Spicy Chicken Thighs with Rice and Steamed Veggies Recipe
Chicken thighs have always been a crowd favorite in my house, they're family friendly in the sense that they’re very affordable and very forgiving to cook because of their high fat content. I always have a few in my freezer that are available for an easy dinner option.
For the steamed vegetables in this recipe, I use a mixture of baby leeks, baby bok choy and broccoli rabe. If your local market has yu choy or chinese broccoli they are also great options. Mix and match the vegetables to suit your own family’s preferences, just make sure you have about 6 cups of chopped vegetables total.
Recipe featured on Rachael Ray's Meals in Minutes.
Ingredients
For the Chicken and Rice:
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Salt and Pepper
- Sichuan pepper, Mala Spice or other spicy seasoning blend, optional
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 4 T Sichuan chili crisp plus some more for garnish and passing at the table
- 2 large shallots, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
- 2-inches of ginger, peeled and grated
- 4 T peanut or olive oil
- 1 ½ cups Basmati rice, rinsed
- 3 cups of chicken bone broth, stock or water
For the Salsa:
- 3 Persian cucumbers, diced
- Salt
- 1 mango, diced
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 small mild red pepper, finely chopped
- A handful of cilantro, chopped, optional
- The juice of 2 limes
For the Steamed Vegetables:
- 2 baby leeks, sliced on the bias into bite sized pieces
- 2 baby bok choy, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 small bunch of broccoli rabe or broccolini, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 6 baby carrots, cut on the bias
- About 2 T toasted sesame oil
Directions
Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper and sichuan pepper or spice blend of choice and place in a bowl or zip top bag.
Combine onion, chili crisp, shallots, garlic, ginger and oil with the chicken. Let chicken marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to overnight.
Preheat a large cast iron skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. If you don't have a lid that fits your large cast iron pan (like me!) you can use a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil instead or use another ovenproof pan that does have a lid. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade and brown them skin side down for 7-8 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 2 minutes then remove to a platter.
Add any remaining onion and shallots leftover from the marinade to the pan. Add the rice to the pan and toast for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the rice and scrape up any fond from the bottom of the pan. Then add bone broth, stock or water and bring to a boil. Add the chicken back to the pan. Cover with a lid or foil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for about 20 minutes, until the rice and chicken are cooked through.
Toss the diced cucumber with a little salt and place in a strainer over a bowl. Let drain for a few minutes. Combine all salsa ingredients together in a bowl. Let sit while the chicken and rice finish cooking.
Combine vegetables together and cook in a steamer until tender-crisp. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with sesame oil.
You can serve this dish directly from the pan, just spoon some of the salsa and extra chili crisp on top of the chicken and rice and serve with extra salsa and chili crisp to pass at the table.
