Mexican Chicken and Rice is the one pan dinner I make when I want crispy, golden chicken thighs and fluffy, tomato red rice without standing at the stove. Bone in chicken thighs are rubbed with a lime, garlic, paprika, and coriander paste, seared until golden, then baked right on top of long grain rice, black beans, and sweet corn. The rice soaks up all the chicken juices as it cooks, and the oven does the work, so there is no stirring and no scorched bottom. It takes about an hour and 15 minutes from start to finish, and most of that time is hands off.
Crispy Skin, Fluffy Rice, One Pan
Chicken and rice is one of those dishes that sounds simple until you make it in one pan and end up with rubbery chicken, gummy rice, or both. After making this Mexican version many times, I can tell you the secret is not a special ingredient. It is the method. I sear the thighs first for colour and flavour, then let the oven finish everything gently. The rice cooks in steady, even heat from all sides, so it turns out fluffy with separate grains instead of sticking to the bottom of the pan.
What makes this version different from most of the Mexican chicken and rice recipes you will find is that I keep the chicken skin above the liquid. The meat underneath braises in the seasoned tomato broth and stays incredibly juicy, while the skin on top keeps getting more golden as it bakes. You get two textures from one pan, and you only wash one pan at the end of the night.
If you love this style of cooking, my baked chicken thighs and rice with buttery garlic rice uses the same idea with simpler, cozier flavours, and it is the one I make when someone in the house is not in the mood for spice.
And on the busiest days, when I don’t even want to think about the oven, I make my slow cooker chicken and rice in the morning. It uses the same paprika and coriander combination you’ll find here, and dinner is waiting when we walk in the door.
This is a complete meal on its own, with protein, rice, beans, and vegetables in the same skillet, so I rarely make a side. What I always make is a quick bowl of my easy 10 minute guacamole while the chicken bakes. It is ready long before the rice is, and a spoonful on top of a hot plate of this is the best part of dinner. It also works beautifully for Sunday meal prep, since the leftovers reheat better than most rice dishes.
Key Ingredients:
All ingredients and their amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Bone In, Skin On Chicken Thighs: This is the one ingredient I don’t recommend changing if you can help it. Bone in thighs take about the same amount of time to cook through as long grain rice takes to become tender in the oven, so both finish together. They also release their juices into the rice as they bake, which is where a lot of the flavour comes from. I use 5 medium thighs, about 2 to 2½ pounds total, which fit snugly in a 12 inch skillet. If you are looking for more ways to use this cut, my chicken thigh recipes collection has plenty of weeknight ideas.
Pro Tip: Pat the thighs very dry with paper towels before they go into the marinade. A dry surface helps the paste stick and gives you a much better sear in the pan.
Long Grain White Rice: I recommend regular long grain white rice for this recipe. It keeps its shape and cooks up fluffy with separate grains. Basmati also works, with a slightly more fragrant result. I would avoid jasmine rice, short grain rice, and arborio, since they release more starch and can turn the dish sticky. Brown rice and instant rice need completely different amounts of liquid and time, so they will not work with this method.
Tomato Passata: Passata is smooth, strained tomato purée, and it is what gives the rice its red colour and that Mexican rice flavour without making it chunky or watery. You will find it near the pasta sauces (in the US it is often labelled tomato purée).
Black Beans and Frozen Corn: These turn chicken and rice into a full meal. I rinse the black beans well because the canning liquid is thick and starchy and can make the rice gummy. I add the corn straight from the freezer, no need to thaw it. Pinto beans or kidney beans are good swaps if that is what you have in your pantry.
How to Make This Mexican Chicken and Rice
Before you start: Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. You will need a large, deep, oven safe skillet or shallow Dutch oven with a lid, about 12 inches (30 cm) wide. If you don’t have a lid that fits, a tight sheet of foil works just as well.
1. Make the spice paste and coat the chicken. In a large bowl, I stir together the garlic powder, paprika, ground coriander, salt, and pepper, then add the olive oil and lime juice to make a thick paste. I add the chicken thighs and turn them with my hands until every side, including under the skin where I can reach, is coated. The lime juice brightens the spices and starts to flavour the meat right away. If I am planning ahead, I let the chicken marinate in the fridge for 1 hour, or even overnight.
