Black Bean & Chicken Burrito Bowl

Ingredients

• 350 g chicken breast
• 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
• 250 g cooked brown rice
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 0.5 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 100 g cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 0.5 red onion, finely diced
• 15g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp plain yogurt
• salt and black pepper
• Warm tortillas, to serve
• Soured cream, to serve

Method

1. Combine the cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chilli powder and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the chicken all over with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then press the spice mix into every surface until the breasts look dark and fragrant. Seasoning the protein now, before it hits the pan, is what builds the crust.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a stainless or cast-iron pan over a high heat until it shimmers — you want the surface properly hot so the spices bloom into the oil on contact and taste of themselves rather than dusty raw powder. If your breasts are thick, butterfly them so they cook evenly.
3. Lay the chicken down in a single layer with space between each piece. If the pan looks tight, cook in two batches — crowd the pan and water leaches out, the temperature drops, and you'll steam the chicken grey instead of charring it. Cook undisturbed for 7–8 minutes per side, until the edges are deeply blackened and the centre reads 70°C. Rest on a board for 5 minutes, then slice on the diagonal.
4. While the chicken rests, tip the black beans into a small saucepan with a pinch of cumin, a pinch of salt and a splash of water. Warm over a low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until glossy.
5. Make the pico de gallo: toss the cherry tomatoes, red onion and coriander with the lime juice and a good pinch of salt. Let it sit for a couple of minutes so the onion softens and the tomato juices loosen — the lime juice does the work here, sharpening everything it touches.
6. Taste the pico, taste the beans, and adjust the salt now — at the board, not at the table. A flat bowl is almost always an underseasoned bowl.
7. Divide the brown rice between two wide bowls. Spoon the warm black beans over one side and fan the sliced chicken across the top, letting the spiced resting juices run into the rice.
8. Pile the pico de gallo into the centre, scatter the diced avocado across the chicken, finish with generous spoonfuls of yoghurt, and tuck a lime wedge into each bowl for a final squeeze at the table.