Southern Chicken and Rice Recipe
This Southern Chicken and Rice Recipe is a simple one pot meal, combining marinated chicken thighs with brown rice and plenty of veggies. Adding a little spice kick adds incredible flavor but can be adjusted to your preference.
Southern Chicken and Rice
Spicy food is my love language. If you’re not using a tissue between bites, then you might just be doing it wrong. JUST KIDDING!
While I DO enjoy spicy foods, most of my recipes can easily be tailored to your taste buds. For this one, skip the seeds of the jalapeño, and use regular diced tomatoes instead of the fire-roasted version.
However, if you want a little EXTRA kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes and grab a box of tissues. 😀
Chicken Recipes are always a hit for the whole family. I love making our Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken if I have extra time to roast a whole chicken but I also love taking a shortcut and use a rotisserie chicken in our Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup.
If you are a more of a creamy chicken fan, try our Creamy Jalapeño Chicken. Ultimate comfort food and even better the next day.
Why we LOVE this recipe:
- ONE POT – We love one pot meals and this simple recipe does NOT disappoint!
- FULL OF FLAVOR – The seasonings really bring out the flavors in this dish, and the chicken turns out tender every time.
- MAKES GREAT QUESADILLAS – I love making quesadillas out of this recipe. Spread the mixture on half of a tortilla, add cheese, fold over, and fry it up in a pan along with a little bit of oil. So good!
What You’ll Need:
I usually have my pantry and refrigerator stocked for this southern-style chicken. Simple ingredients for a weeknight meal!
- Chicken – Use chicken thighs and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Marinade – A quick combo of olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, ground cumin, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Veggies – Onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic.
- Rice – You’ll need a little more than a cup of brown rice.
- Liquids – Chicken broth (we use lower-sodium) and fire-roasted diced tomatoes.
- Add-Ins – Some black beans and frozen corn get added in the end.
How to make Southern Chicken and Rice:
Step 1
Prep chicken. Use a sharp knife to slice the raw chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces or thin strips. Place in a plastic bag or an airtight container.
Step 2
Marinate chicken. To the chicken, add the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, ground cumin, salt, and pepper to taste. Use your hands to massage the bag of chicken. Set aside for 20 minutes or so.
Step 3
Cook chicken. Heat a stock pot to medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken pieces (along with the marinade). Sear and cook for 9-10 minutes, or until browned and almost (but not completely) fully cooked. Remove to a separate plate.
Step 4
Sauté veggies. Use the same pot and add the diced onions, bell pepper, and jalapeño pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until slightly softened, stirring frequently. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, and stir for another 30 seconds.
Step 5
Add uncooked rice, chicken, and liquids. Then add the rice and stir for a minute. Add back the chicken, the chicken broth, and diced tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer letting the mixture cook until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through completely. Cook time will vary.
If using a longer grain rice, you should wait to add the chicken to close to when the rice is done.
Step 6
Add beans and corn. Finally, towards the end of the simmer, add the black beans and frozen corn – and continue to cook until everything is hot.
Step 7
Serve. For best results, serve Southern Chicken and Rice with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese and some avocado slices.
Other Tex-Mex Recipes:
We love our Tex-Mex, including these seriously tasty recipes.
Recipe Tips:
- Prep ahead by marinating the chicken and chopping the veggies. It’s a great way to get a meal on the table after a long day.
- Using chicken thighs over chicken breasts is a smart decision because they don’t dry out nearly as easy.
- You can adjust the veggies as you wish. Use extra jalapeño for even more kick, different kinds of peppers, skip the garlic and use dry seasoning instead (like cayenne pepper for kick).
- Make sure you cook the chicken almost all of the way in the first part of the cooking process. Then it gets finished later on as you simmer the rice.
- Feel free to use a different kind of bean like pinto or cannellini.
What to Serve with this Recipe:
- Add a dollop of Chipotle Ranch Dressing or Avocado Crema.
- Pair with some chips and Cowboy Caviar with Avocado for a complete meal.
- You can never go wrong with a side of Chunky Guacamole! A southern staple for so many of our delicious meals.
We love the leftovers. In fact, I recommend making a double batch, especially if you’re feeding a family. You can add leftovers to meal prep containers for lunches or use it in quesadillas for another weeknight dinner.
Other Favorite Weeknight Meals:
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Southern Chicken and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 pounds chicken thighs
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoons ground cumin
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
For the rice:
- 1 small onion – diced
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper – diced
- 1 medium jalapeno – diced (with or without seeds)
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 1 ¼ cups brown rice – rice that takes about 10 minutes to cook
- 1 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
- 15 oz. fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 15 oz. black beans – rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn
Instructions
- Prep chicken. Use a sharp knife to slice the raw chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces or thin strips. Place in a plastic bag or an airtight container.
- Marinate chicken. To the chicken, add the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, ground cumin, salt, and pepper to taste. Use your hands to massage the bag of chicken. Set aside for 20 minutes or so.
- Cook chicken. Heat a stock pot to medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken thighs (along with the marinade). Sear and cook for 9-10 minutes, or until browned and almost (but not completely) fully cooked. Remove to a separate plate.
- Sauté veggies. Use the same pot and add the diced onions, bell pepper, and jalapeño pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until slightly softened, stirring frequently. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, and stir for another 30 seconds.
- Add uncooked rice, chicken, and liquids. Then add the rice and stir for a minute. Add back the chicken, the chicken broth, and diced tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer letting the mixture cook until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through completely. Cook time will vary.If using a longer grain rice, you should wait to add the chicken to close to when the rice is done.
- Add beans and corn. Finally, towards the end of the simmer, add the black beans and frozen corn – and continue to cook until everything is hot.
- Serve. Serve Southern Chicken and Rice with a sprinkle of shredded Mexican cheese and some avocado slices.
Excellent recipe.
My husband and I made this recipe yesterday. Even though it’s just the two of us, we doubled it for our lunches for the week. What a delicious and inexpensive recipe with the spices and condiments being items we had already in stock. The chicken was very moist despite having to leave the pot on longer because brown rice takes longer. Added fresh cilantro after we were done in addition to the cheese.
Hi Nicole! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this dish. We love it too!
I used jasmine rice and it came out pretty sticky. It tasted great, but it didn’t look very appetizing and my husband wouldn’t even try it. Does it come out different with brown rice?
Did you use the correct amount of liquid? Sounds like the rice absorbed up too much of it. Brown rice is my preferred rice for this dish.
A fun Tex-Mex twist on chicken and rice. A great way to make meal prep easier!
Thanks Josh!
I am always looking for a way to use chicken and being a Tex-Mex girl this is exactly the kind of recipe I gravitate to. It was very easy, with mostly ingredients I had in the house. It’s also delicious and all made in one pot, perfect for any night of the week. I also love leftovers so am looking for a few more nights of eating!!
Thanks so much, Shari!
Awesome recipe with exceptional flavor!