This Mexican Chicken and Rice brings together your favourite Mexican Red Rice with sweet pops of corn and black beans with a fajita seasoned chicken. Big Mexican flavours. One pot. Sheer perfection!
One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice
This is a really handy recipe if you’ve got a family of big eaters and are short on time because it makes a substantial amount of food, it’s a complete meal (no need to make starch and veg sides as well as a separate protein!) and it’s all done in one pot.
Readers also tell me they love that it’s finished in the oven. No need to worry about scorching the base of the pot. No stirring or watching to ensure it doesn’t bubble over. It’s entirely hands off.
Plus, it’s Mexican flavoured. “Everybody” loves Mexican food, right!??
And look – proof of juicy chicken and fluffy rice. No mushy rice in my world!
What you need
Here’s what you need to make this One Pot Mexican Chicken and rice:
Chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on) – For the best, juiciest results and golden, flavour infused skin. This cut of chicken cooks in the same time it takes for the rice to cook in the oven which makes it the perfect choice. Plus, because it’s the juiciest chicken cut, you get a stack of free flavour added into your rice as the chicken bakes. Win, win!
Prefer boneless thighs or breast? Because these cook faster, they will need to be added partway through the oven cook time. I’ve included directions in the recipe notes!
Mexican spice blend for chicken – see below.
Rice type to use – Long grain rice is best here, for the fluffiest results. Basmati will yield a similar texture in the end result but you’ll have a subtle perfume of basmati rice flavour in the dish. Not necessarily a bad thing, just not Mexican! 😂 Medium grain rice will yield a a good result albeit slightly stickier (because that’s the nature of the rice) as will short grain / sushi rice which is stickier still.
Rice to avoid – Risotto rice (arborio), jasmine, brown rice and faux rice (quinoa, cauliflower rice etc).
Tomato passata (puree) – Pureed, strained pure tomatoes, sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). It’s readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. More on tomato passata here.
Substitute with canned crushed tomato though just bear in mind that your rice will not be quite as red.
Garlic and onion – Essential flavour base.
Capsicum / bell peppers – On theme for the fajita flavours going on here in this dish. You can really use any colour you like, or switch it out with other vegetables like zucchini, carrot etc.
Frozen corn – Adds lovely pops of sweetness and colour into the rice! I use frozen for convenience, because I always have it. Canned (drained) can also be used or, as with capsicum, substitute with another diced vegetable.
Black beans – On theme for this Mexican rice, plus it adds flavour and protein, and fills out the rice. I just use a can (drained). Black beans are on theme for Mexican food but can be substituted with any other beans such as red kidney beans.
Chicken stock/broth – The liquid in which the rice is cooked. Substitute with vegetable stock, or water plus stock powder. Please don’t use water, the dish will lack flavour!
Lime – For a finishing spritz of freshness at the end.
Mexican spice mix
Here’s all you need for a great Mexican spice mix – garlic powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne (for a touch of heat – skip or reduce if desired), salt and pepper. All pantry staple spices!
For this recipe, most of it is used on the chicken but we reserve a bit to season the rice. Love one spice mix that serves duel purposes!
How to make One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice
It’s as easy as 1-2-3:
Marinate chicken in Mexican spice mix, if time permits.
Sear chicken, then sauté veg (onion, garlic, capsicum/bell peppers).
Add rice and everything else, pop it in the oven.
Dinner. Done!
1. Marinate chicken (if you can)
The chicken is tastier if you have the time to marinate for 1 hour (or overnight) because the flavour infuses into the flesh. But even if you don’t, the chicken is still super tasty because of the seasoning and also it absorbs flavour as it cooks with the rice.
Mix Mexican Spices with olive oil and lime juice in a large bowl to form a paste.
