Mexican Chicken and Rice Bake with Bean and Avocado Salsa
Description
This Mexican chicken and rice bake is the ultimate one-pan dinner — bone-in chicken thighs marinated in a bold Mexican spice blend and Greek yoghurt, baked over fluffy vegetable stock rice with courgette and cherry tomatoes, then finished with a fresh kidney bean and avocado salsa. Ready in about an hour, it feeds four and requires barely any washing up. Perfect for busy weeknights or relaxed family dinners.
Ingredients
Rice Base
- 1.5 cups white rice
- 1 small brown onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves sliced
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 large courgette (zucchini) diced
- 0.5 punnet cherry tomatoes halved
Chicken
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs
- 35 g Mexican seasoning 1 packet
- 0.25 cup Greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp lime juice or lemon juice
- salt and black pepper to taste
Bean and Avocado Salsa
- 0.5 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 large avocado diced
- 0.25 red onion finely diced
- 0.25 cup lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 cup fresh coriander roughly chopped
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Chicken and Rice Bake
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan bake / 390°F).
- In a 30cm baking dish, combine the white rice, diced onion, sliced garlic, and vegetable stock. Fold in the diced courgette and halved cherry tomatoes, spreading everything into an even layer.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken thighs with the Mexican seasoning, Greek yoghurt, and lime juice. Season well with salt and pepper and mix until every thigh is thoroughly coated.
- Place the marinated chicken thighs on top of the rice mixture. Cover the baking dish tightly with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid and return the dish to the oven for a further 25–30 minutes, until the chicken is golden on top and fully cooked through (internal temperature of 75°C / 165°F), and the rice is tender and has absorbed the stock.
Bean and Avocado Salsa
- While the chicken finishes baking, combine the drained kidney beans, diced avocado, finely diced red onion, lime juice, and chopped coriander in a bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper and stir gently to combine.
- Once the chicken and rice are cooked, spoon the bean and avocado salsa generously over the top and serve immediately straight from the baking dish.
Notes
- Use bone-in chicken thighs for the best results — the extra fat and cooking time allows the rice to cook perfectly without the chicken drying out.
- The yoghurt coating keeps the chicken moist and helps it brown beautifully. Don't skip it.
- Check the rice at the 45-minute mark — it should be tender and have absorbed most of the stock. If it still feels firm, cover and give it a few extra minutes before finishing uncovered.
- Make the salsa fresh just before serving. Avocado discolours quickly and the texture suffers if made too far in advance.
- Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add a splash of water or stock when reheating to loosen the rice.
- No Mexican seasoning packet? Substitute with a mix of 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp chilli powder, and a pinch of cayenne.
- Black beans can be used in place of kidney beans in the salsa.