Martha Stewart Chipotle Chicken And Rice Recipe

The first time I made this, the whole kitchen smelled like a place I wanted to live in. Smoky chipotles, tomatoes breaking down, onions going soft. Martha Stewart’s Chipotle Chicken and Rice browns 8 boneless chicken thighs in a Dutch oven, builds a sauce with red onion, garlic, cumin, minced chipotle chiles, and fresh tomatoes, braises the chicken for 25 minutes, then stirs the rice right into the braising liquid and lets it cook for another 25 to 30 minutes until every grain has absorbed the smoky, spicy, tomatoey sauce.

I stood at the stove and did not check my phone once for the full hour and fifteen minutes. That never happens. This Martha Stewart chicken and rice recipe is one of her best chicken recipes for a fall night when you want the house to smell incredible and you want one pot to clean. It is one of those Martha Stewart chicken thigh dishes where the rice does something magical because it cooks in the same liquid the chicken braised in, and every bite tastes like it absorbed the entire soul of the pot.

Try More Dinner Recipes:

• Chicken Soup With Rice
• One-Pot Pasta
• Turkey Chili

Why You Will Love This Chipotle Chicken And Rice:

• The rice cooks in the braising liquid: This is the thing that makes this recipe different from every other chicken and rice dish. You do not cook the rice separately. You stir it directly into the pot where the chicken has been simmering with tomatoes, chipotles, and onions. The rice absorbs all of that flavor as it cooks. When I took the lid off the first time and saw what happened, I said something out loud to nobody. It was that good.
• One pot, no sides needed: Eight chicken thighs sitting on top of smoky, spiced rice. That is a full dinner. You do not need a salad, you do not need bread, you do not need anything else on the table. I squeeze a lime over my bowl, drop some cilantro on top, and eat standing up at the counter because I cannot wait to sit down.
• The chipotle heat is real: Two minced chipotle chiles give this dish a smoky warmth that builds as you eat. It is not mild. If you are sensitive to heat, start with one chile. If you love spice, use both. I use both and I feel it, but it is the kind of heat that makes you keep eating, not the kind that makes you stop.

Chipotle Chicken And Rice Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
• 2 large tomatoes, diced large
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• Lime wedges, for serving
• Chopped cilantro leaves, for serving (optional)

How To Make Martha Stewart Chipotle Chicken And Rice

1. Brown the chicken: In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high. Season the chicken on both sides with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Working in batches, brown the chicken on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
2. Cook the aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the red onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic, cumin, and chipotle chiles. Cook until the garlic is soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Build the sauce: Add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the tomatoes begin to break down and release their juices, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of water and return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot.
4. Braise the chicken: Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 25 minutes.
5. Add the rice: Remove several pieces of chicken and stir in the rice, making sure it is completely submerged in the liquid. Replace the chicken on top. Cover and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes more.
6. Serve: Serve with lime wedges and chopped cilantro if desired.

Recipe Tips

• Start with one chipotle chile if you are nervous about heat: People who have made this recipe are split down the middle. Some said two chipotles made it “barely edible” from the heat. Others added more. I think two is right if you like spice, but if you have never cooked with chipotles before, start with one. You can always stir in more adobo sauce at the end if you want more heat. You cannot take it away.
• Make sure the rice is submerged: Martha says to remove some chicken, stir the rice in so it is completely covered by the liquid, then put the chicken back on top. If the rice sits above the liquid, it will not cook through. I press it down with the back of a spoon and check that every grain is under the surface before I put the lid back on.
• Do not lift the lid while the rice cooks: The rice needs that trapped steam to cook evenly for the full 25 to 30 minutes. Every time you lift the lid, you let steam out and the rice on top dries out. I set a timer and walk away. The hardest part of this recipe is the patience.
• Scrape the bottom of the pot when you saute the onion: The browned bits from searing the chicken are pure flavor. The onion and a little water loosen them up. If you skip this step, you leave half the taste of the dish stuck to the pot.

The Quesadilla Variation

Martha includes a trick I did not expect. If you cut the chicken into bite-size pieces before cooking and leave out the water and rice, the same recipe becomes a filling for quesadillas. You simmer it uncovered for the same amount of time, and you end up with smoky chipotle chicken in a thick tomato sauce that goes straight into a tortilla with cheese. I tried it once on a night when I did not feel like waiting for rice, and now I make both versions depending on my mood.

What Goes Well With This Chipotle Chicken And Rice

Honestly, you do not need anything. The rice, the chicken, and the chipotle sauce make a complete meal. But a bowl of guacamole on the side with some chips turns this into a spread. The cool avocado calms the chipotle heat and gives you something to eat while you wait for the rice to finish.

If you want bread, cornbread with a little butter is the right call. The sweetness plays well against the smokiness. But I am telling you, most nights the pot is the whole meal.

How To Store Leftovers

Martha calls this a make-ahead meal and she is right. The rice absorbs more of the chipotle sauce overnight and the flavor gets deeper. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. This is one of the rare recipes where the leftovers are better than the first serving.

I reheat in a covered saucepan with a splash of water over medium heat. The rice dries out a little in the fridge so the water brings it back. I have also eaten this cold out of the container at midnight and I am not ashamed of it. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

FAQs

• Why is this recipe rated 3.5 stars? The heat. People either love or hate the two chipotle chiles. If you are used to spicy food, this recipe is a perfect smoky warmth. If you are not, it can feel like too much. I think the recipe itself is fantastic, but you have to know your own tolerance. Start with one chile if you are unsure and add from there.
• Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs? You can, but thighs stay juicier during the long braise. Breasts tend to dry out over an hour of cooking. Martha chose thighs on purpose and the extra fat keeps the meat tender. If you use breasts, cut the initial braise to 15 minutes instead of 25.
• What if I do not have fresh tomatoes? Use a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes with their juices. The fresh tomatoes break down into the sauce anyway, so canned tomatoes get you to the same place. I have used both and the flavor difference is small.
• Can I use brown rice? Brown rice takes longer to cook and absorbs more liquid. If you swap it in, add an extra 1/2 cup of water and extend the final cooking time to 40 to 45 minutes. I have not tested this myself, so check the rice at 40 minutes and add more water if it looks dry.

More Dinner Recipes:

• Baked Chicken Thighs
• Chicken Marsala
• Roast Chicken

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 4)

• Calories: 560
• Total Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Cholesterol: 215mg
• Sodium: 680mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 48g
• Protein: 52g