Marinate chicken 1 hour – Add the chicken and toss to coat. Leave to marinate for 1 hour in the fridge, or even overnight if you want. But as noted above, don’t fret if you don’t have time. This dish is absolutely worth making even without marinating – and I know this for a fact because I tried it with and without marinating! See? 🙂
Cooking vessel
I use my 30cm / 12″ shallow casserole dutch oven (2.5 lt / 2/5 qts) which is the ideal shape for dishes like this, and goes from stove to the oven. I have this Chasseur one (pictured in post and video) and this Le Creuset one. I didn’t pay full price for either – shop around! They are an investment but should last a lifetime if you look after them. 🙂
However, you can make this in any large ovenproof dutch oven or deep skillet. If you don’t have a matching lid, just cover with foil for the baking part. If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, just do the stove steps using any frying pan then transfer everything into a baking dish. I’ve popped directions in the recipe notes for how to do this.
2. Searing and sautéing
This recipe starts off on the stove to sear the chicken (flavour!) and sauté the vegetables. Then you add the rice and liquids, pop the chicken back on top and put it in the oven. Hands off cooking is the best!
Sear the marinated chicken to brown the skin. The inside will / should still be raw. We just want to get some lovely colour on the chicken skin which we wouldn’t achieve in the bake time.
Remove chicken onto a plate and set aside.
Sauté aromatics – In the same pot / pan, sauté the onion, garlic and capsicum. Using the same pot to cook the rice is a path to express flavour because all the tasty flavours left in the pan from sautéing the chicken gets soaked up by the rice.
Then add the rice, stir to coat it in all the tasty flavours (bit like making risotto!).
Flavoured rice liquid and add-ins – Add the liquids (stock/broth, tomato passata), reserved Mexican Spice Mix, corn and beans. Then stir to combine.
3. Baking
Top with chicken – Place the chicken on top. It will be partially submerged under the liquid and that’s fine. In fact, that’s exactly what we want because the flesh under the liquid will absorb flavour from the seasoned rice stock. And the skin exposed above the liquid will brown!
Bake 25 minutes covered – Cover with a lid and bake for 25 minutes.
Bake uncovered 15 minutes – Remove the lid and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the liquid has been almost completely absorbed by the rice. Some puddles remaining on the surface is fine as they will absorb while the rice rests.
Note: If you taste the rice at this stage and it is still a touch firmer than you want, that’s fine. It will finish cooking as it rests in the next step, just as ordinary white rice does during the resting stage.
Rest 10 minutes – Remove from the oven then rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Remove or push the chicken to the side, then fluff the rice with a rubber spatula or fork. Squeeze over lime juice, sprinkle with coriander/cilantro and jalapeño if you want to garnish it. Then serve!
With the right cooking vessel, it can be placed on the table as a sharing dish, for everybody to help themselves. By “right cooking vessel”, I’m mainly referring to shape. I’d put a shallow pot / casserole pan, like pictured in this post and in the recipe video, in the centre of a table. But I were using a deep pot, I’d probably plate it up individually. Mainly for practical reasons (reaching into a deep hot pot isn’t ideal).
Complete meal in one!
With the tomato and vegetables in this dish, I consider it a complete meal. But if you’d like to add some more vegetables on the side, have a browse of my side salads and vegetables sides recipe collection here. It’s organised by primary vegetable so you can find something to make using what you’ve got. It’s work in progress – I’m continuing to build up the collection.
Love to know what you think if you try this Mexican chicken and rice!
– Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
Mexican Spice Mix
- 2 tsp garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves, minced)
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (Note 1), optional
- Black pepper
Chicken
- 5 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on (Notes 2 and 3)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Rice
- 1 small onion , peeled and diced (or 1/2 large)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), diced or sliced
- 1 cup long grain rice , uncooked (Note 4)
- 1 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium (or vegetable stock)
- 3/4 cup tomato passata (US: tomato puree) (Note 5)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels (or canned – drained)
- 1 can (400g/16oz) black beans , drained and rinsed (sub red kidney beans)
Garnish
- 1 lime , plus extra to serve
- Coriander/cilantro
- Sliced jalapeño peppers (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160° fan).
- Mexican spice mix – Mix the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Rub Chicken – Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of the Mexican Spice Mix in a large bowl (reserve rest for rice) with 1 tablespoon olive oil and lime juice. Mix to form a paste then add the chicken and toss to coat the chicken.
