Fiesta Chicken & Rice

recipe from traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com

Chicken and rice are rarely a miss in this household. I saw this recipe on Pinterest and was taken in first by it's simplicity of using one skillet for the whole meal. I also liked the "fiesta" concept and of course how great it looks when serving!

We really enjoyed the added pop of flavor that the fiesta rice brought along with the moist tender chicken. Creative and delicious!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup long grain rice

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. chili powder

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup shredded Mexican style cheese

4 scallions, thinly sliced

Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a 12" skillet on medium - high and add the oil. When it starts to shimmer, add the chicken and cook on one side until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.

Add the rice, onion and 1/2 tsp. of salt to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until rice is toasted and the onions begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, chili powder and cayenne, cooking just until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add in the tomatoes, green pepper and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to bring up any brown bits. Add the chicken back to the pan, browned side up. 

Cover the pan and reduce to low heat. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12 minutes.

Transfer the chicken alone to a cutting board. Give the rice a quick stir and replace cover cooking it until tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile cut the chicken into 1/2 inch slices.

Turn off the heat under the pan and arrange chicken slices on top of the rice. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and scallions. Cover the pan and wait a few minutes for the cheese to melt. 

Serve right from the skillet. YUM!