Ingredients
Achiote Chicken Thighs and Rice
- 1 1/2 cups bulk long grain brown rice
- 2 1/2 tsp. bulk vegetable broth powder
- 2 Tbsp. Achiote spice blend (see below)
- 1 lb. chicken thighs
- 1 medium green bell pepper
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1 tsp. granulated garlic
- 1/2 bag frozen green beans
- 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro
- 1 medium lime
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil
- 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Achiote Spice Blend
- 1 Tbsp. ground paprika
- 1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
- Combine achiote spice blend ingredients in a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Read through entire recipe before getting started. Wash and dry produce. Removed seeds and stem from bell pepper, then julienne. Peel and dice onion. Rough chop cilantro leaves and stems. Cut lime into eighths. Dissolve vegetable broth powder and achiote spice blend in 2 ½ cups water. Remove chicken from package and pat dry. Season chicken thighs with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tsp. oil in a deep, medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add chicken to pan, skin side down, and sear for 4-5 minutes until skin is brown. Remove from pan. (Note: chicken is not fully cooked at this point.)
- Add onion, bell pepper, and 1 tsp. granulated garlic to previously used pan. Sauté 1-2 minutes until softened, then add rice and sauté another 3-4 minutes until lightly toasted and nutty.
- Add achiote broth to rice. Nestle chicken thighs into liquid. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 20-25 minutes until rice is tender, liquid is absorbed, and chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to plates and fluff rice with fork.
- Add green beans to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, another 3-4 minutes until green beans are heated through and liquid is evaporated. Add cilantro and a squeeze of lime; mix gently to combine.
- Divide chicken and rice between plates or bowls and serve with additional lime wedges. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Recipe provided by East Side Table as part of our Budget Cooking series.
- Substitute your favorite vegetables or use what’s in season instead of the bell pepper and green beans.
- Add thinly sliced jalapeño or serrano peppers with the green beans if you want a little heat.
- This version uses bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, but also works well with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Simply dice chicken breasts into 1” pieces and sauté in step 3 until beginning to brown. Set aside, continue recipe as directed, and mix chicken pieces back in with rice in step 5.
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