Our recipe for chicken, rice and beans is no basic chicken breast dish. It’s a hearty, flavorful, southwest-inspired meal you can prepare in under 30 minutes and can easily customize to your family’s tastes. Make it extra spicy or keep it mild; try different kinds of salsa, add diced peppers and use your favorite variety of rice. That versatility makes it one of our best chicken recipes<\/a> for busy nights after work.<\/p>\n
Because black beans with rice and chicken is so satisfying, you can serve it on its own or with a simple side, like a fresh salad. Set out some bowls of your favorite Mexican toppings\u2014like shredded cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo<\/a> and crunchy tortilla strips\u2014and it’s a full dinner spread.<\/p>\n
In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, cumin, black pepper and salt. Spinkle the spice mix over both sides of the trimmed chicken breasts. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and brown them on both sides.<\/p>\n
Pour the black beans, frozen corn and salsa into the skillet, spreading them evenly around the chicken. Cover the pan and cook everything for 10 to 15 minutes\u00a0or until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 165\u00b0F on a meat thermometer<\/a> inserted at the thickest parts.<\/p>\n
Spoon hot, cooked brown rice onto plates or into shallow bowls. Serve the chicken and sauce over the rice, and, optionally, garnish the dishes with chopped cilantro.<\/p>\n
Once cool, transfer the chicken, beans and sauce to a storage container and cover it tightly. Spoon the cooled, cooked brown rice into a separate, sealed container. Store everything in the refrigerator.<\/p>\n
The chicken and beans will last up to four days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Cooked rice will last<\/a>\u00a0for one day. Because the recommended storage time is so short, you may want to cook a fresh batch of rice instead of relying on pre-cooked rice.<\/p>\n
Place the chicken, beans and sauce in a covered skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until everything is warmed through. Shredding the cooked chicken<\/a> first will help everything reheat more quickly. The rice should be reheated separately; place it in a covered saucepan with a tablespoon of water and set it over medium heat. Stir it occasionally until it’s steaming hot all the way through. You can also reheat rice in a loosely covered container in the microwave.<\/p>\n
You can make the chicken in the oven. Coat the chicken breasts in a little oil, sprinkle on the spice mixture, then place them in a covered baking dish. Bake them at 350\u00b0 for 20 to 30 minutes or until a digital thermometer inserted at the thickest part reads 165\u00b0. The beans, corn and salsa can go into the baking dish with the chicken, or you can simmer them separately on the stovetop to serve with the chicken and cooked rice.<\/p>\n
There are several ways to make perfect rice<\/a>, including on the stovetop and in a rice cooker. What’s important is knowing what type of rice you have, because the cooking times for different types vary. White rice, for example, tends to cook in half the time it takes to cook brown rice.<\/p>\n
Pair chicken, black beans and rice with a Mexican side dish<\/a> like guacamole tossed salad<\/a>, buttered cornbread or corn cakes<\/a>. Warm, soft homemade tortillas<\/a>\u00a0are ideal for wrapping the chicken, rice and beans up with toppings like sour cream and shredded cheese. You can also make cilantro-lime rice<\/a> instead of brown rice as a flavorful base for the chicken and sauce. Tortilla chips are always welcome with dishes like this, to scoop up the last few bits from your plate.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"