Chipotle Chicken Rice
This one’s built for flavour in every layer — seared chipotle chicken thighs, a smoky tomato rice cooked in the same pan, charred corn and black bean salsa, and a cooling lime crema to finish. It’s a proper Mexican-inspired meal prep, not just chicken and rice with sauce poured over the top.
The chicken gets seared first, then the rice is built in that same pan so it picks up everything left behind. The corn is charred dry with no oil for a proper smoky edge, and the crema comes together in a couple of minutes while everything else cooks.
Fifty minutes total, and it holds up well through the week — keep the crema separate until you’re ready to eat, and it stays fresh rather than making the rice soggy.
Chipotle Chicken & Smoky Rice
CHICKEN · DINNER · MEDIUM
One Pan, Layers of Smoky Flavour
Searing the chicken first and building the rice in the same pan means every bit of browned fond left behind gets picked back up into the dish — nothing gets wasted, and the flavour runs all the way through instead of sitting on the surface.
The corn goes into a dry, hot pan with no oil until it's properly charred in spots. That's what gives it a smoky, slightly sweet edge that frozen corn straight out of the bag just doesn't have.
Keeping the lime crema separate until serving is a small step that makes a real difference — it stays bright and fresh, and the rice underneath doesn't turn wet sitting in the fridge for a few days.
Chipotle Chicken Smoky Rice
Ingredients
Chipotle Chicken
- 15 ml Olive Oil
- 1 kg Chicken Thigh, Boneless & Skinless Diced
- 8 g Smoked Paprika
- 4 g Ground Cumin
- 4 g Garlic Powder
- 4 g Onion Powder
- 30 g Tomato Paste
- 200 ml Chicken Stock
- 30 g Chipotle in Adobo Chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 20 g Honey
- 1 Lime Juice
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Smoky Tomato Rice
- 15 ml Olive Oil
- 1 Brown (Yellow) Onion Diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 15 g Tomato Paste
- 4 g Smoked Paprika
- 300 g Long Grain or Jasmine Rice Washed
- 500 ml Chicken Stock
- Salt To Taste
Charred Corn & Black Bean Salsa
- 300 g Corn Kernels Frozen or Canned
- 400 g Black Beans Drained & Rinsed
- 1 Red Bell Pepper (Capsicum) Diced
- 20 g Coriander (Cilantro) Chopped
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Lime Crema
- 150 g Greek Yoghurt
- 1 Lime Zest & Juiced
- 1 Garlic Clove Grated
- Salt To Taste
Method
- Season the chicken with smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Sear the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes until well browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, reduce heat to medium and add the onion for the rice. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, tomato paste and smoked paprika, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the rice and stir to coat in the tomato base for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a low simmer for 15-18 minutes until tender and the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and rest covered for 5 minutes.
- While the rice cooks, combine the tomato paste, chicken stock, chipotle in adobo, garlic and honey in a small saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes until slightly reduced. Stir in the lime juice.
- Add the seared chicken to the chipotle sauce and toss to coat. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F), and the sauce is glossy and thickened.
- Heat a dry pan over high heat. Add the frozen corn and cook for 4-5 minutes until charred in spots. Combine with the black beans and diced capsicum. Season with salt and pepper.
- Whisk together the Greek yoghurt, lime zest, lime juice, grated garlic and a pinch of salt for the crema. Add water a teaspoon at a time until pourable.
- Divide the smoky tomato rice between containers. Top with the corn and black bean salsa, then the chipotle chicken. Store the lime crema separately and add just before eating.
