Honey-Lemon Chicken with Wasabi Avocado Cream Sauce
A delightful balance of sweet and tart flavors, this Honey Lemon chicken with caramelized lemon slices and olives is served with a spicy Wasabi Avocado Cream Sauce and asparagus for a flavor-packed, low carb dinner you and your family will delight over.
*This post was first published in February 2015. It has since been updated with pictures and content and id being re-published today.
In late February of 2015, temperatures that hovered around 20 Degrees Fahrenheit (-6 C) made it hard for me to do anything outside for an extended period of time!
A 20 minute walk around the block with the dogs becomes a 10 minute power walk; trash isn’t walked to the curb – it is sprinted to it; and, I am hoping that the wind I count on to blow my driveway for me, will magically blow away the bits and pieces of the rose bushes I trimmed 2 months ago as well!
But, this cold weather has made it easy for my daughter and I to stick to our old Friday night tradition of catching up on movies we have on our Netflix “to-be-watched” list (which in 2020 is still a tradition for us ~ time permitting).
One movie we both fell in love with after watching the trailer, was Big Hero 6!
It was so hard not to fall head over heals for the completely guileless, kind and compassionate, disease-diagnosing, and, warm and marshmallowy “Baymax” – who was the invention of “Tadashi” {besides, how could I not love something made by someone that rhymes with Shashi-right?! 🙂
While the movie is marketed as “an original action-comedy-adventure“, the bond formed between Baymax and Hiro (the teen star of the movie who is Tadashi’s brother), tugged at my heart strings with it’s lessons in helpfulness and self-sacrifice as Baymax helps unite Hiro’s diverse group of friends: Go Go, Wasabi, Honey Lemon and Fred—to band together to fight the evil that lurks in “San Fransokyo“.
As our movie nights (then and now) involve food of some sort; this time, I decided I would prepare something that would pay homage to some of the characters in the movie…and… this Honey-Lemon Chicken with Wasabi Avocado cream sauce was the result.
When I first made this dish, I also made some vanilla infused rice to go with it. It was winter, and comforting carbs paired so well with the honey lemon chicken with caramelized lemon and olives.
But, with temperatures warming up for us here in late May of 2020, I opted to make some of this garlic asparagus to pair with the Honey Lemon Chicken.
This time around, my daughter made the wasabi cream sauce and figured that she was better at mushing the avocado than a blender was and so our wasabi avocado cream sauce was a tad bit lumpy. She also decided to double the quantity of wasabi and I felt like my nose was on fire when I sneaked a taste!
Now, this recipe title is a mouthful – but, it is alot easier (and quicker) to make than to say!
Let’s have this Honey Lemon Chicken Dinner Done in < 40 minutes!
...On Your Mark, Get Set – GO!
1) Put the rice into a pan and bring to a boil (if serving with rice ~ if not, skip to step 4).
2) While waiting for the rice to come to a boil, chop the onions, garlic and lemon and set a pan on the stove on a medium flame with some olive oil in it.
3) Cut the vanilla pod open and scrape the vanilla beans into the boiling rice. Lower the flame on the rice, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
4) Then, over a stove top set to medium heat, saute the onions and garlic in a heavy bottomed pan with the olive oil for about 5 minutes – stirring constantly, add the lemon slices and let cook for 5 more minutes, then flip them over. Then add in the lemon juice and honey.
5) Season the chicken with paprika, salt, and pepper and add it to the lemon/onions/garlic/honey mix and let cook till brown – about 8 minutes.
6) Take the rice off the heat and keep covered (if serving with rice).
7) Flip the chicken over and add water and olives and cover and let cook for about 8 minutes.
8) Cut strips of the vanilla pod to decorate the rice with (if serving with rice).
9) Cut the avocado and add it to a blender with the yogurt, wasabi and milk and blend well.
10) Make rice mounds using a bowl to resemble Baymax and decorate with strips of vanilla pod and olives – and refrain from digging into the vanilla infused rice as it smells wonderful (if serving with rice)!
11) Uncover the chicken and let it simmer about 5 minutes so water is absorbed completely
12) Add chicken to plates with Baymax-rice or asparagus, drizzle the wasabi-avocado cream sauce or serve it on the side ~ and dinner is done!
