I had this on my meal plan once and then “chickened out” (haha) before actually making it. I went with a normal chicken-and-rice dish instead. Then I put it on my meal plan again, determined to do it. I soaked and cooked the beans and mixed up everything in the dish, and then….
YUMMY.
Why didn’t I do this sooner?! Not to mention it’s a filling, balanced, cheap and easy meal. I think it will grace my meal plans every week or two now. Just delicious.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 c. brown basmati rice
- 2 c. chicken stock
- 1 c. tomato sauce
- 1 c. cooked black beans (about 1/3 c. dry)
- 1 c. peas
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tbsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 – 2 lbs. chicken
Directions:
The night before, soak black beans in water (to cover by 1″) with a pinch of baking soda.
The next day, cook the black beans in water until soft, about 45 min. Drain and set aside.
In a 9×13 baking dish, add your rice.
Add stock.
Add tomato sauce.
Then spices.
Add carrots, peas, and black beans.
Stir it all together.
Lay your chicken pieces on top. I am using leg quarters because they are really cheap and then I use the bones to make more stock. You can use drumsticks, bone-in breasts, boneless breasts…really whatever you want. Ideally the chicken should be covering most of the rice. If not, lightly cover with foil. I don’t need to.
Now, put it in the oven at 350 for about an hour. Then it’s done. If you had beans already cooked and in the fridge or freezer, this dish would seriously come together in 10 minutes. It is a no-brainer.
Serve it with shredded cheese (my favorite), slices of avocado, sour cream, fresh salsa — whatever you like and have on hand. Pair it with a salad and some fresh fruit (or canned in the winter) and you have a perfectly easy meal. This would make a great lunch, dinner, or even a meal-on-the-go if you baked it in advance. Maybe try serving it with a little Blueberry Crumble…. 
Depending on the type of chicken you use, this is a $5 – $6 meal and it will feed a family of 4 – 6, possibly with leftovers. You could add more beans if desired.
How do you like your Mexican food?
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TESTING!
I love easy casseroles! I’m definitely going to try this one. Awesome that you don’t have to prep anything on the stove and dirty extra pots and pans! My favorite kind of recipe.
Hi. Shouldn’t the rice be soaked too?
this looks great! i live in asia and we’re always looking for mexican-flavored recipes that we can actually make here, and this is certainly within reach! thanks for sharing!
I made this last night and it was great! It took more like 1.5 hours for the rice and carrots to get done, and the carrots were still a little crunchy. Next time I’ll chop them smaller or shred them. I also sprinkled some of the seasonings onto the chicken and man was that skin yummy! Thanks for this great EASY recipe!
I also soaked the brown rice with this method, and then used 1.5 c. stock instead of 2 c. And I forgot the peas.
http://plusothergoodstuff.blogspot.com/2011/07/easy-change-5-switch-to-soaked-brown.html
Would I need to change the amount of liquid or the cooking time if I use white basmati instead of brown? thanks, can’t wait to try this!