One pot recipes are always a favorite especially when they are bursting with flavor like this Mexican Chicken and Rice Skillet recipe. Seared chicken thighs, spicy rice full of black beans, corn, tomatoes, sweet peppers and onions make for a robust easy meal!
I L.O.V.E. this one pot Mexican Chicken and Rice Skillet! I crave these flavors as the winter winds howl outside and it seems impossible to warm up. The flavors are soul-warming, the chicken perfectly seared and succulent. When I pulled together the recipe I’d been envisioning in my head, it did not disappoint.
Regular readers will notice a recipe theme, especially at this time of year,; easy, flavorful, approachable dinner recipes that don’t require slaving in the kitchen. It’s my personal mission, for myself and for you! I’m never willing to compromise quality of flavor but if I can pull together a one pot meal, that’s my jam. It’s why I love braising recipes at this time of year.
This recipe creates an abundant portion of soft rice which reminds me in texture of Spanish rice one would make from a box. It has a denser texture, bursting with flavor. It’s spicy in an earthy way and boasts beautiful colors and textures thanks to the corn, black beans, petite diced tomatoes, onions and colorful sweet peppers.
How to make Mexican Chicken and Rice Skillet – Step by Step:
The length of time for the recipe to cook fully may vary with altitude. Chicken thighs are first seared on their own before the rice mixture is combined and the chicken returned to the pan for the rice to cook through, absorbing all the liquid.
The recipe is left to simmer untouched for 20 minutes and depending on how much of the liquid is absorbed at that point (as well as how done the rice is to the taste and the internal temperature of the chicken) it is either removed from the heat to rest before serving, or to cook a bit longer.
What makes Mexican Chicken and Rice Skillet Spicy?
Spicy flavor is really delivered from the hot paprika and chipotle chili powder (which adds a smoky flavor too). If you generally prefer a more mild heat, I suggest cutting those two ingredients back by half. You can always add some hot sauce or salsa to perk the heat up before serving.
A TIP if food is TOO Spicy: If when having made the recipe you find the spiciness to be too hot, adding a dairy product, sour cream in this case, (or drinking milk) is the secret to dimming heat!
EQUIPMENT: Using a deep skillet with lid with lid or a Dutch oven would be preferable for this recipe.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love:
- Mexican Fiesta Cauliflower Rice
- Mexican Chorizo Lentil Stew
- Mexican Bowls
- How to Make Pickled Jalapenos
If you’ve tried this Mexican Chicken and Rice Skillet or any other recipe on BoulderLocavore.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to!
Recipe
Mexican Chicken and Rice Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon Hot Paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
- 1 tablespoon ground Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried Oregano
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 6 Chicken Thighs (about 3 pounds, bone-in, with skin), rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
- 1 medium White Onion , chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves , peeled and diced
- 1 medium Red Pepper , seeded and chopped
- 1 15-ounce can Black Beans , drained
- 1 15-ounce can Corn Kernels , drained (1 ½ cups fresh or frozen/thawed corn may be substituted)
- 1 14-ounce can can Petite Diced Tomatoes , drained with liquid reserved
- 1 ½ cups Long Grain Rice (I used Texmati, a Basmati Long Grain mix)
- 1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 ¾ cups Water
- Suggested garnish: lime wedges , sliced jalapeno peppers, sour cream (lessens the spicy heat too!)
Instructions
- Combine the salt, hot paprika, chili powder, cumin and oregano in a small bowl.
- Add olive oil to a large, deep skillet (with lid) or Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until the surface of the oil shimmers. Add the chicken thighs skin side down into the pan. Allow to cook for 10 minutes. Gently flip the thighs ensuring the skin stays intact. Cook and additional 5 minutes and remove from the pan.
- Drain any fat reserving 2 tablespoons in the skillet. Add the onions and red pepper and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Add the garlic and sauté and additional 1 minute.
- Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat until the rice appears shiny. Add the black beans, corn, tomatoes to the pan. Sprinkle with spice mix and stir to combine.
- Pour the stock, water and tomato liquid into the pan and place the chicken thighs on top of the rice skin side up. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to allow a strong simmer and place the lid on the skillet. Cook for 20 minutes before checking on the rice.
- The dish is done when the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is done to the taste, and the chicken registers 165 degrees internally. If at 20 minutes the dish is done, remove from heat with lid on and allow to sit for 5 minutes. If liquid is still present, return the lid to the pan and allow it to cook 10 additional minutes or until recipe is done. Allow to rest off the heat for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Originally published: September 25, 2016
kristin says
Oh yum! what a nice meal, looks simple and delicious!
Sammie says
I am right with you on easier on pot meals and when I saw this on Twitter I just had to see what was going on. Boy I am not disappointed. As there are 5 of us I love that it doesn’t need too much tweaking, if any at all and I can get all the ingredients here in the UK. Fabulous dish pinned and I’ll be back to read your blog more regularly x.
Nicole Escat says
My son is a huge fan of chicken dishes. On the other hand, my hubby loves Mexican foods!
Cinny says
Oh, I love a good chicken dish! In fact, I’m making one right now. I should try this next.
Kita Bryant says
This is just delicious! Added this to my dinner list.
Rosey says
Ohh you’ve got lots of great flavors there. Pretty positive my family would love this recipe.
Wendy @ ABCs and Garden Peas says
Our family loves mexican food! This looks especially delicious. I will be adding it to our meal plan this week!
Jeanine says
Wow this sounds amazing but looks even better. I would love to try this. I’veneer tried Mexican anything before so this would be great to try!
Annemarie LeBlanc says
Awesome! I am a big fan of flavorful meals that do not require a lot of preparation and cooking time. This one pot meal will be on our dinner table this week. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Amanda Love says
That’s awesome! It sounds like a dish that’s packed with flavor. I really appreciate that you feature one-pot recipes as much as you can. It’s tough as it is to think of what to cook everyday, and you would have to consider all the prep time too. One pot recipes make cooking so much easier.