Mexican Chicken served with Red Rice, Sweetcorn, Black Beans and Coriander
Tender, marinated Mexican inspired chicken is cooked in one pot with rice, sweetcorn, black beans and a wonderful collection of Mexican herbs and spices – ancho grande, chipotle powder, cumin, chilli flakes, oregano, zingy fresh lime and coriander – to create a wonderfully, spicy, satisfying and nutritious meal, full of flavour, colour and texture.
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
Chicken and marinade:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- juice of 1 lime, roughly 2 tablespoons
- 2 teaspoons runny honey
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- ¾ teaspoon ancho grande chilli powder – replace with chilli powder or cayenne, if necessary
- ¾ teaspoon chipotle powder – replace with smoked paprika, if necessary
- ¾ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 400g – 600g skinless chicken breast or thigh, chopped into large pieces
Mexican Red Rice with Red Pepper, Sweetcorn and Coriander:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 red pepper/capsicum, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped
- 8g/2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 300g long grain white rice
- 900ml chicken or vegetable stock
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 30g tomato paste
- 1 Jalapeno chilli pepper, whole
- 150g frozen sweetcorn kernels
- 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
- 10g – 15g chopped fresh coriander, or to taste
Serving suggestions:
- chopped coriander
- sour cream
- tortilla, homemade or store bought
- fresh tomato salsa/pico de gallo, homemade or store bought
- guacamole, homemade or store bought
- lime wedges
- green or mixed salad
Instructions
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Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
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Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/G6 (fan 180°C).
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Make the marinade: add all the marinade ingredients, apart from the chicken, into a mixing bowl and mix well.
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Add the chicken pieces to the bowl ensuring that all the chicken is coated in a thin layer of marinade. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes, or overnight, covered and in the fridge.
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Make the Mexican Rice: heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over a high heat and brown the chicken, in batches, on all sides. Remove from the pan as they cook. NB – do not throw away any remaining marinade.
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As you cook the chicken, prepare the onion, pepper and garlic. You can finely chop them by hand or blitz them in a food processor.
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When the chicken is browned and set aside, clean the pan to remove any burnt marinade. Lower the heat to medium and add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the onion and pepper/capsicum and cook for for 5 minutes, until soft and lightly caramelised. Stir from time to time.
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Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, around 1 minute maximum.
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Now add the rice and tomato puree. Stir well.
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Pour in the stock, add the salt, pepper, Jalapeno pepper, sweetcorn, black beans and any remaining marinade from the chicken. Stir well, ensuring the tomato paste has dissolved.
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Return the chicken and any juices to the pan. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
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Cover with a lid or double thickness foil and pop in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
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Take out of the oven, check the rice and chicken to see if they are cooked. If not, continue to cook in the oven, with the lid on, for a further 5 minutes or until cooked. When cooked to your liking, remove the chicken, stir the rice well, taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary,
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Stir through the coriander. Return the chicken to the pan and pop in the oven, uncovered, for a further 5 minutes.
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To serve: sprinkle over some extra coriander and serve with your choice of sides.
Recipe Notes
Equipment:
- 1 x 25cms/10 inch oven proof skillet or frying pan with lid (for 4 people)
- kitchen scales and measuring spoons
- chopping board and knife
- food processor
- measuring jug
- mixing bowl
- double thickness foil to use as a lid if skillet has no lid.