Mexican Chicken and Rice
This one pot Mexican Chicken and Rice is the perfect meal! It's packed with so many bold flavors and tender and succulent chicken thighs.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 476kcal
Equipment
- Dutch oven deep skillet with a lid
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade
- 6 chicken thighs (skin-on and bone-in) excess fat trimmed
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the rice
- Olive oil for pan
- ½ cup diced yellow onions
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups long grain rice rinsed through a colander
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can (10 ounces) Rotel tomatoes and chilies
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Topping for servings: Cilantro, queso fresco, lime wedges
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: In a large Ziploc bag, combine the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken thighs into the marinade, making sure they are thoroughly covered. Seal the bag and let marinate in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large oven-proof deep skillet with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the marinated chicken thighs, skin-down first, until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Then, flip them over and sear for another 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. The chicken won’t be fully cooked at this point. Tip: Give each side time to sear undisturbed to lock in all the flavors and get a golden brown crust.
- Don’t wipe the skillet clean - we’ll use these brown bits to build flavors. Add the onions and sauté for about 3 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the rice and tomato paste, and stir to coat. Stir in the Rotel tomatoes and chilies.
- Then stir in the chicken broth and combine evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and return the seared chicken, nesting it under the rice.
- Bring back to a simmer. Cover tightly with the oven-proof lid. Finish cooking in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Tip: Avoid opening the lid, otherwise the steam will escape and the rice may not cook properly.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. To serve, top with cilantro, crumbled queso fresco, and lime wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
- Liquid to rice ratio: For every 1 cup of long grain rice, use 1-¾ cups of liquid. For this recipe, we use 2 cups of rice, so 3.5 cups of broth.
- Don’t stir the rice as it cooks in the oven: Once you add the broth, give it a stir to combine everything evenly and that’s it. Finish cooking the rice undisturbed in the oven. Over-stirring can lead to mushy rice.
- Prep ahead: Marinate the chicken for a minimum of 20 minutes, or up to 1 day in the fridge.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave oven with a splash of water to prevent drying out.
- Chicken: Instead of thighs, you may use chicken breast cut into cubes.
- Rice: Regular long grain rice is ideal, but you can try other varieties like jasmine. Do not use short grain rice, as the texture may not hold up very well for this dish.
- Rotel diced tomatoes and chilies: Canned diced tomatoes and add a chopped jalapeno for a spicy kick.
Nutrition
Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 1118mg | Potassium: 443mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 313IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg