When I was a newlywed there were very few dishes I could actually cook well.
One was my turkey chili and the other was one-pot Chicken and Mexican Rice. Ok, so granted, when I was making this I might have been using a box of Rice-A-Roni, but I did doctor it up with black beans and corn and enough sour cream to sink a small sailboat. Dave and I were huge fans of this dinner back in the day! This version that Jonathan dreamed up for y’all is so good I promise it’s going to become you’re new favorite weeknight dinner!
Let’s start by seasoning the chicken. You can use chicken breasts if you want to keep this on the healthier side. We’re using thighs today, just to get more flavor.
Sear the chicken in a large skillet over medium high heat and with a little bit of olive oil. We’re not looking to cook it all the way, we’re just developing color and flavor.
Once the chicken has browned, transfer to a plate or platter and set aside. In the same skillet, throw in the onion, garlic, black beans, corn, green chilies and rice. Sauté for a few minutes.
Pour in the chicken stock and tomato sauce, and return the chicken into the skillet, tucking it into the rice and veggies.
Cover and lower the heat to as low as it’ll go. Cook until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid and is tender and fluffy.
Fluff up the chicken and Mexican rice with a fork, right before serving. If you make this in a big ole pot, you can just bring it to the table and serve it right from the pan.
Serve with a few tortilla chips, sour cream, limes, and shredded cheese on the side.
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 cup chicken stock or broth
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1 small can green chilies
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, drained
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and lime juice. Allow to marinate for about 30 minutes.
- Set a large skillet over medium-high with the olive oil. Sear the chicken on both sides until browned. You're not cooking it all the way. Just getting the brown color and flavor. Transfer to a plate and set aside. In the same skillet, add the onions, garlic, rice, corn, black beans and green chilies. Sauté for about 8 minutes. Stir in the broth and tomato sauce and return the chicken, tucking it into the rice and veggies. Cover, lower the heat to low and cook until absorbed and the rice is tender and fluffy.
- Serve with chips, sour cream, red bell pepper, and cheese.
