Skillet Chicken with Mexican Green Rice

By á-48467

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 or 3 pieces each
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 poblano peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (12 oz.) bottle green enchilada sauce or salsa verde (make sure it is gluten-free)
• 1 1/2 cups long grain rice (see instructions for brown/white variations - I like using Trader Joe's Quick Cooking Brown Rice)
• 2 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves

Details

Adapted from blog.meaningfuleats.com

Preparation

Step 1

For Brown Rice:
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned on both sides, 3-4 minutes per side. You may have to do this in 2 batches. You don't want to cook the chicken all the way through here. Just give it some color! Transfer to a plate.
Add the onion and poblano to the now empty skillet. Add a touch more oil if necessary. Add a bit of salt and pepper and saute until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Add the cumin, enchilada sauce, chicken broth, and rice.
Bring the mixture to a boil then nestle the chicken back in the pan. Cover the pan tightly with heavy duty foil so it is sealed. Transfer to the oven and bake for 70-80 minutes, until the rice is tender. Before serving stir in the chopped cilantro and spinach. Season with salt to taste. Enjoy!
For White Rice/Quick-Cooking Brown Rice:
Skip preheating the oven. Follow steps 1-2 above as indicated, adding white instead of brown rice. When the mixture comes to a boil, add the chicken back to the pan. Cover and set the heat to low. Cook for about 20-25 minutes on the stovetop, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked through, stirring every five minutes or so to ensure the rice isn’t sticking to the bottom.
Before serving stir in the chopped cilantro and spinach. Season with salt to taste. Enjoy!