Spicy Chicken and Rice Recipe

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Chicken and rice together are great already, but there can be days when you just want something a little more than usual. Sometimes, though, cooking a dish out of the ordinary can take a lot of energy and effort. Fortunately, there are recipes that are a step up from the usual and only require to be cooked in one pan.

If you have juicy chicken and grains on hand, we have a delicious dish for you. Try to cook this One-Pot Spicy Chicken and Rice Recipe to make your mealtimes more exciting.

How Do I Make Chicken and Rice Less Boring?

There are many ways to cook chicken, as well as grains, in an exciting manner! You can try a Ranch Chicken dish that only uses one pot, making the entire process easy and hassle-free. Chicken bowls are a great idea too, and this large bowl dish can already be your all-in-one meal.

If you want to have a fancy dinner, you can also slow-cook chicken risotto with an Instant Pot. The possibilities are endless.

How Can I Spice My Rice?

Plain rice is good and pairs well with a lot of meals, but you can make it even more interesting by combining it with numerous spices. Salt is a popular ingredient to add to grains before cooking as it can enhance the taste.

Adding dried herbs and veggies such as saffron, bay leaves, or dried mushrooms before cooking allows the grain to absorb more taste and flavor. You can also enhance the taste by adding parsley, cilantro, cinnamon, cardamom, or turmeric.

What Goes Well With Cajun Chicken?

Aside from pilaf, you can serve a potato casserole, cornbread, bacon potato salad, and coleslaw with cajun chicken.

Spicy Chicken and Rice Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 cups rice (long-grain white rice or brown rice)
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2-3 garlic cloves
2 medium green peppers
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Lime wedges for serving

How to Cook Spicy Chicken and Rice

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
In a mortar, pound the garlic into a paste. Add salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir to combine.
In a large bowl, combine the cayenne pepper, chipotle pepper, paprika, and cumin. Add the chicken pieces and garlic paste. Toss and stir to coat. Make sure that the flavors are evenly distributed.
Let the spiced chicken pieces stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Heat an oven-safe pan on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the remaining tablespoons of olive oil.
Add half of the seasoned chicken and cook over moderate heat until golden brown. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining half of the chicken.
Using the same pan, add the green peppers and onions. Saute until the peppers are soft and the onion is tender. Add a pinch of salt and stir for a minute.
Add rice and stir over moderate heat. Pour the broth into the pan, mix well, and bring it to a simmer.
Place the seared chicken on top of the grains.
Cover with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the grains are tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Let it rest covered for 10 minutes.
Taste and add more salt or seasoning if you prefer.
Garnish with cheddar cheese. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Spicy Chicken and Rice Dish Tips

While this Spicy Chicken Rice recipe uses chicken breast pieces, you may also use chicken thighs if you prefer.
Basmati rice is the recommended type of grain to use in this dish.
If you don’t want to make garlic paste, you can skip that process. Instead, you can add minced garlic when you’re cooking onion in the pan.
You may also add a little more cayenne to the garlic, onion, and tomato once they’re in the pan.
To lower the spice and heat of this recipe, feel free to reduce the amount of seasoning.
You can use different combinations of seasonings to level up the taste of this dish.
If you want to retain the spicy heat but would like a touch of sweetness, you can add red peppers.

Final Note

Cooking Spicy Chicken Rice isn’t complicated at all. It’s not extremely time-consuming either and can be done even if you’re having a busy night. Once you try out this dish, it will surely become an easy fix in your home.

Looking for more dishes to cook for your family? Check out our recipe collection.