- Marinate (optional) – Marinate chicken for 1 hour, or even overnight, if you have the time. Otherwise, it's fine to proceed with the recipe!
- Sear chicken – Using a large deep skillet preferably with a lid (Note 6), heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Sear the skin side of the chicken for 4 minutes until light golden, then sear the flesh side for 1 1/2 minutes (will still be raw inside). Remove onto a plate.
- Sauté aromatics – If you've got a lot of burnt spices on the base, scrape off and discard some of it. Then in the same skillet, still over medium high heat, add the onion, garlic and capsicum (bell peppers). Sauté for 3 minutes until the onion softens.
- Rice & liquid – Add the rice and stir. Add chicken stock, tomato passata, corn, beans and remaining Mexican Spice Mix. Stir to combine.
- Top with chicken – Place chicken on top of the rice, skin side up. It will be partially submerged but most of the skin should be above the liquid.
- Bake covered 25 min – Bring to simmer, then cover skillet with a lid or foil and place in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Bake uncovered 15 min – Remove the lid/foil and bake for a further 15 minutes until only small puddles of liquid remain on the surface of the rice.
- Rest 10 minutes – Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes (uncovered). Any remaining liquid will evaporate in this step.
- Serve – Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the chicken and rice. Remove chicken or push to the side then fluff the rice. Serve, garnished with coriander/cilantro leaves, extra lime wedges and sliced jalapeños, if desired. Sour cream also goes well with this, or a dollop of guacamole or avocado sauce!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Recipe originally published in 2016. Updated with much needed recipe video and more importantly, Life of Dozer added!
One Pot Chicken and Rice recipes
I’m a big fan of cooking chicken and rice together – for the extra flavour you get! Less washing up is a bonus. 🙂 Here are some reader faves.
Life of Dozer
Took Dozer up to the Hunter Valley* last weekend. Stayed at lovely dog friendly cabins called Tonic. Plans to sleep in didn’t quite happen due to his “enthusiastic” barking at the sight of early morning kangaroo visitors (below). Visions of him prancing around vineyards also did not eventuate after being warned of kangaroos beating up dogs (seriously) and seeing this video on YouTube. Dozer would stand no chance against a roo. We both know it!
* Wine region, 2 hours drive from Sydney
Sounds so tasty and easy … about to make one… hope my Mr Complain will like it. :))
Will rate it after my tea 🙂
I’m keeping my fingers crossed…. 😉
This is a winner! I made a mistake, though; halved the recipe and made three chicken thighs for two of us. It wa Sao good that I should have made all five and frozen the rest for another meal. My husband, a/k/a Mr. Fussy, loved it! (I did leave out the beans and corn, as I didn’t have beans and he doesn’t like corn in recipes like this.) a great one to have in my repertoire. Thank you, Nagi, for a great concepts that lends itself to lots of variations.
Wow what a compliment that “even Mr Fussy” liked it! I’m so glad! And you are absolutely right, this recipe is a fantastic base for so many variations. Even just changing up the spices slightly you can change it to Mediterranean or Middle Eastern or even Indian!
If you are on the fence about making this recipe, get off of it and get in the kitchen! I have made this several times and it is SO. GOOD. I assumed it would be just from reading the recipe, but the intense flavor always surprises me, not to mention how beautiful it is when you pull it out of the oven.
Thanks for posting this!
Natalie! I’m so GLAD you love this!! It’s the flavour incredible? I love big flavours!! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know you enjoyed it!! Especially touched because this is an entire “from scratch” creation of my own! (I was rather worried people would think I was weird!). Have a wonderful weekend! N x
I know I’ve said this on Instagram (http://instagram.com/p/2V1UA1KyYn/) but I wanted to say it again.
I made this on Wednesday night. Oh Miss Nagi, you’ve done it again! This dish is AMAZING! Maximum flavours with minimal effort. Really very delicious rice with juicy, tender chicken. Omitted the onion and doubled the capsicum which gave the rice an added sweetness. This recipe is DEFINITELY on the “must cook again and again and again” list. AMAZING!
