Haitian Style Chicken and Rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups brown rice
• 2 large bell peppers
• 1 large onion
• ½ small serrano pepper
• 2 limes
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• ¾ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Materials

• Cutting board
• Large skillet
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Medium pot
• Rubber spatula
• Sharp knife
• Small bowl

Instructions

1. Cook brown rice following package directions. While rice cooks, make chicken and veggies.
2. Rinse and dice bell peppers. Peel, rinse, and dice onion. Rinse and mince chili pepper.
3. Rinse limes and cut in half. In a small bowl, squeeze juice. Discard seeds.
4. Trim any excess fat from chicken. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
5. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add chicken cubes. Cook until brown on all sides, about 3–4 minutes. If needed, brown in 2 batches.
6. Add onion, chili pepper, and bell peppers. Cook 3 minutes more.
7. Stir in lime juice, orange juice, water, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered until chicken is cooked through, about 15–20 minutes. If sauce is not yet thick and syrupy, turn heat to medium-high. Simmer, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens.
8. Serve over brown rice.

Chef’s Notes

• Add color and nutrition. Top chicken with diced avocado or more diced bell peppers.
• Try different whole grains. Serve over whole grain couscous, barley, or quinoa instead of brown rice.
• You can also use cubed pork loin or boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs. Cook for same amount of time and at same temperature.
• If you need to multiply the recipe, add only enough liquid to cover the chicken while it cooks. If doubling, use about 1¼ cups orange juice and ⅓ cup water.