Chili-Lime Chicken with Herby Quinoa and Charred Vegetables

This dish hits all the right notes: smoky, citrusy chicken thighs with a good kick of heat, a fragrant quinoa that soaks up every drip of the pan juices, and vegetables that go properly dark and sweet on a hot cast-iron pan. The lime does a lot of the heavy lifting here, so use fresh. Quinoa is a great base for this because it holds its own against bold flavours without going soggy. The whole thing comes together faster than you'd think, and it photographs beautifully.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb Boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 4 limes Fresh limes, zested and juiced
  • 1½ tsp Chili flakes
  • 2 tsp Smoked paprika
  • 1½ tsp Ground cumin
  • 1 tsp Garlic powder
  • 1¾ tsp Fine sea salt
  • 4 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1½ cups White quinoa, rinsed well
  • 2¾ cups Low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 cup loosely packed Fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup loosely packed Fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 5 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 medium Zucchini, cut into ½-inch half-moons
  • 2 large Red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into 1-inch strips
  • 7 oz Broccolini, ends trimmed
  • 1 medium Fresh red chili, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp Coconut aminos

Instructions

  1. Zest 4 limes, then juice them. You want about 6 tbsp lime juice total. Set the zest aside separately, you'll use the zest in the quinoa later.
  2. Mince 3 cloves garlic for the marinade.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 tbsp olive oil, 6 tbsp lime juice (reserve 1 tbsp of it for finishing), 2 tbsp coconut aminos, 3 cloves garlic (minced), 1½ tsp chili flakes, 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, and ¾ tsp fine sea salt. Stir everything together.
  4. Add 2 lb (900 g) boneless, skin-on chicken thighs to the marinade. Turn each piece to coat well. Let them sit at room temperature while you start the quinoa, at least 15 minutes.
  5. While the chicken marinates, rinse 1½ cups (255 g) white quinoa under cold running water in a fine-mesh strainer for about 30 seconds, swishing it with your hand. This gets rid of the bitter coating.
  6. Mince 2 cloves garlic for the quinoa.
  7. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add a small drizzle of olive oil (just enough to coat the bottom) and add the 2 cloves garlic (minced). Stir for about 30 seconds until it smells fragrant but hasn't coloured yet. Add the rinsed 1½ cups quinoa and toast it in the pan for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  8. Pour in 2¾ cups (660 ml) low-sodium chicken stock and add ½ tsp fine sea salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
  9. While the quinoa simmers, prep the vegetables. Cut 2 medium zucchini into ½-inch half-moons, deseed and cut 2 large red bell peppers into 1-inch strips, and trim the ends off 7 oz (200 g) broccolini.
  10. Toss the prepped vegetables in a large bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil and ½ tsp fine sea salt.
  11. Once the quinoa has had its 15 minutes, take it off the heat. Don't lift the lid, leave it to steam for 5 minutes.
  12. Roughly chop 1 cup (25 g) fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems) and ½ cup (12 g) flat-leaf parsley.
  13. Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Stir in all the chopped herbs, the reserved lime zest, and the reserved 1 tbsp lime juice. Taste and adjust salt. Cover to keep warm.
  14. Get your cast-iron pan over high heat. Let it preheat for about 3 minutes until it's properly hot, hold your hand 2 inches above the surface and it should feel fierce. No oil needed; the marinade on the chicken has enough fat.
  15. Lay the marinated chicken thighs skin-side down in the hot pan in a single layer. You may need to do two batches depending on the size of your pan. Press them down lightly with tongs for the first 30 seconds to get good contact. Cook without moving for 6 minutes until the skin is deeply coloured and releases from the pan easily.
  16. Flip the chicken and cook for another 6 to 8 minutes on the other side, until the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C) on a meat thermometer and the juices run clear when pierced. Set aside to rest on the cutting board.
  17. While the chicken rests (about 5 minutes), char the vegetables in the same cast-iron pan over high heat. Add the oiled vegetables in a single layer, do this in two batches so they char rather than steam. Press broccolini and pepper strips flat against the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes without stirring, until the undersides go properly dark in patches, then toss and cook another 2 minutes.
  18. Thinly slice 1 medium fresh red chili for garnish.
  19. Slice the rested chicken thighs against the grain. To plate, spoon the herby quinoa into wide shallow bowls, fan the sliced chicken over the top, and pile the charred vegetables to one side. Scatter fresh chili slices over everything and add a lime wedge on the side.