I firmly believe that chimichurri is one of the most enjoyable sauces to use in the summer. As part of this week’s Chimichurri Chicken and Rice recipe, which Apronese is showing you in today’s post.
Actually, just to share how to make this one-pot meal more complete by adding chicken, it’s also very simple to make a vegan dish. If you want to make this meal vegetarian, just replace the diced chicken with a can of chickpeas and you’re good to go!
And you know, cook delicious rice, when you add your favorite spices and toppings. Let’s discover interesting things below.
Chimichurri Chicken and Rice
Hand Chop Your Chimichurri
In order to make the chimichurri this time, I decided to use a smaller batch and to chop everything by hand instead of using my food processor. In spite of the fact that I had tried making it by hand before, I was surprised and delighted to find it much better than the super processed chimichurri that I have been using for the last few years. I will be making it by hand from now on, and I actually found it much easier to finely chop all that stuff than to clean a food processor.
Tips for Cooking One Pot Recipes
One-pot rice dishes require a pot with a thick bottom, as do all rice dishes. The rice won’t cook if you use a thin pan or skillet. It will get hot spots and cold spots, leaving it uncooked in some parts and dry or burned in others. Heat is also crucial, so if you have a rice cooker, you can definitely cook this in it.
All the sautéing needs to be done in a skillet, followed by transferring everything (chicken, vegetables, rice, water) to the rice cooker. Once the rice is done, the machine will instruct you how to cook it. When it has finished cooking, fold in the chimichurri
Chimichurri Chicken and Rice
The Chimichurri Chicken and Rice recipe is a simple summer dinner that cooks in just one pot, making it a quick and easy way to prepare dinner on a busy night.
Prep Time: 15 mins/ Cook Time: 40 mins/ Total Time: 55 mins
Servings: 4 1.25 cups each
Ingredients
Chimichurri
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil ($0.52)
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar ($0.20)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cumin ($0.03)
- Pinch red pepper flakes ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped ($0.30)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped ($0.25)
Chicken and Rice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.13)
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (3/4 lb.) ($1.42)
- Pinch salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.41)
- 2 Roma Tomatoes ($1.00)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas ($0.21)
- 1 cup long grain white rice* ($0.66)
- 1.5 cups water ($0.00)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
Instructions
- The chimichurri should be prepared first, so that the flavors can blend. Combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, cumin, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and stir well.
- You can pull the parsley, cilantro, and garlic leaves from the stems and finely chop them, then stir them in the bowl along with the oil, vinegar, and spices, then set the chimichurri aside. Remove the stems from the parsley and cilantro and mince them finely.
- It is essential to cut the chicken breast into very small pieces, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the pieces of chicken into the skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat over a medium heat until the oil reaches a medium temperature. Continue heating until the chicken pieces are golden brown.
- As the chicken is browning, place the diced onion in the skillet and add to the skillet once the chicken pieces are golden brown. Sauté the onion until soft (about 5 minutes). Once the diced onion is soft, remove it from the skillet.
- There is nothing like sautéing onions while the tomatoes can be seasoned and sautéed at the same time. Once the onions are soft, add the diced tomatoes and continue to sauté for at least two more minutes before serving.
- The chicken should be added back to the skillet along with the frozen peas, uncooked rice, water, and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and stirred briefly in order to combine all the ingredients.
- The skillet should be covered with a lid, and the heat should be set to medium-high. After reaching a boil, turn down the heat to low or medium-low, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- The rice should be allowed to rest for 10 minutes, then you can fluff it with a fork. Pour the chimichurri over the rice and fold it together. Do not vigorously stir the chimichurri into the rice as this will cause it to become sticky and mushy.
- There will be no need to add more salt to the chicken and rice if you need to add more salt to the dish. Add an extra pinch of fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish, and serve the chicken and rice.
*In this recipe, I used jasmine rice as that is the rice I prefer to use, however regular long grain white rice would also work just as perfectly.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 Serving ・ Calories: 454.18 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 44.93 g ・ Protein: 24.18 g ・ Fat: 19.38 g ・ Sodium: 552.8 mg ・ Fiber: 2.45 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
Step by Step Photos
Make the chimichurri first so the flavors have time to blend. In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, half a teaspoon of dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
I grabbed about 1/4 of each bunch of my parsley and cilantro, since you need about 1/2 cup loosely packed each. You don’t need to worry about getting the amount of parsley and cilantro exactly right since this recipe is so flexible.
But, if you’re uncertain, more is better. Oh, and you’ll also need a large clove of garlic to make this recipe work.
Using a very fine knife, chop the parsley and cilantro very finely, and mince the garlic as well.
Set aside the chimichurri for a few minutes while you combine the parsley, cilantro, and garlic into the oil and vinegar mixture.
Make a quick and easy chicken dish by slicing one boneless, skinless chicken breast (approximately 3/4 lbs) into small pieces and season with salt and pepper.
When the 1 Tbsp of olive oil is warm and bubbling, add the chicken pieces and cook them for about 5 minutes until they are a golden brown color. Once the chicken pieces are golden brown, remove them from the skillet and serve them immediately.
The chicken should be cooked off in a skillet until the blades are browned and the meat is cooked through. As the chicken finishes cooking, add the onion and sauté until it has softened.
Add a couple Roma tomatoes to the skillet while the onions are sautéing, and while the onions are still sautéing, add the diced tomatoes to the skillet as well.
Continue to sauté the tomatoes for a couple minutes more, until they start to lose their shape.
The cooked chicken should now be added back to the skillet along with 1/2 cup frozen peas (I used jasmine rice) and 1 cup long grain white rice (I used jasmine rice).
After stirring everything together for a short while, pour in 1.5 cups of water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, cover the pot and bring it to a boil for 3 to 5 minutes.
Once it has reached a boil, turn the heat down to low or medium, and allow it to simmer gently for 15 minutes.
I strongly recommend you turn off the heat after simmering for 15 minutes and let it rest for 10 minutes, undisturbed (lid in place). Once you have done that, remove the lid and fluff it with a fork.
The last thing you need to do is pour the chimichurri over the chicken, rice, and vegetables that have been cooked in the skillet; gently fold the mixture with that sauce until it has been incorporated.
Don’t stir the rice vigorously, otherwise it will get sticky and mushy. Taste the food and add more salt, if necessary, to taste.
There is no need to garnish the Chimichurri Chicken and Rice with extra parsley or cilantro if you prefer, though it would be nice if you did.
Remember to share the delicious chicken rice recipe today Apronese sent to everyone. It must be said that the dish is very suitable for all meals of the day and many ages love it.
