Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: With tender, roasted chicken thighs nestled in a bed of rice, black beans, and peppers, gently seasoned with cumin and topped with a fresh pineapple salsa, I’m sure you’ll love this one pan Cuban chicken and rice as much as I do!
How long it takes: 15 minutes to prep, 1 ½ hours to cook
Equipment you’ll need: large oven-proof skillet
Servings: 6
Cuban Chicken and Rice
Comfort food. The combination of chicken and rice seems to appear in a lot of different cuisines. There’s something comforting about chicken and rice. Maybe it’s the lighter flavors, the chewy but softer texture, and the smell of chicken and rice cooking together.
Economical ingredients. Chicken and rice is economical to make and the ingredients are readily available. It’s like a favorite pair of slippers: comfy, well-worn, easy to slip into. Everyone is comfortable with chicken and rice.
Lots of flavor. But put those slippers back into the closet for now because today I’m bringing you a recipe that’s anything but humdrum. With subtle spices and tangy pineapple salsa, Cuban chicken and rice is going to knock your socks (slippers?) off!
How To Make Cuban Chicken and Rice
Fry the bacon. In a large oven-proof skillet, fry the bacon until it’s crisp.
Brown the chicken and vegetables. Using the bacon grease, I brown seasoned skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, which are much more flavorful than white meat. Take the chicken out of the skillet, and sauté onions, peppers, and garlic.
Add rice, broth, and beans. Stir in the uncooked rice, chicken broth, beans, and the bacon.
Bake. Nestle the chicken thighs into the mixture, cover the pan tightly and place it all in the oven for an hour.
Make the salsa. While the chicken and rice is cooking, you’ll have a chance to make the part of this recipe that really puts it into the “wow!” category: the fresh pineapple salsa. Chopped pineapple, red peppers, cilantro, and freshly squeezed orange juice play a starring role in this recipe for Cuban chicken and rice. The bright salsa adds an amazing freshness to this dish. I just love it! I could eat it by the spoonful.
Serve. Scoop out the chicken and rice onto serving plates. Top with salsa. This is really a one dish dinner: meat, vegetables, starch, and fruit. If you wanted a side with it, a fresh green salad would be excellent.
recipe Variations
- Substitute white meat. If you prefer chicken breasts, that’s fine, too. The skin and bone add extra flavor but you could easily use boneless skinless thighs or breasts.
- Change up the vegetables. I used green peppers, onions, and garlic. Red peppers, mushrooms, celery, or carrots would be delicious, too.
- Use a different type of bean. Replace the black beans with canned beans of your choice. Don’t forget to rinse and drain them!
- Make it in a baking dish. If you don’t have a suitable skillet, you can bake the chicken and rice in a large baking dish. After browning the meat and vegetables, put it all into a large casserole dish or 9 x 13 inch pan. Make sure to cover the pan tightly with foil so the rice will steam.
Refrigerate: If you find that you have leftover chicken and rice, it can be stored in your refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to three days. Store the pineapple salsa separately.
Reheat: Place the chicken and rice in a microwave safe bowl or plate and heat until warm. Top with salsa.
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #74. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.
More One Pan Dinners
One Pan Cuban Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 4 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼ -inch pieces (about 4 slices)
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (appr. 3½ pounds)
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 onion)
- 1 cup diced green bell pepper, diced (about 1 pepper)
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups long grain white rice, uncooked
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1 can (15.25 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
For the salsa:
- 1 cup finely diced fresh pineapple (¼ inch pieces)
- ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper (¼ inch pieces)
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice (from 1 orange)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. In a large ovenproof skillet (that has a cover available), brown bacon over medium-high, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.4 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼ -inch pieces
- Season chicken with 1 teaspoon cumin, salt, and pepper. Add to bacon grease in hot skillet, skin side down. Brown one side only in skillet, about 13 minutes; transfer to plate (chicken won’t be cooked through at this point).8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, 1½ teaspoons ground cumin, divided, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Remove grease from skillet. Add 3 tablespoons broth, onion, and bell pepper. Deglaze pan by scraping the bottom as the vegetables cook. Cook, stirring, until translucent, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.1 cup finely chopped yellow onion, 1 cup diced green bell pepper, diced, 1 large clove garlic, minced
- Add rice, remaining ½ teaspoon cumin, and oregano. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add remaining broth, beans, and cooked bacon; season with ½ teaspoon salt (see note). Nestle in chicken, skin-side up.1 ½ cups long grain white rice, uncooked, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided, 1 can (15.25 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
- Cover and transfer to oven. Roast until liquid is absorbed, rice is tender, and chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour. Leaving cover on, let set 10 to 15 minutes. The rice will continue to cook as it steams.
- While chicken is in oven, make salsa. Mix together pineapple, red bell pepper, cilantro, and orange juice in small bowl.1 cup finely diced fresh pineapple, ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper, 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
- Serve with pineapple salsa and chopped cilantro, if desired.
Notes
- I use low sodium chicken broth. If you use regular broth, don’t add salt to the rice mixture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
this sounds wonderful–like a party for my mouth lol
100%! It really is!