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One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice

By:Nagi
196 Comments
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Chicken and rice – loaded with Mexican flavours! This One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice brings together your favourite Mexican Red Rice with a fajita seasoned chicken, all made in one pot! You’ll love the fluffy the rice, juicy chicken with crispy skin and the sweet pops of corn. It’s a flavour explosion!

I’m a big fan of one pot chicken and rice recipes like Baked Rotisserie Chicken with Garlic Butter Rice, Chinese Chicken and Rice, Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice and Chicken and Rice Pilaf. Big flavours, two dishes made in ONE pot!

One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice fresh out of the oven

One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice

I’m dedicating this One Pot Meal to all the other people out there who a) love Mexican food b) love flavour explosions; and c) hate washing up 🙂

The idea to make this came about when I saw this Oven Baked Mexican Rice by Imma at African Bites, one of my favourite blogs. I wondered if I could cook chicken in the same pot to make it a complete meal.

And it worked! Well, the second time it did. The first time I used the same rice to liquid ratio that Imma uses and did not take into account that the chicken releases juices while cooking so the rice was too soft and mushy. Also I adjusted the amount of flavourings in my rice because there is no sauce with this chicken so I wanted the rice to be well flavoured so it could be eaten plain.

One Pot Mexican Chicken Rice on a dark brown plate with lime wedges on the side, ready to be eaten.

The chicken is rubbed with classic Fajita flavours, then seared until brown. I used bone-in chicken thighs with the skin on because I love the crispy skin and I believe that bone-in meats are always juicier. But this recipe works really well with chicken thigh as well (or drumsticks). I personally have not made it with chicken breast because I find chicken breast too dry for this type of recipe (i.e. no sauce or soup).

I would love to hear if you give this a try! This really is a strong flavoured dish because of the spices used in it. The heat comes from a touch of cayenne pepper – you can adjust this to your taste, or substitute with another hot spice or even a dash of your favourite hot sauce! – Nagi

One Pot Chicken and Rice Collection

I’m a big fan of cooking chicken and rice together – for the extra flavour you get! Less washing up is a bonus. 🙂

One Pot Mexican Chicken Rice in a black casserole dish, fresh out of the oven ready for serving.

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One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 55 mins
Dinner, One Pot, Rice
Mexican
4.86 from 56 votes
Servings5
Tap or hover to scale
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Chicken seared with Fajita flavours then baked with seasoned rice. This is a flavour explosion in one pot! This recipe makes more rice than for the prescribed number of servings because it is difficult to make less using this method of cooking. So you will probably have leftovers. The rice keeps very well in the fridge for up to 3 days (as does the chicken).

Ingredients

Mexican Spice Mix

  • 1 tbsp garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves, minced)
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp cumin powder
  • 1 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (Note 1), optional
  • Black pepper

Chicken

  • 5 chicken thigh fillets , bone-in and skin on (Notes 2 and 3)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lime (juice only)

Rice

  • 1 small onion , peeled and diced (or 1/2 large)
  • 1 garlic clove , minced
  • 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), sliced
  • 1 cup long grain rice , uncooked (Note 4)
  • 1 cup chicken stock/broth (or vegetable stock)
  • 3/4 cup tomato puree or passata (Note 5)
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels (or canned - drained)
  • 1 can (400g/16oz) black beans , drained and rinsed (or sub with red kidney beans)

Garnish

  • 1 lime , plus extra to serve
  • Coriander/cilantro
  • Sliced jalapeño peppers (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
  • Combine the Mexican Spice Mix ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Rub Chicken: Place 2 tbsp of the Mexican Spice Mix in a small bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and lime juice. Mix to combine. Use your hands to slather the Mexican Spice Mix all over each piece of chicken.
  • Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a deep skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken in batches for 2 minutes or until browned, then cook the other side for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove chicken onto a plate.
  • In the same skillet, still over medium high heat, add the onion, garlic and capsicum (bell peppers). Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the onion and capsicum start to brown. These will get covered in the brown bits stuck to the fry pan from searing the chicken (adds flavour and colour to the rice).
  • Turn the stove down to medium, then add the rice. Stir to coat the rice grains with the onion mixture and oil.
  • Add the chicken stock, tomato puree/passata, corn, beans and remaining Mexican Spice Mix. Stir to combine.
  • Place chicken back in the skillet on top of the rice, skin side up. It should be partially submerged in the liquid but most of the skin should be above the liquid.
  • Bring to simmer, then turn off the stove. Cover the skillet with a lid or foil and place into the oven.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and take off the lid/foil.
  • Return the skillet to the oven, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes until only small puddles of liquid remain on the surface of the rice. This step allows the chicken skin to crisp up and the remaining liquid in the rice to largely evaporate.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes (uncovered). Any remaining liquid will evaporate in this step.
  • Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the chicken and rice.
  • Serve, garnished with coriander/cilantro leaves, extra lime wedges and sliced jalapeños, if desired. Sour cream and yoghurt also goes well with this.

