There is something about chicken and rice. It’s easy, it’s great comfort food, it’s delicious. My kids love it (well, except for my daughter who is expressing mild interest in vegetarianism).
I saw this recipe in on of those America’s Test Kitchen compilation magazines (they should never stop making them because I end up buying every single one of them–I don’t care how many times those recipes have been published elsewhere, for whatever reason, it seems like I’m always seeing them for the first time.) I knew as soon as I started reading it that I would love it.
And I did. But.
The first time I made it, I used the two poblano peppers it calls for. I don’t cook with poblanos very often, but when I have in the past, they’ve always been on the mild side. Well, these poblanos were not mild. These poblanos left blisters on my hands, which should have been the first indication that I should have scaled back on the pepper usage, but alas, I was stupid. To further the stupidity, my husband and I actually ate it and our mouths were burning the rest of the night. So. Learn from our mistakes.
Turns out that just like any other pepper, poblanos can vary widely in heat, even when the seeds and membranes are removed. Like I said, I’ve had some that aren’t much hotter than a green bell pepper and then these were much hotter than jalapeños. My advice is to sniff the poblanos in the grocery store; if they tickle your throat, they’ll be spicier. When chopping them test a small piece to determine how spicy each pepper is. Average poblanos will be spicy but not burn-your-mouth hot. You could add anywhere from 1/2 of a poblano to all of both poblanos, depending on how hot they are and how much heat you want in the dish. Just remember you can always add more, but you can’t take them away once they’re in there, so if heat is a concern, start small.
The good news is that once we scaled the pepper usage down (I usually use between 1/2-1 pepper, depending on how big and how hot they are), this has become one of our favorite meals. The chicken thighs are moist and flavorful, it’s easy, only requires a handful of ingredients that I almost always have on hand, and everyone in my family will happily eat it. Can’t beat that, right?
You’re going to need 1 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs, rice, onions, garlic, cilantro, green enchilada sauce, and cumin.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the chicken thighs and cook for about 5 minutes or until golden and crispy on one side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. I took a picture of this, but half-cooked meat creeps me out, so I left that out. Is that weird?
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and allow to heat for about a minute. Add the chopped onions and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for about 1 more minute. Add the enchilada sauce, water, and rice and bring to a boil. Place the chicken, brown side up, on top of the rice. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for at least 20 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes to prevent the rice from scorching. When the rice and chicken are cooked through, it’s done (higher elevations will take longer, maybe even twice as long, so plan accordingly.) Add the cilantro and stir to combine. Serves 4-6.
Green Chile Chicken & Rice
Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
Ingredients:
24 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (see notes)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 ounces green enchilada sauce (I like Herdez Mexican Cooking sauces, which is in a jar, and Frontera, which is in a pouch. You could also use this recipe.)
1 cup water (high elevations should add an additional 1/4 cup)
1 cup long-grain rice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Note about poblanos: Just like any other pepper, poblanos can vary widely in heat, even when the seeds and membranes are removed. I’ve had some that aren’t much hotter than a green bell pepper and others that were hotter than jalapeños. My advice is to sniff the poblanos in the grocery store; if they tickle your throat, they’ll be spicier. When chopping them test a small piece to determine how spicy each pepper is. Average poblanos will be spicy but not burn-your-mouth hot. You could add anywhere from 1/2 of a poblano to all of both poblanos, depending on how hot they are and how much heat you want in the dish. Just remember you can always add more, but you can’t take them away once they’re in there, so if heat is a concern, start small.
Instructions:
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the chicken thighs and cook for about 5 minutes or until golden and crispy on one side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and allow to heat for about a minute. Add the chopped onions and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for about 1 more minute. Add the enchilada sauce, water, and rice and bring to a boil. Place the chicken, brown side up, on top of the rice. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for at least 20 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes to prevent the rice from scorching. When the rice and chicken are cooked through, it’s done (higher elevations will take longer, maybe even twice as long, so plan accordingly.) Add the cilantro and stir to combine. Serves 4-6.
