Fast and Easy Chicken With Rice And Beans

This is a quick and easy recipe for Chicken with Rice and Beans.

It only takes about a half hour to prepare, and uses skinless, boneless Chicken Breasts for a light and healthy weeknight meal.

This recipe serves 4 people, but can be easily adjusted for more or fewer people by changing the amounts of Rice and Chicken Stock - just be sure to maintain the ratio of 4-parts Stock to 1-part Rice.

The only "special" equipment you'll need is a 12-inch Non-Stick Skillet with a Lid. You can also substitute some or all of the Chicken Stock in the recipe with The Best Homemade Vegetable Stock!

• 4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts
• 6 tablespoons Flour
• 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Dry Thyme Leaves
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1 medium Onion, minced
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 cup Long Grain White Rice
• 4 cups Chicken Stock or Homemade Vegetable Stock, or a mixture of the two
  
• 1 can Black Beans (or your other favorite beans), drained and rinsed
• Lemon (or Lime) Juice, to taste

• Thoroughly wash the Chicken Breasts, in then trim away any excess fat and gristle.
• Mix together the Flour, Garlic Powder, Dry Thyme Leaves and Salt & Pepper a small bowl.
• Heat Vegetable Oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Dredge the Chicken in the seasoned Flour mixture and add to the skillet, smooth-side down.
• Saute the Chicken for 4-5 minutes until golden brown, then turn and repeat for the second side.
• Remove the Chicken from the skillet and set aside; cover with foil.
• Add the Butter. When the Butter has melted, add the Onion and more Salt & Pepper, to taste. Cook the onions until soft.
• Add the Garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
• Add a pinch of Red Pepper Flakes.
• Add the Rice and cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
• Add the Chicken Stock and bring to a boil.

The best way to tell if the chicken is thoroughly cooked is to use a Quick-Read Meat Thermometer - the internal temperature should be 160-165 degrees.

If you don't have a thermometer you should get one!

• Once you've reached a full boil, add the Chicken to the skillet and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 12 to 15 minutes until the Chicken is done.
• Remove the Chicken from the skillet, scraping off as much uncooked Rice as you can. Cover with foil to keep warm.
• Continue cooking the Rice, uncovered, until the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 5 to 10 more minutes.
• Add the Beans and stir together. Cover the skillet and turn off the heat. Let it sit for a few minutes to allow the Beans to heat through.
• Optionally, just before serving, add the Lemon or Lime Juice to taste - I usually use about 1 tablespoon.

_{Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamathln/ / CC BY-SA 2.0}