Oh my!  This meal is SOOOO delicious!  The mixture of flavors is completely magical.  I love the way they all come together.  It’s unique, but so flavorful and unforgettable.  That lime flavor meets up with the jerk seasoning and it’s like fireworks!  My sweet husband declared that this dish is restaurant worthy and he is always happy to see it when it graces our kitchen table.    If you’re looking for something different, but also something that is guaranteed to be a hit in your home. . . add this to the dinner line-up. Now.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Sweet Potatoes & Black Beans
Modified from a recipe found at Group Recipes

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 white or yellow onion, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled, cut into ½-inch chunks
4 teaspoons Caribbean jerk seasoning, divided
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 lime
14.5 oz. black beans, rinsed
Salt, to taste
Cilantro, optional (for garnishing)

Heat large deep skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil, then onion.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Stir in sweet potato.  Sprinkle 2 teaspoons jerk seasoning over the vegetables; cook for 1 minute.  Add broth and bay leaves; simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile. . . cook/grill the chicken.  Preheat broiler (or an indoor grill such as the George Foreman).  Sprinkle the remaining 2 tsp. jerk seasoning over chicken; coat chicken with cooking spray.  Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat source until the chicken is just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.  (Alternatively, cook in a ridged grill pan…like a George Foreman Grill…over medium heat or grill over medium coals.)

Grate enough lime zest to measure 1/2 tsp.  Stir zest, black beans and salt into the sweet potato mixture.  Continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender.  Discard bay leaves.  Remove from heat.  Juice lime and stir lime juice into sweet potato mixture.  Transfer the sweet potato-bean mixture to 5 plates, top with chicken.  Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

ENJOY!  Serve with salad or some other yummy vegetable.

Note:  I have also cut my chicken into bite-sized pieces, seasoned it with jerk seasoning and then cooked it in my skillet BEFORE cooking my onion.  Once the chicken is done, I transfer it to plate and tent it with foil.  I follow the rest of the recipe as outlined and add the cooked chicken back to the skillet when I add the black beans to the sweet potatoes so that it can heat back through.  This seems easier at times (with less dishes to wash) and it’s much easier to divide amongst 5 people….considering there’s only 4 chicken breasts in the recipe.)

Serves 5.

Nutritional Information Per Serving
Calories: 249.7
Protein: 30.7g
Carbs: 26.8g
Fat:  2.6g