Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Mexican Chicken Rice Bake
Chicken and rice with beans and corn makes an inviting pot to set in the middle of dinner. The rice catches the seasoning and tomato juices underneath the thighs.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 22 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken · Beans & lentils
- Cuisine
- Mexican
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: over 60 minutes
- Dish type
- Rice dishes
A few quick notes
1. Brown the seasoned chicken
Rub thighs with oil and taco seasoning, then brown both sides without burning before setting them aside.
2. Give rice a brief toast
Stir garlic and rice into the softened onion and pepper for the short cook before adding liquids and beans.
3. Bake covered before uncovering
Return the thighs to the rice and begin the oven stage covered, then remove the lid for the final cooking stretch.
Get to know the ingredients
Bone-in, skin-on thighs
These thighs are browned first, then cook over the rice in the oven until the stated center temperature is reached.
Tomatoes with their juices
Use the fire-roasted diced tomatoes undrained so their juices join the broth, beans and corn in the rice mixture.
Thawed corn
Thaw the frozen corn before adding it with beans, tomatoes, broth and seasoning for the rice's initial simmer.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 11 steps completeMake room for Mexican Chicken Rice Bake
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Lime and cilantro after baking
Once chicken reaches the stated temperature and rice is tender, stir in lime juice, sprinkle cilantro and serve immediately.
A little more help as you go
Use an oven-safe pot
Choose the Dutch oven or oven-safe pot from the start so the browned chicken and rice can finish in the same vessel.
Extra seasoning remains
Mix the homemade seasoning ingredients together for the measured additions; expect some seasoning will be left over.
A few questions you might have
Do I precook the rice separately?
The long-grain rice cooks in the pot, first briefly with garlic, then with liquids and vegetables before finishing under the chicken.
When do the black beans go in?
Add the drained, rinsed beans with tomatoes, broth, corn, seasoning and adobo sauce before the short stovetop simmer.
What checks finish the oven stage?
Look for tender rice and the stated 165°F chicken temperature before removing the pot and adding lime and cilantro.
Does the bell pepper go in with raw chicken?
Brown and remove the chicken first, then soften the diced onion and bell pepper in that same pot.
Is the cilantro baked with the rice?
It is sprinkled over the finished dish after the pot comes out of the oven and lime juice is stirred in.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: chefsavvy.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
