Sweet Chili Chicken with Mango Avocado Salsa

Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews is the latest book in the exciting Hidden Legacy series—the thrilling conclusion to the trilogy featuring Prime magic user Catalina Baylor.

An escaped spider, the unexpected arrival of an Imperial Russian Prince, the senseless assassination of a powerful figure, a shocking attack on the supposedly invincible Warden of Texas... And it’s only Monday. Within hours, the fate of Houston—not to mention the House of Baylor—now rests on Catalina, who will have to harness her powers as never before. But even with help from her fellow Prime Alessandro Sagredo, she may not be able to expose who’s responsible before all hell really breaks loose.

Both my mom and I loved this book, along with the rest of the Hidden Legacy series.  This series is full of fast-paced, action-packed adventures, and it provides some great recipe inspiration. Catalina Baylor, the main character in Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews, enjoys cooking as a stress relief and her family gets to enjoy the results of her labor.  This recipe for sweet chili chicken stems from her stress-relieving cooking scene in this book.  The more stressed she is, the more food she makes, and she prepared a feast for the Baylor family taco dinner that evening.

Around me the kitchen of the main house was quiet. Kitchens were my sanctuary. And I really needed a sanctuary right now....Leon floated into the kitchen and smiled, his face happy and dreamy. “What smells so good?”
“Sweet chili chicken.”
The smile on Leon’s face grew wider. “Soft tacos?”
“Soft tacos with sweet chili chicken and skirt steak, regular tacos with marinated shrimp and beef chuck, queso, hot and mild salsa, pico, both kinds, sautéed bell peppers, grilled corn, salad, rice, beans, and chips.”
Leon rubbed his hands together. “Serious question: On a scale from one to ten, how upset are you? Is it about a seven or eight?”
“Eleven,” I told him.
“Fantastic.”
-Chapter 12, Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews

Sweet chili chicken is savory, tangy, and a bit spicy and sweet. It goes great with mango and avocado salsa in soft tacos or salads. I adapted this recipe from the recipe for Chicken Lettuce Wraps in Cravings by Chrissy Teigen and blogger RecipeTinEats’ chicken marinade recipe, which I love.

Sweet Chili Chicken with Mango Avocado Salsa

SERVINGS: 4

INGREDIENTS

1 pound chicken breast, tenderloins, or thighs

MARINADE
5 tablespoons sweet chili sauce  (Note 1)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
½ tablespoon Sriracha sauce  (Note 2)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ½ tablespoon lime juice (about half of one lime)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves of garlic)
¼ teaspoon dried ginger powder

MANGO AVOCADO SALSA
½ mango, peeled and diced
½ avocado, diced
¼ red onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

CHICKEN

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag or container. Add chicken and let marinate for one hour or up to overnight. 
2. Bake chicken in oven at 425⁰F for about 18-20 minutes (turning the chicken over about halfway through the cooking time). Then broil the chicken for about 2 minutes until golden brown on top. Take the chicken out of the oven and let rest in the pan for about 3-5 minutes. (The chicken can also be cooked on the grill or in a pan until its internal temperature reaches 165⁰F.)
3. Serve with rice, salad, or in a soft taco with the mango avocado salsa and your favorite taco toppings.

MANGO AVOCADO SALSA

1. Stir together mango, avocado, red onion, lime juice, and cilantro leaves (if using).  Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

RECIPE NOTES

1. Sweet chili sauce: I typically use store-bought sweet chili sauce, but you could also use homemade sweet chili sauce like Catalina does in the book.  Here’s a recipe from The Daring Gourmet for sweet chili sauce that I’m planning to make sometime. 
2. If you prefer your food to be spicier, you can add another ½ - 1 tablespoon of Sriracha to the marinade.