Chicken and Rice with Chile, Cilantro, and Lime
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 14, 2011
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), rinsed, patted dry and cut into 8 pieces, wings reserved for another useSalt and ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped fine2 medium jalapeño chiles, cored, seeded, and minced3 cloves garlic, minced very fine2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 ½ cups long grain white rice 1 - 1 ¼ (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained (about 1 cup) and ½ cup liquid reserved½ cup white wine 1 teaspoon table salt ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves 3 tablespoons lime juice from 1 lime
Before You Begin
Though we rarely suggest stirring rice while it cooks, in this dish it is necessary, or the top layer might dry out or be undercooked. If you prefer, substitute two pounds of breast meat or boneless thighs for the pieces of a whole chicken.
Instructions
- Sprinkle chicken pieces liberally on both sides with salt and ground black pepper. Heat oil until shimmering in large, heavy, non-reactive Dutch oven over high heat. Add chicken pieces skin side down; cook, without moving them, until well browned, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over with tongs and cook, again without moving them, until well browned on second side, about 6 minutes longer. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Pour all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot; return to burner. Reduce heat to medium; add onion and jalapeños and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, and chili powder and sauté until fragrant, approximately 1 minute longer. Stir in rice and cook, stirring frequently, until coated and glistening, about 1 minute longer. Add tomatoes with reserved liquid, wine, salt, and 2 cups water, scraping browned bits off pot bottom with wooden spoon. Return chicken thighs and legs to pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add chicken breast pieces and stir ingredients gently until rice is thoroughly mixed; replace cover and simmer until both rice and chicken are tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Stir in cilantro and lime juice, cover pot, and allow dish to rest for 5 minutes; serve immediately.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), rinsed, patted dry and cut into 8 pieces, wings reserved for another use
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 medium jalapeño chiles, cored, seeded, and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced very fine
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 - 1 ¼ (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained (about 1 cup) and ½ cup liquid reserved
½ cup white wine
1 teaspoon table salt
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons lime juice from 1 lime
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), rinsed, patted dry and cut into 8 pieces, wings reserved for another use
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 medium jalapeño chiles, cored, seeded, and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced very fine
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 - 1 ¼ (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained (about 1 cup) and ½ cup liquid reserved
½ cup white wine
1 teaspoon table salt
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons lime juice from 1 lime
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), rinsed, patted dry and cut into 8 pieces, wings reserved for another use
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 medium jalapeño chiles, cored, seeded, and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced very fine
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
1 - 1 ¼ (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained (about 1 cup) and ½ cup liquid reserved
½ cup white wine
1 teaspoon table salt
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons lime juice from 1 lime
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted to develop a chicken and rice recipe that would give us a dish that was moist, flavorful, and clean-tasting as well as easy to make. To avoid overcooked breast meat, we simply added it to the pot about 15 minutes after the legs went in. To avoid heavy, greasy rice we reduced the amount of liquid (a combination of white wine and water) added to the rice. Although we tried (and liked) basmati rice in our chicken and rice recipe, we settled for long-grain rice as being most appropriate for this wholesome, satisfying dish.
Before You Begin
Though we rarely suggest stirring rice while it cooks, in this dish it is necessary, or the top layer might dry out or be undercooked. If you prefer, substitute two pounds of breast meat or boneless thighs for the pieces of a whole chicken.
Instructions
- Sprinkle chicken pieces liberally on both sides with salt and ground black pepper. Heat oil until shimmering in large, heavy, non-reactive Dutch oven over high heat. Add chicken pieces skin side down; cook, without moving them, until well browned, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over with tongs and cook, again without moving them, until well browned on second side, about 6 minutes longer. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Pour all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot; return to burner. Reduce heat to medium; add onion and jalapeños and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, and chili powder and sauté until fragrant, approximately 1 minute longer. Stir in rice and cook, stirring frequently, until coated and glistening, about 1 minute longer. Add tomatoes with reserved liquid, wine, salt, and 2 cups water, scraping browned bits off pot bottom with wooden spoon. Return chicken thighs and legs to pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add chicken breast pieces and stir ingredients gently until rice is thoroughly mixed; replace cover and simmer until both rice and chicken are tender, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Stir in cilantro and lime juice, cover pot, and allow dish to rest for 5 minutes; serve immediately.
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