Fiesta Chicken and Rice
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 6, 2011
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)Salt and pepper ¼ cup vegetable oil 1 cup long-grain rice 1 onion, chopped medium4 cloves garlic, minced1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon chili powder ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained1 green bell pepper, chopped medium1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese 4 scallions, sliced thin
Before You Begin
This dish is good on its own but even better with some accompaniments. Test kitchen favorites include warm flour tortillas, sliced avocado, minced jalapeños or a few dashes of hot sauce, sour cream, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
Instructions
- Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook chicken until golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate, leaving fat in pan.
- Add rice, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are sizzling and toasted and onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes (reduce heat if rice browns too quickly). Stir in garlic, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, green pepper, and broth and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle chicken, browned side up, into rice and pour in any juices accumulated on plate. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes.
- Working quickly, transfer chicken to cutting board and cover loosely with foil. Stir rice, replace cover, and continue cooking until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Slice chicken breasts into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Remove skillet from heat. Arrange sliced chicken on top of rice and sprinkle with cheese and scallions. Cover and let stand until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
Salt and pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup long-grain rice
1 onion, chopped medium
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped medium
1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese
4 scallions, sliced thin
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
Salt and pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup long-grain rice
1 onion, chopped medium
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped medium
1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese
4 scallions, sliced thin
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
Salt and pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup long-grain rice
1 onion, chopped medium
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped medium
1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese
4 scallions, sliced thin
Why This Recipe Works
For a convenient chicken and rice recipe, we used quick-cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts and prepared our rice in the same skillet we used to brown the chicken. Cooking both components of our Fiesta Chicken and Rice recipe in the same pan gave us a one-dish meal, but since the chicken was fully cooked before the rice, we pulled it from the pan midway through and tented it with foil while the rice finished cooking.
Before You Begin
This dish is good on its own but even better with some accompaniments. Test kitchen favorites include warm flour tortillas, sliced avocado, minced jalapeños or a few dashes of hot sauce, sour cream, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
Instructions
- Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook chicken until golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate, leaving fat in pan.
- Add rice, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are sizzling and toasted and onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes (reduce heat if rice browns too quickly). Stir in garlic, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, green pepper, and broth and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle chicken, browned side up, into rice and pour in any juices accumulated on plate. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes.
- Working quickly, transfer chicken to cutting board and cover loosely with foil. Stir rice, replace cover, and continue cooking until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Slice chicken breasts into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Remove skillet from heat. Arrange sliced chicken on top of rice and sprinkle with cheese and scallions. Cover and let stand until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve.
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