Tex-Mex Chicken and Brown Rice

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner. I love Mexican food and enjoy this holiday every year. A few weeks ago I made Tex-Mex Chicken and Brown Rice from the new American's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook. I am still exploring this cookbook and love what I have seen so far. This Tex-Mex Chicken and Brown Rice is fabulous. We even had leftovers the next day and they were fabulous as well. I would definitely suggest this dish at your Cinco de Mayo party. Do you do anything special to celebrate?

Still need ideas for your party, try these wonderful dishes:

Queso Fundido Burger
Red Chile Chicken with Black Beans and Rice
Tequila Lime Chicken
Chicken Tamale CasseroleMexican Chicken Casserole
Grilled Chicken Quesadillas
Baked Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

Tex-Mex Chicken and Brown Rice
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Source: The American's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

8 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp hot sauce
Salt and pepper
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (5 to 6), trimmed
1 tsp canola oil
1 onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed seeded, and minced
2 ears corn, kernels removed
1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 scallions, sliced thin
1 tbs fresh lime juice

Directions:

Adjust an oven rack to the lower position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine half of the garlic, 1 tsp of the chili powder, hot sauce, 1/8 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the chicken and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until simmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapenos, and corn; cook until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the rice, remaining garlic and tsp of remaining chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth scraping up any browned bits.

Lay the chicken on top of the rice. Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook until until the rice is tender and the liquid is almost fully absorbed, 50 to 65 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a plate. Cover the pot and let the rice sit and steam for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Stir in the shredded chicken, scallions, and lime juice into the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Nutrition Information:
Serving size: 1 1/2 cups
Calories: 410
Fat total: 9g
Saturated fat: 1.5 g
Cholesterol: 95mg
Carbs: 54g
Fiber: 30g
Protein: 390mg