J Daddy had the last of the leftovers today and I was thoroughly jealous he took the last box to work with him! Thank you for yet another amazing recipe!
Hurrah!! I am so SO glad you enjoyed it! The flavour is pretty serious, isn’t it?? Sometimes I make the rice plain because I love it so much!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback! 🙂 N x
I have all of the ingredients in the recipe, but was also wondering if I could substitute a box of Spanish rice rather than the long grain. I think the flavors would be a good addition but not sure if that would work. Any thoughts?
Hi Meg! Spanish rice will work great! The water to rice ratio needs to be increased though – typically you will need 1 3/4 cups of liquid per 1 cup of Spanish rice. Hope that helps! 🙂
Thanks, I will try it for dinner tonight and let you know.
It was a big hit. I ended up not using the tomato puree because I didn’t have any and ran late and didn’t use paste/ water. This is one recipe we will make again!!
Hurrah! So glad you enjoyed it!! I love this – even the flavours of the rice alone! 🙂 thanks for coming back to share your thoughts Meg!! 🙂 <3
This turned out great! First, I broiled on high for 6 minutes in addition to the cooking time to get a crispy skin. Only difficulty was getting the rice a bit softer. Had to cook a bit longer on the stove after the oven cooking.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Danielle! I agree, broiling to get extra crispy skin is a great touch. Re: rice, did you let it rest for a while after taking it out of the oven? During the resting the rice continues to absorb water and finishes cooking. 🙂 Thanks for coming back to share your thoughts!! 🙂
I should add, I made it tonight with the chicken and it was delicious!!! Just would like my vegetarian friends to get to taste the delicious rice!!
The rice itself is really yum, I have to say!! Oh, in addition to the suggestions in the reply below, obviously sub the chicken broth with veg broth! 🙂
Would it be possible to make this dish without the chicken for my vegetarian friends? If so, how would I need to alter it.
Hi Kathy! A vegetarian version won’t have the same flavour I’m afraid because the juices from the chicken flavour the rice! A vegetarian version would also require some testing to get it right because different veggies have different liquid content i.e. too much will make the rice soggy, too little will be too dry. What you could do is just make the rice and sauté some veggies in when you stir fry the onion, and throw the spices and all flavourings in while sautéing the veggies, then add the rice and following the cooking instructions. Add 1/4 cup extra water because the juices from the chicken add liquid to the rice which you won’t have in this case. Easy veggies to add are diced carrots, increase the amount of capsicum/bell peppers and corn, and diced zucchini. They are “safe” additions because they don’t have high liquid contents and they sauté well. Love to hear if you give it a try! 🙂
This looks amazing and I love it even more that I only have 1 pot to wash!!
Pinned to make. 🙂
Thanks Tina!! Hope you do try it – it is truly delish! 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight. It was amazing! My husband even said it was one of the best things I have ever made. The skin on, bone in thighs are perfect in this recipe. They are so flavorful and come out juicy and tender but crispy on the outside. I left mine under the broiler for about five minutes before taking it out of the oven. I also topped it all with some fresh Pico de gayo that I made. I will definitely make this again!
Your husband has great taste, and you are clearly a great cook! 🙂 Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and I’m SO glad you both enjoyed it so much! Pico de Gayo is a wonderful topping, I wish I had thought of that!
I will send!! We LOVE your food! Keep on creating! ; )
Nagi, we JUST got done eating and EVERYONE loved it. I used a large pan, so I made 7 thighs and added more spices and adjusted ingredients- etc. It was SO delicious, and we had a lot of rice left over, so my daughter is taking a bowl of rice for lunch tomorrow and a small bowl for Sully with chicken (she watches him during break). A friend of my daughters was over for dinner tonight and we had an extra serving for her to take home to her mom who has M.S., and I am SO happy she gets to eat this delicious dish. I even took pics so let me know where to send 😉 I would not change A THING! But be sure you DO NOT skimp on the fresh lime, because the lime gives the dish another layer of taste, and the fresh cilantro. Ten thumbs up for this one pot Mexican dish, tell your Mum, she did good! Lisa 😉 😉
Lisa, I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to hear how much you and your family enjoyed this. You really do inspire me to keep sharing my favourite foods, knowing that in some small way, my ideas are helping bring families together to share great food. Thank you so much again. I can’t tell you how much your messages mean to me! My email is nagi.maehashi@gmail.com, I would be THRILLED to see a photo!! Nagi 🙂
Tried to send pics, computers do not work down under? LOL I will try again- HAPPY BOXING DAY!
HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and your family Lisa!! Hey – maybe the problem is at YOUR end?!! Computers working FINE here! 🙂
One pot meals are the best! Hate washing dishes.. 😉 This dish seriously looks and sounds so delicious. Can’t wait to try this 🙂 Pinning!
I’m with you Arpita! Thanks for your lovely comment!
Hey Nagi, I found the Arabian Feast recipes. Looks outstanding. Thanks a whole bunch!
Great!! I hope there’s something there that appeals! 🙂
This is just redesigned Arroz con Pollo. (Chicken and Rice) By the way, most Mexican food does not have sour cream, guacamole or huge amounts of cheese. Those were added for american tastes. Bell peppers are rarely used in Mexican cooking. We use chilies. Arroz con Pollo does not have corn or beans, but is prepared in much the same way except for the “Fajita seasonings”. Use a mild or medium red chili powder not cayenne or paprika for real Mexican flavor
Thank you for sharing that information Susan!! I did google but I couldn’t find anything, however, I didn’t try Arroz con Pollo. I’m off to have a look at it now! The reason I use cayenne pepper instead of chili is because chili varies so much from country to country, and even in the US I am told. Chili in Australia and Asia is pure ground dried chili. Chili in the US is a bit of chili but other flavourings are added as well. That’s why I always use Cayenne for heat and the other seasonings in chili I add separately in my recipes. That way no matter where you live and what supermarket you shop at, you can get consistent flavourings.
And I’m with you on the sour cream, excessive guac (or even worse, guacamole with sour cream IN IT) and cheese. I actually prefer Mexican without it, at most, maybe some fresh slices of avocado or salsa, and a small crumbling of cheese.
I love Mexican, I love flavor explosions, and I hate cleaning up! This dish sounds perfect! You’ve done it again, Nagi! Your photographs make me want to reach through the screen and dig in! Such gorgeous colors and I can practically taste the spices on the chicken!
Thanks Kathleen!! I’m with you on the flavour explosions!
I love this and will definitely try it. But Nagi my email from you said “1 hour Arabian Feast”. What happened? I’m so intrigued by that title.
Hi Shelley! I’m so sorry about that email title – I really stuffed up that email notification! It was the title from the PREVIOUS recipe! 🙂
G’day! I love one pot dishes and yours looks mouth watering today Nagi!
i wouldn’t worry that the rice was soggy as this looks beyond delish and want to try it; is only brekkie here!
Cheers! Joanne
Thanks Joanne! Actually, I fixed the soggy rice 🙂 So the recipe is the corrected one!!
I have just put chicken thighs on the shopping list before seeing this recipe, must be karma. BTW I love your serving dish, can I be nosy and ask where you got it from 🙂
Hi Vicki! YES, it must be karma! Hope you give it a go 🙂 It’s SO delicious. Imma from Immaculate Bites is a genius, that rice is fantastic, I just plopped chicken on top! The serving dish is actually a Japanese skillet for a dish called Sukiyaki. It’s a hand me down from my mother! I will ask her whether it is sold in Australia 🙂 I love it so much. It’s basically a deep skillet / fry pan which makes it great for one pot dishes like this. You can get very similar depth skillets from Victorias Basement and Peters of Kensington online for great prices. I was actually just looking at them today (for Christmas!!). Let me know if you want me to send you those links!
Thanks Nagi, I will google and see what I can come up with. 🙂
Oh, yes please Nagi – am definitely looking to tag this one to make soon – love the flavours – thanks.
Ha ha, that’s such a co incidence, I just put your slow cooked lamb on my “MUST MAKE SOON!” list!!