Yucatán Citrus Chicken Bowls
with Poblano, Smoky Red Pepper Crema & Pickled Onion
- Milk
Punchy, tangy citrus is a key ingredient in the Yucatán’s vibrant cuisine. There, lime and orange juices are often used to marinate pork and chicken, and also serve as pickling liquid for a tangy onion garnish. Tonight’s Yucatán-inspired marinade blends lime and mandarin orange juices with zesty spices, which not only adds savory, tangy notes to the finished dish—it also tenderizes the meat for juicy results. It’s served over spiced jasmine rice with sautéed poblano and onion, then drizzled with smoky red pepper crema. Lime-pickled onions and aromatic cilantro complete this truly SUPER bowl.
Ingredients
10 ounce
Chopped Chicken Breast
1 unit
Onion
½ cup
Jasmine Rice
4 tablespoon
Smoky Red Pepper Crema
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Long Green Pepper
1 teaspoon
Ancho Chili Powder
1 unit
Lime
1 unit
Mandarin Orange
1 unit
Tex-Mex Paste
1 tablespoon
Southwest Spice Blend
¼ ounce
Cilantro
Not included in your delivery
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Wash and dry produce. • Halve mandarin. Zest and quarter lime. Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion. Halve, core, and thinly slice poblano crosswise into strips. Roughly chop cilantro. • Pat chicken* dry with paper towels; place in a medium bowl. Toss with Tex-Mex paste, juice from mandarin, lime zest, half the Southwest Spice (you’ll use the rest in the next step), and juice from one lime wedge (two wedges for 4 servings).
• In a small pot, combine rice, ¾ cup water (1½ cups water for 4 servings), remaining Southwest Spice, and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. • Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
• While rice cooks, in a small microwave-safe bowl, combine ¼ of the onion, juice from half the lime, ¼ tsp sugar (½ tsp for 4 servings), and a pinch of salt. Microwave until onion is softened, 1 minute. Set aside. • In a separate small bowl, combine smoky red pepper crema and a pinch of salt. Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add poblano and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. • Add another drizzle of oil and remaining onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until veggies are tender, 4-6 minutes. • Transfer to a plate.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Add a pinch of chili powder to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. • Stir in veggies, then remove pan from heat.
• Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 1 TBSP butter until melted. Season with salt to taste. • Divide rice between bowls and top with chicken and veggies, crema, and as much pickled onion (draining first) as you like. Sprinkle with cilantro. Cut remaining lime into wedges and serve on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Feb 2026- Flavor: Many loved the complex, tangy flavors, with some finding it deliciously spicy while others thought it needed more kick 🌶️.
- Ease of prep: Several noted it was easy to make, though some found the multiple steps and bowls time-consuming.
- Suggestions: Consider adding avocado, black beans, or tortilla chips for extra texture and flavor; some preferred chicken over turkey.
- Portions: Many wished for more rice to balance the meat and veggies; some found the overall portion size small.
- Veggies: Several wanted more vegetables included, suggesting bell peppers, zucchini or spinach for variety and color.
Reviews from our home cooks
We loved this dish!! So good and flavorful! The pickling method of the onion was new to me and it's actually really good!! The marinade for the chicken was delicious and refreshing with that citrus tang. It was so good with the onions and peppers! The rice was cooked with the southwest seasoning but honestly I wish it had a little bit more of a kick to it! The crema is very good and gave everything a good balance between the citrus and smoky-ness from the rest of the dish! Would definitely get again!
Yucatan Citrus Chicken Bowl was delicious; however, the recipe was complicated. Some of the items used for the recipe were label different on package than what the recipe called for. Also the recipe did not tell you what to do with all items. Loved the pickled onions! We guessed but it still turned out great. Only recipe that we have had the problem with.
LOVE this. I am now a fan of poblano peppers, I had no clue! Kind of sweet and smoky, am adding it in to my dishes at home now. Loved how the chicken came out, hope I can find a comparable Tex-mex paste. I think that really punched up the flavor. I didn't love the rice. Found it a bit bland and needed more water and time than the directions stated. Also, didn't think the directions on making the crema was super clear. I didn't get one of the spice packets. However, I loved the finish product so much I don't mind. The pickled Onions were lovely.
Great blend of flavors; I loved the poblano and pickled onions, and the sauce for the chicken. (I had to improvise the pickling heat w/o a microwave.) Skipped the salt for the crema and didn't miss it. The chicken "strips" were more like chunks, and had an uneven texture (fat?).
All about that Smoky Red Pepper Crema!! Make that separate and totally sell that in stores. I'd buy it in a blink! Was assisted by my 14yo kid. He made the sauces and cut the veggies. Directions were easy! Zero confusion. It was really good. I learned to pickle onions which were great! The orange was a good call in this. Im not an orange person. I added garlic salt to the veggies for a bit more flavor. We loved this!
This ended up making three meals instead of two, and they seemed like the right size portions. If I make this again, I would add the mandarin and lime juice to the chicken right before serving. The juices got cooked out and couldn't really taste the citrus. Nice flavors overall, and enjoyed the pickled onion with it.
I reduced the spices in most ingredients. I added about 3/4 cup of spinach right before I added the chicken back into the pan with onion and poblano. Also think this would taste great over lettuce during HOT summer months, such as AZ has. Also would consider increasing veggies by adding some zucchini, etc. Also I often mix brown and white rice to increase fiber for some meals. Just some ideas. BUT the meal was great just we received. Thank you.
These flavors are BRILLIANT!! The way the citrus and ancho chili/Tex-Mex flavors work together is amazing! The chicken with the veggies are zesty, the buttery rice is delicious, and pickled onions are a total game changer! I hate pickled stuff, but pickled onions make this dish next level! LOVE IT!!
There was a little too much smokiness in the chicken, especially since the rice also has a smoky flavor. Other than that, the chicken had a nice citrus flavor. We ended up sautéing the onions with the poblano peppers since we didn't think pickling the onions would be good with this dish
I am from Yucatan, this is a good attempt of a yucatecan meal. Its interesting the substitutions for bitter orange and achiote. However, I would remove the poblano and the cream.
