Southwest Chicken Tenders And Rice

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (try chipotle or ancho chili powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1 1/2 lbs chicken tenderloins
• 2 large limes, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided plus more as needed
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 medium bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup green, red, orange or yellow)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
• 3 1/4 cups homemade broth or 3 1/4 cups no-salt-added chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• shredded cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese or mexican blend cheese

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 325 degrees. lay a large piece of aluminum foil on the counter.
• 2 combine the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and oregano in a small bowl.
• 3 arrange the chicken on the foil in a single layer. use half the seasoning mixture to sprinkle the tenderloins evenly on both sides.
• 4 cut one of the limes in half, squeezing all of its juice evenly over the chicken. sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. rub the chicken on both sides to evenly distribute the spices, juice and oil. let sit for 10 minutes.
• 5 heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a 4-quart shallow braising pan, ovenproof skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. add half of the spice-rubbed chicken; cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides. it's not necessary to cook comletely through. transfer to a plate; repeat with the remaining chicken.
• 6 reduce the heat to medium. add the onion, bell pepper and a pinch of salt to the pan, plus more oil if needed; cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. add the tomato paste and the remaining spice mixture; cook, stirring to combine, for 1 minute. add the rice and stir to incorporate. add the broth; increase the heat to medium-high and stir to combine; cook until the broth begins to boil.
• 7 cover and transfer to the oven. bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and arrange the cooked chicken tenders over the rice. cover and bake for 8 minutes, then check to see whether the rice has cooked through and all of the broth has been absorbed; if not, bake for 5 minutes or until rice has cooked through. remove from the oven, uncover and sprinkle with cheese and cilantro.
• 8 serve right from the cooking vessel at the table, shielding the hot handles with pot holders. cut the remaining lime into wedges to serve on the side.