Tex-Mex chicken and rice bake

A fantastic one-pot meal with rice, sweet potato, onions, black beans and juicy, delicious seasoned chicken thighs.

Tex-Mex chicken and rice bake. Credit: Mary Makes It Easy / Geoff George

• serves

  6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1:15 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 8 chicken thighs, bone-in or boneless
• 30 g butter, divided
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 capsicum (bell pepper), diced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 540 ml can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup (185 g) long grain white rice
• 3 cups (750 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• Coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped, to garnish
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and place a large cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, or high-sided oven-safe sauté pan over medium-high heat.
2. In a small bowl, combine the chilli powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, onion powder, salt and pepper. Scatter about 2 teaspoons of the spice mixture over the chicken thighs and add 15 g (3 tsp) of butter into the pan. If using boneless thighs, keep them rolled up (how they are packed when you buy them – this will help keep them moist). Sear the top of the thighs for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown then set aside.
3. Meanwhile, turn the heat under the pan down to medium, peel or scrub the sweet potato, and dice into approximately 1-inch cubes. Add the remaining butter to the pan followed by the sweet potato, capsicum (bell pepper), onion and garlic and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to lift off any stuck-on bits. Add in the beans and rice and sprinkle over the remaining seasoning, stirring well to combine.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the broth. Place the chicken on top, seared side up, and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid or aluminium foil. Transfer to the oven and cook, covered, for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, the rice and vegetables are tender, and the broth has been absorbed.
5. Garnish with coriander and serve with lime wedges.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.