During my high school years, my best friend and I enjoyed eating a bowl of Mexican Rice for lunch when it was on the menu. It was tasty and healthy in comparison to the standard fried chicken nuggets, chicken fingers, shoestring chicken, chicken tenders, popcorn chicken, and of course French fries! My recipe for Mexican Rice is made with brown rice and chunks of chicken, which I recommend serving with a green salad on the side for a well-rounded meal.
Mexican Rice and Chicken
- Serves 4
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ c. onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ c. carrot, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 c. brown rice
2 ½ cup chicken broth
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into large chunks
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1. Heat oil in a 4 qt. pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and carrot and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
2. Mix in the rice and then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, stir once, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Then, sprinkle salt over the chicken pieces and add them to the rice. Stir once and simmer, covered, for 20 more minutes. Remove from heat, let stand for 5 minutes, and fluff rice with a fork before serving.