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A large skillet with chicken black beans and rice.

Skillet Chicken with Black Beans and Rice

Zesty Mexican flavors are packed into a one-pot chicken dinner. the rice and black beans bake at the same time as the chicken thighs. All the flavors blend together for a spectacular meal.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 450kcal
Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 6 bone-in chicken thighs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow or white onion chopped
  • 2 red bell peppers thinly sliced
  • 4 to 5 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 small red chili peppers seeds removed and thinly sliced
  • 2 whole cinnamon sticks
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 can 14 ounces black beans, drained
  • 1 can 14 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup basmati or long-grain white rice not instant
  • A few sprigs of cilantro chopped

Instructions

  • Boil the chicken broth in a saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm until later. 
  • Heat the oven to 375°F. Trim the fat and loose skin off the chicken thighs. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. 
  • Heat the oil in a 10-inch oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the chicken for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set it aside on a plate. 
  • Add the onions to the pan and sauté until soft and lightly browned. Add the bell peppers and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly soft. Stir in the garlic, sliced chili peppers, cinnamon sticks, cumin, and chili powder. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. 
  • Add the black beans and canned tomatoes (along with all the juices). Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir well to combine. 
  • Sprinkle the rice evenly over the top of the mixture. Place the chicken on top of the rice then pour the hot broth around the chicken. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. 
  • Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges. 

Notes

  • Bone-in chicken thighs work best in this recipe since the cooking time is the same as the rice. 
  • If you want to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, add them after the dish cooks for 15 minutes then continue cooking uncovered, for the remaining 25 minutes. 
  • When you brown the chicken in the skillet, the goal is only to get the outside of the chicken brown. It will not be fully cooked at this point. When you set them on a plate, there will be some bloody juices, which is fine. You will return the chicken and the juices back to the skillet later.
  • If you want to make this with brown rice, add an additional 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Cook covered with foil for 35 minutes without the chicken then add the chicken and bake uncovered for an additional 40 minutes. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 875mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g