This Mexican Chicken and Rice combines your favorite Mexican red rice with sweet corn and black beans and fajita seasoned chicken. Great Mexican flavors. a pot. Sheer Perfection!
One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice
This is a very handy recipe if you have a large family of eaters and are short on time as it makes a huge amount and is a complete meal (no need for added starches and vegetarian side dishes and a separate protein) And it’s all done in one pot.
readers also told me they like it baked. You don’t have to worry about burning the bottom of the pan. Do not stir or check that it is not bubbling.
And Mexican flavors. “Everyone” loves Mexican food, right! ?
Check it out – proof of juicy chicken and fluffy rice.
There’s no porridge in my world!
What you need
Here are the ingredients needed to make this One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice:
- Chicken Thighs (bone-in, skin-on) – for the best, juiciest results and a savory golden crust. This piece of chicken cooks at the same time as the rice in the oven, which makes it perfect. Plus, since it’s the juiciest cut of chicken, your rice will get a whole lot of free flavor while the chicken cooks. Win, win!
- Do you prefer boneless thighs or breasts?
Because they cook faster, they should be added halfway through the oven. I’ve included instructions in the recipe notes! - Mexican Chicken Spice Mix – see below.
- Type of rice used – long grain rice is best used here for the fluffiest results. Basmati rice will end up with a similar texture, but you will feel the subtle taste of basmati rice in this dish.
Not necessarily a bad thing, but not Mexican! … - Rice to avoid – risotto (arborio), jasmine, brown and artificial rice (quinoa, cauliflower rice, etc.).
- Tomato passata (Pure) – Pureed, pureed tomatoes after draining, sometimes labeled “tomato passata” in the United States (this is a photo of the Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). It is now readily available in Australian supermarkets, along with the pasta sauce.
More information on tomato passata here. - Use canned crushed tomatoes instead, but keep in mind that your rice won’t turn out as red.
- Garlic and onion – essential seasoning bases.
- Capsicum/peppers – The fajita flavors in this dish are the theme. You can really use any color you want or swap it out for other vegetables like zucchini, carrots, etc.
- Black beans are a staple in Mexican cuisine, but can be substituted with any other legume, such as kidney beans.
- Stock/Chicken Stock – Liquid for cooking rice. Replace vegetable broth or water with powdered broth. Please do not use water, this dish will taste great!
- Lime – for a final touch of freshness.
MEXICAN SPICE BLEND
This is all you need to make delicious Mexican spices – garlic powder, paprika, cumin, paprika (slightly spicy – omit or reduce if desired), salt and pepper. A staple spice in any pantry!
For this recipe, use most of the chicken, but we reserve a little to flavor the rice. Love a spice mix for dueling purposes!
How to make One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice
It’s as easy as 1-2-3:
- If time permits, marinate the chicken with the Mexican spice mix.
- Fried chicken followed by vegetables (onions, garlic, bell peppers/peppers).
- Add the rice and all, put in the oven.
Dinner. Done!
1. MARINATE CHICKEN (IF YOU CAN)
If you have time to marinate for 1 hour (or overnight), the chicken will be tastier as the flavors will seep into the meat. But even if you don’t, the chicken is still very tasty thanks to the seasoning and the fact that it soaks up the flavors as it cooks with the rice.
- Mix Mexican spices with olive oil and lime juice in a large bowl to make a paste.
- Marinate chicken for 1 hour – add chicken and mix well. Marinate in the fridge for 1 hour, or overnight if you prefer. But as said above, don’t worry if you don’t have time. This dish is definitely worth making even without the marinade – I know that’s true because I’ve tried it with and without the marinade!
look?
Testing to check whether it’s worth marinating, and how much spice mix to use on the chicken. Answer: 1 1/2 tablespoons of spice mix + 1 hour marinating time is the best!
2. SEARING AND SAUTÉING
This recipe starts with stovetop roasted chicken (flavor!) and sautéed vegetables. Then add the rice and liquid, put the chicken back on top and put in the oven. Hands-off cooking is the best!
- Fry the marinated chicken until the skin turns yellow. The interior will/should still be raw. We just wanted a nice color on the skin of the chicken that we couldn’t get while cooking.
- Serve the chicken on a plate and set aside.
- Sautéing aromatic products – Brown the onion, garlic and pepper in the same pot/pan.
Cooking the rice in the same pan is one way to enhance the flavor, as any goodness left in the pan from frying the chicken is absorbed by the rice. - Then add the rice and stir to incorporate all the goodness (much like making risotto!).
- Seasoned Rice Milks and Additions – Add liquids (broth/broth, tomato sauce), reserved Mexican seasoning, corn and beans. Then stir to combine.
3. BAKING
- Chicken on top – place the chicken on top. It will be partially submerged in the liquid, which is fine. In fact, that’s exactly what we wanted, as the meat under the liquid would absorb the flavor of the seasoned rice soup. And the skin exposed to the liquid will turn brown!
- Cook covered 25 minutes – Cook covered for 25 minutes.
Cook uncovered for 15 minutes – Remove the lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until the liquid is almost completely absorbed by the rice. Some puddles left on the surface are good because they will be absorbed as the rice sits. - Note: If you taste the rice at this point and it’s still a little firmer than you would like, that’s fine. It will finish cooking on the next resting stage, just like regular white rice on the resting stage.
- Let stand 10 minutes – Remove from oven and let stand uncovered for 10 minutes.
Remove or push the chicken to the side, then stir the rice with a spatula or rubber fork. Squeeze lime juice and sprinkle with cilantro/cilantro and jalapeños if you want to garnish. So serve!
With a suitable pot, put it on the dinner table as a dish to share, and everyone can do it on their own. “Actual device” primarily refers to the shape of the device. I would place a shallow pot/bowl in the center of the table like the one shown in this article and the recipe video. But I use a deep pot and will probably put it alone. Mainly for practical reasons (reaching deep pots is not ideal).
COMPLETE MEAL IN ONE!
With the tomatoes and vegetables in this dish, I feel like I have a complete meal. But if you want to add a little extra veg on the side, browse my collection of salad recipes and veggie side dishes here. It’s organized by main vegetable, so you can find something you can do with what you already have. It’s a work in progress – I will continue to build the series.
Curious to know what you think when you try this Mexican Chicken and Rice!