From Prep to Plate to Belly in less than 40 minutes!
While the Honey-Lemon Chicken and the Wasabi Avocado Cream Sauce and the Vanilla Infused Rice taste wonderful on their own and can be used with other sides and mains, together, (just like in the movie), they balance each other off wonderfully!
Ingredients
FOR THE VANILLA INFUSED RICE:
- 1/2 inch piece of a vanilla pod
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup Basmati rice
FOR THE HONEY-LEMON CHICKEN:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 lemon sliced
- 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 free range chicken breasts
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 5 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 2/3 cup black olives
FOR THE WASABI AVOCADO CREAM SAUCE:
- 1/2 avocado
- 4 teaspoons plain yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste can use more fora spicier sauce
- 2-3 teaspoons coconut milk
- splash of lemon juice and salt to taste
Instructions
FOR THE VANILLA INFUSED RICE:
- Add the rice to the water in a pan and bring to a boil.
- Scrape vanilla beans off the piece of vanilla pod and drop into rice.
- Cover, turn down flame and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Cut the vanilla pod into strips to decorate later.
FOR THE HONEY-LEMON CHICKEN:
- Saute the onion, and garlic with the olive oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan for 5 minutes, over medium heat/temp stove-top.
- Add the lemon slices and let cook for 5 more minutes. Then flip them over and let cook 2 more minutes.
- Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, and paprika and add to the pan and let cook till browned – about 8 minutes.
- Flip the chicken over and add water, lemon juice, olives, and cover and let cook for about 8-10 minutes on a low flame
- Uncover the chicken and let it simmer about 3 minutes so water is absorbed completely. When this happens, stir well so you get any brown parts on the bottom of the pan. Then take off hot stove and set aside until ready to plate.
FOR THE WASABI-AVOCADO CREAM SAUCE:
- Add the avocado, yogurt, wasabi paste and milk to a blender and blend till well incorporated. Then add a splash of lemon juice and salt to taste.
TO SERVE:
- Make the rice into mounds using a small bowl and decorate with strips of vanilla pod and olives to resemble Baymax
- Serve Chicken drizzled with wasabi-avocado cream sauce onto the plate and enjoy!
Those rice mounds are adorable – love the flavors in this!
Thanks so much Sam!
What a fun and tasty dish you created Shashi. I love everything about it, especially the wasabi-avocado sauce.
Have a great weekend my friend!
Thanks so much Mike – that wasabi – avocado sauce was fun making – of course, it was more fun watching my daughter’s facial expressions when there was too much wasabi in it! 🙂
Hope your week is going well my friend!
Thank you for breaking this down and making it look way less scary… I get anxious when I see long titles and am like “oh s*** this is so long and will take forever to cook but looks so good” and boy was I WRONG!!! Can you share some of your kitchen creativity skills/photography skills/cooking skills with me?? xo
You are so sweet – I am bowled over by your kind compliment – thank you so much Cassandra!
Everything about this dish sounds absolutely amazing and delicious! Yay for Big Hero 6 🙂 Pinned!
Thanks so much Mira!
That is a mouthful! I bet the food would be more of a mouthful than the title! I’m not the biggest fan of olives, so I might omit those but wow everything else appears to be super flavor packed! I especially love food with an infusion of vanilla, it’s such a great flavor.
Thanks Chris! That vanilla infused rice was pretty fantastic! The olives are optional, but, can be easily substituted too! Hope your week is going well!
Whoa. This one’s a knock-out Shashi! Looks like a flavor explosion!!!
Thanks bunches Marissa!
All of those flavors! holy moly! And that vanilla rice….YUM!
Thanks so much Rebecca 🙂
Shashi, we loved Big Hero 6!!!! We’ve already seen it 3 times and will definitely be getting the DVD! love what you did here!!! so creative!!! love it!
It was a wonderful movie indeed! Thanks Alice!
We watched Big Hero 6 a week ago only 🙂 The chicken looks so tempting. Adding the lemon definitely must have enhanced the flavor of the chicken when paired with honey and Wasabi Avocado cream sauce.
Thanks so much Shibi – yes you are correct – the lemon, chicken, honey, wasabi and avocado worked together so perfectly!
oh my gosh woman, avocado cream sauce? you know the way to my heart! i’d lick that plate clean
Guess what? -We did! 😉
Thanks oodles Lindsay!
I’ve heard amazing things about Big Hero 6! And oh, you are so lucky to have -6. I jumped for joy when I saw that it was only -13 yesterday and even took the opportunity to go for a walk haha! I’m not complaining as long as it isn’t the horrible -20s we got last week. That wasabi avocado cream sauce sounds incredible! I can only imagine how delicious the vibrancy of the wasabi is with the creaminess of the avocado… yum!
Genevieve I couldn’t help marveling at your ability to eat an ice cream cone outside with your temps in the negatives! I don’t think you could pay me to do that! 🙂
Btw – thanks so much!
Ahh how cute is this big hero dish!! Um vanilla rice — yes please!! (I haven’t seen the movie but I’ve heard good things.) This looks delicious, and I now have a serious olive craving — your photos have a way of doing that to me 🙂 Stay warm!!
Haha – sorry lady – I hope you can scrape yourself out of that frozen igloo and dig into a store to find some olives and vanilla and rice – cos they sure will warm you up!
Hoping you are staying warm too, Charlotte!
Great job, Shashi! A comforting dish to enjoy in these super chilly days. I am looking forward to watching the movie with my girls.
Thanks so much Denise!
That chicken is beautiful. What a lovely tradition to watch movies together after a spectacular meal like this one. I miss having children around.
Thanks Maureen – you know, I don’t know what I am gonna do when she goes off to college – movie night will have to be rescheduled!
YUM!! This looks incredible!! And it is full of ingredients that i know and love!!
We haven’t seen that movie – the boys didn’t act interested in it:(
Have a great weekend, Shashi!
Thanks Kim – this was a wonderful dinner – I hate to say it – the first time I made it for a “taste test” my daughter stood there and finished the whole thing!!!
Hope your week is wonderful!
Very nice lemon chicken, love sauce
Thanks so much Swathi!
Now that is one fancy TV dinner!!! Love the recipe name and all of the delicious ingredients in the mix. I am sure that the 40 minutes went by quickly as you were on the count down to dinner.
Thanks so much Bobbi – the countdown to dinner never seems to be quick enough – even 40 minutes drag out when there are two hungry people in the kitchen waiting 😉
This dish looks fan-freaking-tastic. All those amazing flavors… I’d lick the plate clean and ask for seconds.
Haha – thanks so much Joshua!
You had me at avocado! <3 This looks so good! 😀 I'm definitely gonna have to try making it, although I'm probably going to sub in the olives with mushrooms because I am a heathen and hate olives, haha. 😛
Haha – so I learned something new today thanks to you: “heathens don’t like olives”! 🙂
Btw – thanks Farrah!
Vanilla infused rice?!?! GENIUS! Actually, the whole recipe is genius, Shashi. I’m loving all the flavours, even though I think I’d die a little over the wasabi cream sauce… This girl does NOT do spicy very well. I’m definitely a big fan of movie nights, though! I never had one with my parents, but I do try to catch up with them regularly over coffee/dinner. Nothing more important than family, right? 🙂
You sure are right Amanda-nothing more important than family! Movie night has been a tradition since my daughter was 2 or 3 – when she was younger, she didn’t get to watch tv Mon-Thur so Friday’s movie night was a special treat and the beginning of a weekend of tv binging!
This a great midweek dinner, Shashi. I’ve noticed a lot of vanilla getting infused into potatoes, rice etc. The jury is still I have to say.
Thanks David – you gotta give vanilla infused rice a try – just a tad just makes the rice smell exquisite!
Your lemon chicken looks so succulent and delicious, this cream sauce is gorgeous 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks so much Uru! 🙂
What a cute idea! Never saw this movie, maybe we’ll rent it after your fave review and delicious themed dinner!
Thank you Nazneen!
I haven’t seen the movie yet but I’m blown away by your creativity! This dish sounds so delicious and your plating is so playful. Great job Shashi!
Thank you so much Sonali!
That is a stunning plate of meal Shashi. My tummy is rumbling 😛
Thanks so much Taruna!
Oh wow, that’s a meal we would love, you are so creative with your meals. The chicken has everything yummy and that rice…oh my, intrigued. How perfect is it.
Such a sweet thing to watch movies together, it’s a bond. The boys loved Big Hero Six. I hardly watch animated movies, this one seems to a be good one.
Thanks so much Asha!
My daughter’s very first movie was Disney-Pixar’s Monster’s Inc – I don’t usually watch animated ones either – but if it’s a Disney-Pixar one, I make an exception and catch it with my gal.
This meal sounds delicious but man that vanilla infused rice???? I must make that immediately!
And oh my gosh, the cold!! I grew up in the north but after living down here I don’t want to deal with it anymore!! haha I’ve been staying inside as much as possible!
Yes – that vanilla infused rice was something else! I was just going to use the vanilla bean for decoration but then I figured why not scrape it into the rice! Heaven! Thanks Ashley!
I’ve seen a lot of adorable dessert ideas for this film but your dinner (and in 40 minutes, no less) is the perfect solution to a busy mom’s movie night. Now if on;y I could just grab a bite off that plate form my screen! #client
You’d think that by now technology would have come up with a scratch and taste screen or something!?!?!
🙂
Thanks so much Jenna! Always a pleasure!
This is so adorable! I love the rice mounds and infusing it with vanilla? Totally genius and I can’t wait to try that!! The chicken looks delicious – love the wasabi avocado cream sauce!
Thank you so much Kelly – you are so sweet!
WOW! There is so much going on here and I love it! The flavors!!!! I must try an avocado cream sauce with lemon chicken. The combo sounds phenomenal!
OOh it so is Lindsey! Btw Thank you – Oh and I saw on IG you got to meet Jacques Torres – I would have melted – like chocolate 😉
OMG yum! I love wasabi but would have never thought to combine it with vanilla – genius!
Tara – each mouthful of that vanilla infused rice with the lemony chicken and a smidge of that wasabi-avocado sauce was so tasetbud tantalizing! Almost as good as that blueberry and balsamic salmon! 😉
This looks so yum! You had me at avocado + wasabi!! Stopped by from the SITS link party 🙂
So glad you stopped by and thank you for your kind comment. 🙂
This recipe looks like a perfect cold weather dinner. Love all the flavors. If you’re like me, you’re ready for a warm spring Atlanta day! Great post, Shashi!
Thanks Bill! Yes – I cannot wait for warmer weather – but wait – I think it’s here! 😉
This sounds delicious. I love lemon in chicken dishes, and this sounds like a lovely combination of flavors. Yum!
Thank you so much Caroline! When that lemon caramelizes, oooh the flavor is simply intoxicating!
First off, your pictures are absolutely gorgeous. I just ate lunch and wasn’t hungry until I saw these! I adore adore lemons and I’m def going to try this. Do you think green olives would be ok?
Hi Madeline – thank you so much! Yes, I am thinking green olives will be fine – I’ve pulled this off before with green and black olives together.
Oh Shashi…this chicken looks incredible! The name is a mouthful, but every single bite of this dish would be an amazing mouthful! the wasabi-avocada cream certainly takes it over the top. YUM!
The whole meal looks delicious but the avocado wasabi sauce sounds amazing. I so need to make this!
I want to gobble up the whole plate! Between the honey, lemon and avocado cream sauce this is amazing!
I don’t know which I love more – the vanilla infused rice, the honey lemon chicken or the avocado cream sauce!!! It’s all amazing!
It all sounds and looks divine, but I’m sitting here trying to think of how many other ways I can use that sauce! Avocado and wasabi are an amazing combination.
What a great dish! So many great flavors.
This recipe is an oldie but goodie, Shashi! That wasabi avocado sauce sounds delicious. I love adding sauces to all sorts of meals – they’re an easy way to take a meal from good to great if you ask me. And the honey + lemon on the chicken sounds super flavorful. I’m all about the lineup of ingredients here, my friend. I need to try a grilled version of this one!