Macheesmo

People need to branch WAY out for salsas. Sure… tomatoes, tomatillos, it’s all good. But, fruit salsas are were my brain is at this summer. The Cantaloupe Habanero Salsa I made to top this grilled chicken is way up there in my list of favorites.

Of course, peeling and mincing a cantaloupe is an annoying step and habanero peppers can always be a tricky ingredient to work with. But, the flavors go SO well together. Habaneros have a natural fruity flavor to them and just one gives plenty of spice for this salsa.

The salsa would go well with almost anything grilled, but goes particularly nice on grilled chicken or shrimp.

My only regret is not making a double batch of the salsa so I can eat it with chips! It’s that good and not something you’ll find in stores.

Grilled Chicken with Cantaloupe Habanero Salsa

by Nick

Serves:

Serves 4

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

40 mins

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Bright and fresh and just spicy enough! This Grilled Chicken with Cantaloupe Salsa is brought to life with minced habanero! YUM!

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (4 cutlets)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon granulated onion

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Cilantro, garnish

Cantaloupe Habanero Salsa:

2 cups minced cantaloupe

1/2 cup minced red onion

1 habanero, seeded and minced

1/2 lime, juice only

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

Kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

1. To make salsa, use a sturdy chef knife to slice the peel off of half of a cantaloupe. Then scoop out seeds and mince the flesh into about 1/4-inch pieces.
2. To prep habanero, cut pepper in half and cut out seeds and stem. Then mince finely and add to cantaloupe. Wash hands, cutting board, and knife well to prevent cross-contamination.
3. Stir salsa together with other salsa ingredients and set aside.
4. Rub chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with spices. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
5. Grill chicken cutlets for 6-7 minutes per side until they are cooked through and reach 165 F˚ in the thickest parts of the cutlet.
6. Remove chicken and let rest for a few minutes.
7. Serve grilled chicken topped with cantaloupe salsa and garnished with extra lime and cilantro.

Leftovers keep great for 3-4 days. Keep the salsa and the chicken separately.

Nutrition Info

Making Cantaloupe Habanero Salsa

Breaking down a full cantaloupe is something I rarely do because… um… it’s a PAIN in the butt.

Normally I would just use a melon baller to get the goods out, but to be thorough, I peeled and seeded this one. The best way to do it is to cut the melon in half through the center and then use a sharp knife to slice the skin of, working around the melon.

Once it is peeled you can cut the melon into strips and then dice it up. It dices really easily once you get the skin off.

Annoying ingredient number two: Habanero peppers! Be careful with these. They are POWERFUL. Cut the stem off, cut the seeds out, mince it very finely, and then wash everything well so you don’t touch your eyes or something!

Stir those together with some red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and you’re in business.

Grilling the Chicken

I kept the chicken simple for this entree. I drizzled my cutlets with some olive oil and seasoned them with salt, pepper, paprika, and granulated onion.

On the grill over medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes per side and they are looking good! Some good char is nice to see, of course!

Always check your grilled chicken to make sure it reaches 165 F˚ with a meat thermometer.

Then let the chicken rest for a few minutes and top it generously with the cantaloupe salsa! How fresh and delicious does this look?!

Had to try a bite right a way, of course!

If you’re looking for something fresh and delicious to make this summer, add this to the list!

Here are a few other great Grilling recipes!

• Grilled Baba Ghanoush
• BBQ Hoisin Chicken Thighs
• Easy Grilled Sliders
• Steak Kabobs with Garlic Butter