccoli can also be easily substituted for your favorite classic side of steamed or sauteed vegetables like green beans or collard greens.
- For those who like spicy foods, red hot pepper flakes are a great addition to increase the heat of jerk chicken.
- Pineapple salsa can be switched out with mango salsa for a different sweet flavor profile.
Equipment
Storage
We often store the pineapple, black bean, cilantro, onion, and lime mixture in one bowl; chicken in one bowl, and rice in another.
It can also be all mixed together and stored that way.
Either way, leftovers are saved in an airtight container for 4 days in the fridge and 4-6 months in the freezer.
FAQ
Jamaica has an abundance of plantains and white rice. These two staples have been used for centuries in traditional jerk-seasoned recipes. The sweetness of the fruit combines naturally with traditional jerk spices. Pineapple has a similar quality.
There are many options for sides. For this recipe, we combined a pineapple black bean salsa with multi-grain rice and steamed broccoli. A marinated cucumber salad with leafy greens, herb-roasted root vegetables, collard greens, and steamed garlic butter green beans are all excellent sides as well.
Jerk Chicken can absolutely be a healthy dish. It all depends on the quality of ingredients you choose to prepare it! Follow my recipe instructions for tips on choosing the healthiest ingredients!
Recipe
Healthy Pineapple Jerk Chicken Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups wild rice blend rinsed
- 3.5 cups broth or water
- 2 lb chicken breasts skinless and boneless
- 1 tablespoon Jerk Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ red onion minced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ¼ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- ½ lime juiced
- 1 cup pineapples finely chopped
- 1 head of broccoli cut into florets
Instructions
- Boil 3.5 cups of purified water or organic chicken broth and add in 2 cups of rinsed wild rice. Reduce to medium heat and cover for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let steam, covered for 5 additional minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside
- Butterfly-cut chicken breast fillets (in half, in order to make a thinner and more uniform piece of meat that will cook evenly). Season both sides of the meat with jerk seasoning.
- Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for one minute until fragrant. Add chicken to skillet and let cook for about 6-7min on each side, until all pink is gone and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165. Remove chicken from skillet and let cool on cutting board for 5 min. Slice or shred chicken to desired consistency.
- Place broccoli florets in a steamer basket above half inch of water in a pot. Season with garlic salt and cover. Bring water to a boil. Cover and let steam for 6-7minutes. Remove from heat.
- Put rice in a bowl and top with shredded chicken.
- Put onions, pineapple, cilantro, black beans, lime juice, and salt in a bowl and toss to combine. Top the chicken with the bean salsa mixture. add steamed broccoli to the rice and chicken bowl. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
NCP says
The jerk flavors are so good with the black bean salsa. I can even eat the bean salsa with a spoon by itself!