Southwest Barbecued Chicken Bowls

This bowl is creamy, bright, crisp, tangy, sweet, and savory all at the same time. You can substitute the homemade barbecue sauce with half of a cup of store bought—but why would you want to? The sauce is so easy and yummy, you might make a double or triple batch and enjoy it all summer long.

Cuisine:
American
Course:
Entrée

Ingredients

For the barbecue sauce:

1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste

For the bowls:

2 limes, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 cups green cabbage, thinly shredded
1/3 cup red cabbage, thinly shredded
1/3 cup carrots, thinly shredded
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
salt , to taste
pepper, to taste
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups white or brown rice
6 corn or flour tortillas
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 16 ounce can black or pinto beans
1 cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen
1 cup Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese
small springs fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Make the barbecue sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the ketchup, vinegar, molasses, sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cloves, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste and set aside to cool.
Make the bowls: Zest one of the limes. Squeeze the lime to yield 1 tablespoon of juice. In a large bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the green cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, and onion and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside. Cut the remaining lime into wedges and set aside
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, cook the rice according to package directions. In a small saucepan, warm the beans in their liquid. Cover both saucepans to keep warm and set aside.
Heat an skillet. Add the tortillas and cook, turning occasionally, until warmed and softened, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a plate, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
Heat a grill pan. Add the tortillas and cook, turning occasionally, until warmed and softened, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a plate, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil on the grill pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until almost done, about 5 minutes per side. Brush both sides with the remaining barbecue sauce and continue to cook until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, loosely cover with foil, and set aside.
Arrange the rice in bowls. Use a slotted spoon to arrange the beans on top. Add the cabbage mixture, corn, and cheese. Slice the chicken and arrange it on the bowls. Drizzle with the sour cream mixture and garnish with the lime wedges and cilantro. Serve with the tortillas on the side.