A robustly flavored Citrus Chicken Marinade comes complete with fresh orange and lime juice. The citrus sauce has three purposes -- marinating, basting, and a finishing sauce.
PREP: Use a microplane to zest & a citrus juicer to juice oranges and limes. Remove large pieces of fat/gristle and cube the thighs into 1-inch pieces.
BLEND: Add everything under "blend" to a small blender jar and blend until smooth; about 45 seconds.
DIVIDESAUCE: Pour 1/3 cup of the sauce in a mason jar in the fridge. Remove another 3 tablespoons and place in a separate jar in the fridge.
MARINATE: Pour the rest of the marinade into a large bag. Add cubed chicken thighs to the bag. Seal the bag without air in it and knead the marinade into the chicken. Place in the fridge and marinate for 30 minutes up to 3 hours. Don't marinate longer than 4 hours.
HEAT OVEN: Position an oven rack 6 inches from the element. Preheat the broiler to high and let it fully heat up. Line a sheet pan with foil. OR TO GRILL, see Note 2.
SKEWER CHICKEN: Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto the skewers letting any excess marinade drip off (discard).
BROIL: Place skewers, spaced apart, on prepared pan. Broil for 12 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F and has a golden exterior. Right out of the oven sprinkle some salt on the skewers (add to taste). Take the reserved 3 tablespoons sauce and brush over the chicken.
SERVING: Meanwhile, add drained & rinsed beans to a bowl and pour over a few tablespoons of the reserved 1/3 cup sauce. Gently stir and season if needed. Pour more or reserved sauce in rice (add to taste). Divide rice and beans evenly among 4 bowls. Add chicken on top. Drizzle any remaining sauce on top of bowls and enjoy!
Notes
Note 1: Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are the only meat that works well with the method of oven-broiling. To use breasts, you'll want to grill them.Here's how to prep for grilling chicken breasts: before marinating, slice breasts in half horizontally. Then, pound chicken breasts into evenly thick pieces (don't pound to flatten, just to ensure pieces are even thickness throughout to ensure even cooking). I really like this meat mallet, and here's a good YouTube video that illustrates the pounding process. No meat mallet? Use the base of a frying pan or even your fist to even out the chicken!Note 2: To Grill Chicken: Preheat grill to medium-high (400-450 degrees F.) Add chicken to a clean, well-greased grill (I grease grill grates by holding a vegetable oil-drenched paper towel with tongs and rubbing it across grates). Using tongs, pick up chicken from the bag, allowing excess marinade to drip off. Place chicken flat on the grill, and use a pastry brush to immediately brush on some of the reserved 3 tablespoons basting mixture. Close grill and cook for 4-5 minutes or until nicely caramelized. Use a sharp metal turner to scrape up and flip the chicken to the other side. Brush chicken generously with the rest of the reserved basting mixture. Close the grill and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the chicken registers 160 degrees F. (Timing will vary based on the size of the chicken and the actual heat of the grill.) Remove to a plate and cover loosely with foil to rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice. Taste and add more salt if needed.