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One-Pan Chicken Thighs with Cilantro-Lime Black Bean Rice - flavorful, delicious, gluten free recipe! Very easy to make, everything is done in one-pot, on stove-top, no need to turn on the oven!
Just let the rice cook in the juices from the chicken thighs and in the chicken broth (or vegetable broth). The rice come out super delicious, and the chicken thighs are perfectly moist, tender, and flavorful! You don't need to spend a lot of time making this One-Pan Chicken Thighs with Cilantro-Lime Black Bean Rice which makes it a great recipe for weeknights.
This might become one of your favorite ways to cook chicken and rice. I am really in love with this cilantro-lime black bean chicken and rice!
How to make One-Pan Chicken Thighs with Cilantro-Lime Black Bean Rice
First, heat a large skillet on medium-high heat until hot. Add olive oil - it should run easily because the skillet is hot, but not sizzle or smoke. Season skin side of chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear them on high-medium heat in the skillet, skin-side down, for 5 minutes, until skins get golden brown color but don't get burned.
Flip the chicken thighs to the other side and sear for 2 more minutes on medium heat. That's how the chicken thigh skins should look like - nicely browned, but not burned. Skillet should not be burned on the bottom - use medium-high heat or medium heat, depending on your stove. Remove the chicken from the skillet (it will not be cooked through - you'll continue cooking it in the next steps).
To the same (now empty) skillet, add chicken broth, water, rice, ¼ teaspoon salt and minced garlic.
Don't forget to add garlic - it add so much flavor:
Bring to boil. Mix everything well. Put chicken thighs on top, making wells for them in the rice. Reduce to the heat to low boil simmer. Cover the skillet with the lid.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes, covered, until the rice is cooked through and chicken is done (no longer pink in the center).
Remove the chicken from the skillet. Mix in the 1 tablespoon of lime juice, rinsed and rained black beans, and fresh cilantro into the cooked rice. Taste, and add more salt and/or another small amount of lime juice (at most 1 extra tablespoon, try adding half of extra tablespoon first). I think 2 tablespoons of lime juice (freshly squeezed only!) are just perfect, but the lime flavor might be too strong for some people, so you might use just 1 or 1.5 tablespoon instead of 2 that I used.
Add the chicken back on top and serve the dinner!
One-Pan Chicken Thighs with Cilantro-Lime Black Bean Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup Jasmine rice , uncooked, or use any rice that says on the package that it takes 15 minutes to cook it
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice , freshly squeezed (use one 1 tablespoon first, before adding another)
- 15 oz black beans , rinsed, drained
- ½ cup fresh cilantro , chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat until hot. Add olive oil - it should run easily because the skillet is hot, but not sizzle or smoke.
- Season skin side of chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear them on high-medium heat in the skillet, skin-side down, for 5 minutes, until skins get golden brown color but don't get burned. Skillet should not be burned on the bottom.
- Flip the chicken thighs to the other side and sear for 2 more minutes on medium heat.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet (it will not be cooked through - you'll continue cooking it in the next steps).
- To the same (now empty) skillet, add chicken broth, water, uncooked rice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and minced garlic. Bring to boil. Mix everything well.
- Put chicken thighs on top, making wells for them in the rice.
- Reduce the heat to low boil simmer. Cover the skillet with the lid. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, covered, until the rice is cooked through, and the chicken is completely cooked (no longer pink in the center).
- Remove the chicken from the skillet.
- Mix in the 1 tablespoon of lime juice, rinsed and drained black beans, and fresh cilantro into the cooked rice. Taste, and add more salt and/or another small amount of lime juice (at most 1 extra tablespoon, try adding half of the extra tablespoon first).
- Note: I think 2 tablespoons of lime juice (freshly squeezed only!) are just perfect, but the lime flavor might be too strong for some people, so you might use just 1 or 1.5 tablespoons instead of 2 that I used.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Cooking the dish right now and I recommend to stick to the 2 cups of chicken broth and do not add the additional 1/2 cup of water; rice is too mushy! Dish does smells yummy!
Has anyone tried this is a crockpot? Also, has anyone used brown rice or quinoa?
Just finished making this and it was delicious! I added a diced red bell pepper to give it more color and some white onions. I only made half the recipe but have plenty of the rice mixture left for burritos this week. Will definitely make again!
My coworker brought this in for lunch today and I made her give me the recipe, so excited to make it... Kinda silly question, but do you have any ideas on how to turn this dish vegetarian and still have it be flavorful/unboring? I'm not vegetarian myself, but a lot of people I end up cooking for are. Would appreciate any insights/inspired ideas.
Thanks!
Do I cook the black beans on the side separately I usually buy them in the can? There is no cook time for the beans it just says to add it after the rice and chicken are cooked?
How did yours turn out? I'm cooking this now and was wondering about the cook time for the beans too!
Made this for supper and it was awesome! Definitely a keeper recipe
Thank you, Barbara! Happy to hear you liked this recipe! 🙂
This meal is delicious! My boyfriend found it and made it, and that first bite OMG! That's all I can say is OMG!
I am so glad you enjoyed it! And, what a thoughtful boyfriend you have! 🙂
Superb! I'm not a great lover of looking rice, but this came out perfectly. I Used coconut oil instead of live oil for a more Caribbean flavor. Excellent. Thank you.
Thank you! I am really glad you liked it! Coconut oil is always a great alternative to olive oil!
Could I use cauliflower rice?
Cauliflower rice would be great here!
This looks great! I will be making this for dinner tonight! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you! 🙂
Did anyone have an issue with too much liquid compared to the amount of rice?! Mine's been cooking 18 minutes & it's still SUPER liquidy, but I've followed the directions to a tee!..... thank you! 🙂
Maybe you used different kind of rice than I used? I used uncooked Jasmine rice that takes about 20 minutes to cook (it says so on the package).
I had the same issue with WAY too much liquid. I followed the recipe to a T, using uncooked jasmine rice, but still ran into this issue. I would probably cut the liquid in half and try it again next time.
This is one of my favorite weeknight meals. It is SO easy and so tasty. (Even with boring boneless skinless chicken breasts, which I use instead of the thighs.) And it halves so nicely! (The only things I don't cut in half are the beans and the lime juice.) I have made it several times and it is definitely a keeper.
Thank you, Suzanne, so glad you have enjoyed this recipe! Good to know that this recipe works well with the boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Hop you Still check this I only have drumsticks that should work right ??
Drumsticks will definitely work without changing anything in this recipe.
Do you have the nutritional information on this? Wanting to look up how many WW points this is.
That's something I need to figure out how to add to my recipes.
Do you have the nutritional information on this?? Looking to see what W