One-Pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice – Leave the dishes for some other night and whip up this cheesy, zesty, one-pot meal for a DELICIOUS south-of-the-border flavor celebration!

It’s pretty much universally accepted that people don’t enjoy washing dishes. If you’re reading this – and washing dishes is something you look forward to – you’re a weirdo!  Do tell the rest of us your secret to enjoying such a mundane and soapy task!

Recently my distaste for washing dishes has increased in fervor because I’m seven months pregnant. If you’ve been pregnant before, you know what I’m talking about. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, all I can say is that it’s a logistics problem. The bigger your belly gets, the further away the sink and the faucet become. The result is awkwardly and uncomfortably leaning over the sink with you’re already-aching back. Decidedly not fun…

All I can say is thank goodness for one-pot meals! Lately, in order to make such meals, I’ve been whipping out my cast iron skillet. Well, maybe more like slowly lifting it out… That thing is heavy!  Meals like my One Pot Bacon-Wrapped Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas and Pasta and my Rustic Italian One-Pot Chicken and Rice do the trick nicely. For today I have a new family favorite – my One-Pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice.

One-Pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice will fill hungry bellies with it’s zesty flavor and cheesy topping. Plus, it’s packed with vegetables, protein, and whole grains (but shhh… cook’s secret)! So if you’re part of the majority who prefers to not spend half your evening washing dishes, this may be just the recipe for you!

One-Pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice

Yield: 6 servings

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

Leave the dishes for some other night and whip up this cheesy, zesty, one-pot meal for a delicious south-of-the-border flavor celebration!

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Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 1/4 C diced sweet onion
• 1 C diced red pepper (about 1 large pepper)
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 28 oz can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 C water
• 1 C brown rice
• 1 C frozen sweet corn
• 1 C monterey jack cheese
• cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large oven-safe skillet,* heat 1 tsp of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the boneless, skinless chicken thighs about 4 minutes on each side or until they reach an internal temperature of 165ºF. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the second tsp of olive oil to the pan and cook the sweet onion and red pepper for 3 minutes.
3. Add the minced garlic along with the dried spices and cook for 1 more minute.
4. Add the fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, honey, water, and brown rice to the pan and increase to high heat. Bring to a boil and then turn the temperature down to medium-low and gently simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the rice is tender. While the rice is cooking, chop the chicken.
5. Once the rice is cooking, add the sweet corn and chopped chicken to the pan and stir to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until heated through.
6. Sprinkle with 1 C of monterey jack cheese. If you have an oven-safe skillet, place the dish under a broiler to melt the cheese for 1-2 minutes. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve.

Notes

*If you don't have an oven-safe skillet you can still make this recipe. Just skip the step of melting the cheese under a broiler at the end.

In the market for a cast iron skillet? You can purchase the same one I use on Amazon. A portion of the sale will go towards supporting Simple Seasonal at no additional cost to you!

Lodge Cast Iron Skillet on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2bZWpxt

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