One Pan Mexican Chicken And Rice Bake
This delicious Mexican chicken and rice bake is made in one pan with chicken thighs for an easy week night meal the whole family will love.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 5 bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Rice
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- In a large bowl, season chicken thighs evenly with salt, pepper, paprika and oregano.
- In a cast iron pan or oven-safe pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken thighs skin side down and cook for 5-6 minutes on one side. Then flip the chicken over and cook an additional 5-6 minutes on the other side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
- Using the same pan, add the white rice and brown it over medium heat in the leftover oil and chicken drippings, stirring frequently. About 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, cumin and salt and stir another 30 seconds.
- Pour in the chicken broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil.
- Add the chicken thighs back into the pan on top of the rice.
- Cover the pan with foil or oven-safe lid and bake for 35 minutes. (Chicken thighs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165° F.)
- After carefully removing the pan from the oven, fluff the rice with a fork to mix in any tomato sauce that rose to the top during baking. Then re-cover and let sit an additional 5 minutes. You may also add shredded Mexican cheese during this step if desired.
- Enjoy!