Recipe Notes:

1. I use cayenne pepper instead of chili in most of my recipes that call for heat. This is because "chili powder" differs from country to country, and even brand to brand. Chili powder in American has more in it than just ground dried chills, including onion powder and other seasonings. However, cayenne pepper is typically the same globally (I believe). So to ensure consistency of results, I use cayenne pepper.
2. I like making this with bone-in skin-on chicken because I think that the meat is juicier and I love the crispy skin. This also works really well with drumsticks. To make it healthier you can use skinless chicken thigh fillets. It is still really delicious, you just don't get the crispy skin. My personal view is that chicken breast is not suited to this recipe. Because the cooking time is dependent on the rice, it is difficult to cook chicken breast perfectly so it doesn't end up dry and there is no sauce to compensate if the breast is overcooked.
3. If using chicken thigh fillets, add the chicken into the skillet after it has been in the oven for 10 minutes. Otherwise the chicken will probably be overcooked (because the cooking time is for bone-in chicken fillets which take about 10 minutes longer to cook).
4. You can substitute the long grain rice with basmati or jasmine rice. The next best substitute is medium grain rice. Short grain rice, risotto rice and paella rice are not suited to this recipe (the rice will end up mushy).
5. Tomato passata / puree is like a thick tomato juice. It is plain pureed tomatoes. Not to be confused with tomato paste or tomato ketchup! You can make your own by pureeing any plain canned tomatoes in a blender (which is what I did). Otherwise, mix 1/3 cup of tomato paste with 2/3 cup water and add 1 tsp of sugar, and use as per recipe directions.
6. Nutrition per serving.
One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 442gCalories: 713cal (36%)Carbohydrates: 61.2g (20%)Protein: 40.8g (82%)Fat: 33.9g (52%)Saturated Fat: 1.1g (7%)Cholesterol: 144mg (48%)Sodium: 1612mg (70%)Potassium: 793mg (23%)Fiber: 7.4g (31%)Sugar: 6.1g (7%)Vitamin A: 1200IU (24%)Vitamin C: 48.7mg (59%)Calcium: 70mg (7%)Iron: 5mg (28%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

 

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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196 Comments

  2. Shay says

    Hi, Excited to make this. Can you make it with Chicken breast and dice it? And instead of Tomato puree can you use Salsa? Thanks.

    Reply

  3. Natalie says

    How can I adjust the recipe to use brown rice and boneless skinless chicken thighs? It looks amazing as written but I am really trying to stay healthy during this pandemic. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Natalie, the recipe notes will explain how to use boneless thighs but this one as written wont work with brown rice sorry! N x

      Reply

  4. I love to try new recipes says

    5 stars
    This is a keeper and a fabulous recipe. Easy and delicious. Deserving of 5 stars.
    I have both served and shared this recipe with many and everyone loves it. My husband and I have been making it for the last year or so. We follow the original recipe. Fantastically delicious.

    Reply

  7. Kylie Quinn says

    5 stars
    YUM! YUM! YUM! Oh my Nagi this recipe is amazing. Followed it to the T and served with natural yogurt and coriander. Every family member commented on dinner tonight, which almost never happens. This served 3 adults and 2 teenagers very generous servings. This ones definitely a keeper, thanks Nagi.

    Reply

  8. Leisa says

    4 stars
    my family loved this but I thought the rice was a bit gluey, I rinsed it before cooking and let it sit once cooked, what could I do to improve the rice? btw I love your recipes, you are my go to whenever I’m in need of inspiration! thank you for your awesome recipes

    Reply

  9. Angela says

    5 stars
    My family loves when I cook this recipe. I use 2 cups of stock instead of 1, otherwise I find it dries out. My oven is fan forced.

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Hi Angela, sounds like your oven may run a little hot – try reducing the heat bu 20 degrees and see if that improves it! N x

      Reply

  10. Mike says

    5 stars
    I cook this regularly (love it!) but only for two and if you choose two portions from the slider there is not enough liquid if you do the first 25 mins at 180. For me cooking at 160 for 20 mins covered then 20 mins uncovered at 180 it works, otherwise it is very easy to dry this recipe out.
    I also add lightly fried chorizo for the second part of the cooking and it really gives this dish an extra zing.

    Reply

  11. Dee says

    Hi Nagi
    Thank you – I love your recipes and reading about Dozer (my groodle is also obsessed with water and food).
    My skillet doesn’t fit in the oven so I’m planning to cook in the slow cooker. Have you (or any readers) tried this in a slow cooker?
    Thanks, Dee

    Reply

  12. Sarah says

    5 stars
    Can the rice portion of the recipe be doubled? My whole family loved this dish, bit we found that there wasn’t enough rice to go around.

    Reply

    • Dee says

      5 stars
      I doubled the chicken (and rub), rice and liquid and it cooked perfectly. I also substituted smoked paprika for regular paprika, which was divine. The whole family went back for seconds (and some thirds)

      Reply

  13. Sarah Milroy says

    I made this last night for dinner and it was a HIT – THANK YOU!

    I don’t eat beans, so I substituted with twice as much corn and I also wanted to have bite size pieces of chicken so I cooked that first until brown, and added it to the rice with about 10 minutes to go to finish cooking. It was sooo good!

    Reply
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