2. Sear the chicken, skin side down first. I heat the skillet over medium high heat and place the thighs in skin side down. I leave them alone for about 4 minutes, until the skin is light golden and releases easily from the pan, then flip and sear the other side for about 1½ minutes. The chicken will still be raw in the middle, and that is exactly what we want. This step is only about colour and flavour, since the oven will cook it through. I move the chicken to a plate.
3. Cook the onion and garlic, then add the rice and liquid. First, I scrape out any black, burnt spice bits so the rice won’t taste bitter, but I leave the brown bits for flavour. I cook the onion and garlic in the chicken fat for about 3 minutes until soft, then stir in the rice for a minute to coat it. I add the stock, passata, corn, and black beans, season with salt and pepper, and taste the liquid, since this is my only chance to season the rice.
4. Nestle the chicken on top and bake. I place the thighs back on the rice, skin side up. They sink partway into the liquid, so the meat braises and stays juicy while the skin stays above the surface to crisp. I let the pan come to a gentle simmer on the stove to give the rice a head start, then cover it with the lid or foil and bake for 25 minutes. Then I uncover it and bake for another 15 minutes, until only small pools of liquid remain and the skin is more golden.
5. Rest, then finish with lime and garnish. I let the pan sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this, because the last bit of liquid gets absorbed and the rice firms up so it fluffs instead of clumping. Then I squeeze a whole lime over the top, move the chicken aside, and fluff the rice with a fork. I finish it with cilantro, sliced avocado, lime wedges, and jalapeños for anyone who wants heat. A spoonful of my chunky avocado salsa is even better than sliced avocado if you have a few extra minutes.
Olivia’s Recipe Tips
Pick the right size pan. A 12 inch skillet or a shallow 3 quart braiser is ideal. In a deep, narrow pot, the liquid is too deep for the rice to cook evenly, and the chicken sits too low for the skin to brown.
Make two pans instead of one huge pan when doubling. A double batch in one giant pot takes much longer to cook through and the rice cooks unevenly. Two skillets side by side in the oven bake in the same time as one.
Keep the heat on the side. When I make this for Thomas, I keep the jalapeños in a little bowl on the table so everyone can add their own. For the adults, a drizzle of my 5 minute chipotle sauce adds smoky heat without changing the dish for the kids.
Rescue crunchy rice with a little hot stock. If the rice is still firm after baking, the liquid probably wasn’t simmering when it went into the oven, or the lid wasn’t tight. Pour ¼ cup of hot stock over the top, cover tightly, and bake for 10 more minutes.
Mexican Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
Spice Paste
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
For The Chicken and Rice
- 5 chicken thighs skin-on and bone-in
- ½ cup white onions diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup long grain rice uncooked
- 1 ½ cup chicken stock or broth low sodium
- ½ cup tomato passata
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 can 400 g/16 oz black beans drained and rinsed
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Garnish
- 1 lime plus extra to serve
- fresh cilantro
- slices of avocado
- sliced jalapeño peppers optional
Instructions
- Set the oven to 180°C/350°F. In a large bowl, mix the garlic powder, paprika, ground coriander, salt, and pepper. Stir in the olive oil and lime juice until it turns into a thick paste. Add the chicken thighs and rub the paste all over them.
- For deeper flavour, cover the bowl and refrigerate the chicken for 1 hour, or up to overnight. Short on time? Go straight to the next step.
- Warm a large, deep, oven safe skillet with a lid over medium high heat. Lay the thighs in with the skin facing down and cook for about 4 minutes, until golden. Turn them over and cook the other side for 1½ minutes. The centre will still be pink, which is fine, since it finishes in the oven. Move the chicken to a plate.
- Take out any blackened spice bits from the skillet, but keep the brown ones. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, until soft.
- Stir in the rice for about 1 minute, until coated in the pan juices. Pour in the stock and passata, add the corn and black beans, and season with salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Place the thighs on top of the rice with the skin facing up. Press them in gently so the meat sits in the liquid and the skin stays above it.
- Let the liquid come to a gentle simmer, then cover with the lid or foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for 15 more minutes, until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid and only a few small pools are left.
- Let the skillet stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes so the rice soaks up the last of the liquid. Squeeze the lime over the top, push the chicken aside, and fluff the rice with a fork. Finish with cilantro, avocado, extra lime wedges, and jalapeños if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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