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one-skillet crispy chicken burrito bowls

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This One-Skillet Crispy Chicken Burrito bowl recipe has been absolutely killing it, so I wanted to get it in your inbox if you need a little inspiration this week. You cook the rice right in a jar of salsa to make the easiest Mexican rice of all time. It is tender and flavorful and serves as the perfect base for perfectly crisp chicken thighs.

One-Skillet Crispy Chicken Burrito Bowls

Serves 4

Tools:

• Cutting board

• Chef’s Knife

• 12-inch skillet, wide Dutch oven, saucepan, etc.

Ingredients:

• 4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

• Kosher salt 

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

• 1 (16-ounce) jar green or red salsa

• 2 1/4 cups water or low-sodium chicken stock

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can black or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 to 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (depending on how cheesy ya like it!)

• Optional toppings: chopped avocado, more salsa, fresh cilantro, sour cream, pickled red onions, guacamole, pickled jalapeños

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place one oven rack in the center and one on the top rung.

Season 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs with about 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt per thigh. Warm a 12-inch skillet, Dutch oven, or other ovenproof skillet/pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs, skin-side down. Nope, you don’t need any oil - you’ll see how much grease those thighs are about to put off!

Cook thighs, skin-side down, for 4 to 6 minutes, until crispy and golden-brown. Transfer to a holding plate. Stir 1 1/2 cups white rice into the chicken fat until it is coated and toast the grains for about 3 minute, or until they’re actually browning a bit. Stir in 1 jar La Victoria Suprema Salsa, 2 1/4 cups water or chicken stock, and 1 can black beans. If you use water, also stir in 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and cover for 7 minutes. 

Uncover, stir, then place the chicken thighs over the rice, skin-side up, so that the skin is above the liquid. If the rice is stuck to the bottom of the skillet when you stir in, add another little splash of water to the skillet to make it easy to scrape up. Bake on the center rack in the oven, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, until the rice is tender. The rice on top might look crunchy from the heat, so be sure to actually stick a fork in there and check the rice underneath the top layer.

Raise the oven heat to Broil.

Use a fork to fluff the rice all around and under chicken. Scatter 1 to 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese all over the top of the rice and chicken. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese is melted - keeping an eye on it with the oven light on the entire time to make sure the chicken skin doesn’t burn.

Top with your desired burrito bowl toppings!

Notes

• You can use bone-in skin-on chicken breasts, but add them to the top of the rice after it’s been cooking in the oven for 10 minutes.

• You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs, but skip the searing step completely and add them to the top of the rice at the same time as the directions above.

• Nope: you can’t use brown rice, but you can use any white rice.

• Try sauteeing an onion and a bell pepper in the chicken fat for 4 minutes before adding the rice for adding veggies.

  • Or, try stirring in 1 cup of cauliflower rice along with the salsa!

• You can use any salsa you like! I also tested this recipe using La Victoria’s salsa verde. I use mild when I’m feeding kids, medium when feeding adults-only.

• Kidney beans or pinto beans would be great in place of the black beans. Really, any canned (or simply pre-cooked) bean works!