4/27/10

Red Chile Chicken, Rice and Beans


I love one-pot meals. Less dishes? Yes, please! This chicken with rice and beans was really yummy served with salsa and sour cream on top as suggested, but we especially enjoyed the leftovers. This made the best burrito filling. Add shredded cheese and roll in a tortilla, warm in the microwave and voila! Perfect, hearty burritos! My only change to the recipe was to add a diced green pepper, I thought it was a great addition, adding a little more veggie power and some color variation.

Red Chile Chicken, Rice and Beans

2 tablespoons oil, divided (I used olive oil)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1.5 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 ½ cups rice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 ½ cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped green onions OR 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Salsa and sour cream for serving


Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a medium-large heavy pot over medium heat. Sprinkle the diced chicken breast with salt and ½ tablespoon of the chili powder. Place the chicken in the hot oil and brown, stirring and flipping occasionally, until browned, 2-3 minutes (the chicken doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through because it will finish cooking later). Remove the chicken to a plate.

Add the second tablespoon of oil to the pot and add the onion, bell pepper and rice. Cook on medium-low, stirring for several minutes, until the rice turns from translucent to opaque. Add the garlic and the remaining 1 tablespoon chili powder. Cook one minute, and then add the broth and salt (1/2 to 1 teaspoon) to taste. Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes.

Add the chicken to the pot along with the beans, give it all a good stir. Recover the pot and cook on low for 10-12 minutes longer, taking care that the mixture isn’t cooking too hot or it will burn on the bottom.

Sprinkle the green onions (or cilantro) and test a kernel of rice. It should be tender, in which case you place the cover back on, remove it from the heat and let it stand 5-10 minutes. If it’s not cooked, cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring and checking often to make sure the mixture doesn’t burn.

Fluff the mixture with a fork and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Serves 6-8. (My only complaint about My Kitchen Cafe is that her serving sizes are always grossly overestimated. This is a big recipe and she says it only serves four! I don't know if you could gather four people at one table who could eat that much.)

Recipe adapted from My Kitchen Cafe.

1 comment: