Brown Rice Bowls with Salsa Verde Chicken
Earlier last week while I was quickly, and safely, perusing the aisles of Trader Joe’s, I was reminded of one of my favorite pantry items of theirs: salsa verde. Had I had my instant pot at my parent’s house, however, these probably would’ve turned into salsa verde shredded chicken breasts… but I’m never going to complain about an opportunity to use my parent’s grill.
The base of these bowls came together featuring other pantry staple items I found at TJ’s: brown rice, canned chickpeas, and refried beans (I swear, Trader Joe’s makes my favorite canned version of these!). Mixed in with some fresh vegetable options (avocado, bell peppers, onion, and grape tomatoes) and I swear you’ve got the perfect combination. This is one of those dishes that comes together way quicker and easier than you’d expect and is sure to please whoever your crowd is (trust me, my family enjoyed!). To make, start by cooking the rice in a pot of boiling water on low, covered, until all of the water is absorbed. Next, chop the vegetables: the avocado into chunks, the bell peppers and onion into ½ inch pieces, and halve the tomatoes horizontally. Set those aside for the time being. In a mixing bowl combine the chicken thighs (which I got from ButcherBox) with avocado oil, salsa verde, and salt and pepper. Mix these, using tongs, so that all of the chicken thighs are seasoned.
Fortunately for me, I am at my parent’s house where I have access to a grill, so that is where I decided to cook these as grilled chicken thighs are one of my favorite sources of protein. Bring the grill to medium-high heat, around 400 degrees, and place the chicken on the grill and close to cook for around 7 minutes and then flip to cook for around 5 minutes on the other side. While the chicken is cooking, bring a skillet to medium heat and add avocado oil, bell peppers, onions, and salt and pepper and sauté for around 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tenderly cooked through and crisped on the outside. Once cooked, combine the brown rice, sautéed bell peppers and onions, halved tomatoes, avocado chunks, rinsed chickpeas, and refried beans in a large bowl. Season that mixture with cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, the juice of one lime, and salt and pepper. Mix this well so that it is fully combined and serve alongside the salsa verde chicken thighs and enjoy!
Taco Bowls with Salsa Verde Chicken
Ingredients:
- Chicken thighs (6-8) – boneless and skinless
- Bell pepper (2)
- Avocado (2)
- Yellow onion (1)
- Lime (1)
- Grape tomatoes (1 cup)
- Chickpeas (1 can)
- Refried beans (1 cup)
- Salsa verde (1 cup)
- Brown rice (1 ½ cups)
- Avocado oil (2 teaspoons)
- Cayenne pepper (1 teaspoon)
- Red pepper flakes (1 teaspoon)
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions:
How to cook Taco Bowls with Salsa Verde Chicken
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the rice. Cook, on low-medium heat, covered, until all of the water is absorbed
- Chop the bell peppers and onion into ½ inch pieces, halve the grape tomatoes horizontally, and slice the avocado into chunks and set aside
- Rinse the canned chickpeas and set aside
- On a hot skillet with 1 teaspoon of avocado oil, add the bell peppers and onions, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for ~10 minutes, or until they are tender and browned on the outside
- In a bowl, add the chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon of avocado oil, 1 cup of salsa verde, and salt and pepper and combine well so that they are all covered with this mixture
- If cooking on a grill, which I did, bring the grill to ~400 degrees and add the chicken thighs, close the grill, and cook for ~7 minutes prior to flipping and cooking for ~5 minutes on the other side
- If cooking on the stovetop, cook on a heated skillet for ~10-15 minutes per side
- While the chicken is cooking, combine the rice in a large bowl with the sautéed peppers and onions, sliced tomatoes and avocado, rinsed chickpeas, and the refried beans
- Season this mixture with 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, juice of 1 lime, and some salt and pepper
- Combine this mixture well and serve alongside the grilled chicken thighs
- Gluten Free
- Soy Free
- Nut Free
- Dairy Free