This entire red chile chicken with rice and black beans dish cooks up in one pot and transforms ordinary ingredients into delicious flavor.

Sometimes life (and dinner!) requires simplicity. Hence the invention of the one-pot meal.

Whoever came up with this idea is brilliant and I shall love them forever. One-pot (or one skillet, for that matter) meals are my saving grace on busy nights when I still want to feed my family a healthful, decent meal but don’t want the hassle of 183 pots and pans to clean up.

White bowl of chicken, black beans, and rice.

This simple red chile chicken with rice and beans is the answer to my every weeknight dinner woe (except for the fact that one or two of my charges still like to gag at the thought of beans…the nerve).

This entire dinner cooks up in one pot and transforms ordinary ingredients into a meal filled with tender, fluffy rice, delicious chicken and hearty black beans.

Of course, we de-healthified the entire meal by smothering it in sour cream and shredded cheese (hey! I’ve gotta disguise those little black beans somehow!), but either way, it is tasty and satisfying.

If the chili powder scares you, please don’t worry – the dish is definitely not spicy – just perfectly warm and filling.

P.S. Since I adore these one-pot meals and have posted in the past about a few others that I love, I finally hunkered down, went through every recipe on this here site and labeled a new category: One-Pot/One-Skillet Meals. Enjoy!

P.P.S. I’ve also added another category: Quick Meals. Both of these new categories are accessible through the drop down Recipe Category list in the far right sidebar.

P.P.S.S. I just wanted to type P.P.S.S. It reminds me of when I was in the 8th grade.

What To Serve With This:

Mexican Tomato and Corn Salad or steamed vegetable like broccoli or peas
Shrapnel Dip with Baked Tortilla Chips
Fresh, seasonal fruit

One Year Ago: My Favorite Cookie
Two Years Ago: Red Velvet Cake Balls and Oreo Truffles

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Red Chile Chicken with Rice and Black Beans

5 stars (5 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, (about 1.5 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder, divided
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 ½ cups rice
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 ½ cups chicken broth
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup chopped green onions, about 3-4 green onions, roots and wilted outer leaves removed before chopping, OR 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  • Salsa and sour cream for serving

Instructions 

  • Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a medium-large heavy pot over medium heat. Sprinkle the diced chicken breast with salt and ½ tablespoon of the chili powder. Place the chicken in the hot oil and brown , stirring and flipping occasionally, until browned, 2-3 minutes (the chicken doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through because it will finish cooking later). Remove the chicken to a plate.
  • Add the second tablespoon of oil to the pot and add the onion and rice. Cook on medium-low, stirring for several minutes, until the rice turns from translucent to opaque. Add the garlic and the remaining 1 tablespoon chili powder. Cook one minute, and then add the broth and salt (between 1/2 to 1 teaspoon) to taste. Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Add the chicken to the pot along with the beans, give it all a good stir. Recover the pot and cook on low for 10-12 minutes longer, taking care that the mixture isn’t cooking to hot or else it will burn on the bottom.
  • Sprinkle the green onions and test a kernel of rice. It should be tender, in which case you place the cover back on, remove it from the heat and let it stand 5-10 minutes. If it’s not cooked, cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring and checking often to make sure the mixture doesn’t burn.
  • Fluff the mixture with a fork and serve with salsa and sour cream.
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 550kcal, Carbohydrates: 70g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 87mg, Sodium: 633mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 2g
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Recipe Source: adapted from Elly Says Opa