Cuban chicken with black beans and yellow rice

Winner winner, chicken dinner! This Cuban Spiced Chicken and Rice is deliciously healthy-ish comfort food.

Serve up a chicken thigh dinner and I’ll be the first one seated at the table.

Always moist and next to impossible to overcook, this chicken thigh Cuban Spiced Chicken and Rice is an easy weeknight dinner that’s sure to please everyone at the table.

Marinating the chicken in a combination of lime and orange juices with some fresh thyme, paprika, cumin and jalapeno lends to a incredibly flavorful, tender chicken.

After marinating, I sauté the chicken for a few minutes before adding onion, red pepper, garlic, diced tomatoes, black beans, chicken broth and some added spices. You’ll bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 25 minutes.

I love to serve the chicken over some yellow rice with a side green salad, totally optional, since this dish is already protein-packed and full of veggies.

If there are any leftovers, this dish is just as good, if not better the second day.

It’s perfect for those busy weeknights when school starts and time is at a premium.

Simply cut, marinate and refrigerate the chicken in a large Ziploc bag the night before and you’ll be ready to throw everything together for dinner the following night.

While the chicken simmers, just cook up your rice and dinner will be served in under 35 minutes. And everyone will be saying, winner, winner chicken dinner! Enjoy!

A few other favorites for those busy weeknights are my Beef and Quinoa Enchilada Skillet,, my Classic Easy Meatloaf and my Crazy Good Mac and Cheese.

A Few Cook’s Notes for Cuban Spiced Chicken and RIce Recipe:

I love to serve this chicken over yellow rice and the brand I always use is Goya. I’m not paid to say that. I just wanted to share what I like to use.

I use a 14.5-oz. can of diced fire roasted tomatoes for this recipe. I add the tomatoes with the juices. You can also opt for fresh tomatoes that you dice yourself. If you do, I would add about 1/4 cup extra chicken broth to make up for the liquid in the can.

Chicken Marinade

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 2 tsp. Hungarian paprika
• 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

Chicken

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14.5-oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 1 15.5-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp. Hungarian paprika
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• lime wedges, optional, for garnishing
• yellow rice, for serving

• In a medium bowl, whisk together juices, olive oil, chopped jalapeno and spices through salt. Add chicken to a large Ziploc bag. Pour marinade over the chicken. Seal bag and toss chicken to fully coat all pieces. Place bag in refrigerator for at least 5 hours or overnight, tossing chicken every so often.

• In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from refrigerator and add entire contents of the bag to the skillet. Cook, stirring often for 7-8 minutes until chicken is browned. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon to a large plate. Set aside. Drain all but 1/4 cup fat from the skillet.

• Add chopped onions and peppers to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and continue to cook for one minute. Add tomatoes, beans, broth, paprika, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until well combined. Bring to a boil. Add chicken and any juices from the plate. Reduce heat to a low simmer and continue to cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• To serve, add some rice to bowls and top with some of the chicken mixture or place on the side of the rice. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and lime wedges.