Southwestern Chicken and Rice

Southwestern Chicken and Rice

olive oil

2/3 cup diced red pepper

2/3 cup diced green pepper

2/3 cup diced onion

1-1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts (can use boneless thighs) cut into 1 inch pieces

1-1/2 teaspoons taco seasoning

1 cup instant brown rice*

1 cup salsa

1-3/4 cups chicken broth

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4-1 cup whole corn, drained

2 cups shredded Mexi-blend cheese, cheddar, Chihuahua cheese

Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of skillet.  Cook veggies until almost done. 

Drizzle a little more olive oil, if needed.  Add chicken pieces and taco seasoning.  If you can, try not to crowd the chicken so they brown more than steam. An even better idea would be to grill your chicken in large pieces and then cut up into chunks and move to the next step.

 Add rice to cooked chicken and veggies.

Stir.

 Add salsa

 and chicken broth.

Simmer for 12-15 minutes or until rice is cooked through and liquid is absorbed.  You can start off with the lid on and take it off to the end if it needs to boil some of the liquid off or or you can start with it off and end with it on.  You need to watch your liquid and add as needed or take a little longer to cook it off.  The heat of the fire and how juicy your salsa is determines your cook time.

When your chicken, rice,and liquid are perfect stir in your beans and corn.  Allow a min or two for them to heat up. Turn off heat. You can sprinkle your cheese over the whole dish now and replace lid to melt or let everyone add their own cheese to their own dish. 

* Not all instant brown rices are created equal.  My rice/water ration is 1 cup rice to 1-3/4 c liquid.

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