Skillet Chicken With Black Beans, Rice and Chiles
Updated December 10, 2025
Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or peanut oil
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
2 green or red bell peppers, halved, seeded and sliced
2 ½ cups chicken stock
2 red Fresno chiles or jalapeños, halved, seeded and chopped
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick, broken in half
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
⅓ pound cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed in a sieve until the water runs clear
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Lime wedges, pickled chiles, sliced fresh chiles, sour cream and sliced avocado, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
51 grams carbs; 255 milligrams cholesterol; 863 calories; 22 grams monounsaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 49 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 1349 milligrams sodium; 53 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet (the pan size is very important) over medium-high. Brown the chicken on both sides to give it good color, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion and bell peppers to the pan and sauté until just starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 2
In a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Meanwhile, add the Fresno chiles or jalapeños, cinnamon, garlic and cumin to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes, then add the black beans and cherry tomatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the rice on top in an even layer. (It’s important that the black beans are beneath the rice and chicken. The rice will burn otherwise.) Add the stock and return the chicken to the pan, skin-side up.
- Step 3
Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. The chicken should be lovely and golden, the stock should be absorbed and the rice should be tender. Sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, pickled chiles, sliced fresh chiles, sour cream and avocado (squeeze some lime juice over the avocados in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper).
Private Notes
Comments
Wow - this recipe is a keeper!!! I used a 10inch cast iron skillet, and cut the recipe ingredients in half, added an extra teaspoon of cumin and used hatch chilies instead of the fresno. The 10 inch cast iron skillet was the perfect size for 4 chicken thighs, 1/2 can beans, and 1/2 cup rice (make sure you use 1 1/4 cup chicken stock). Got rave reviews.
I’m currently without an oven but I found that this recipe can easily be cooked on a stove top. I followed the directions except finished the cooking of the rice beans and chicken for 20 minutes at a medium low heat on my stove burner. It worked out nicely and was delicious.
This recipe is INCREDIBLE. Packed with flavor. Follow to the T- a good idea. Vessel size MATTERS. I used the right le creuset pan, and could see how this pan if smaller would have been terribly bad. It was perfection. Did not use any of the hotter peppers because our 2.5 yr old had it too (he loved it). Just used a bit of smoked paprika and mexican chilly powder, and the adults added hot sauce. Recipe exactly as promised, with addictive umami flavor.
Ive made this dish dozens of times, and here’s the modifications that have made this a huige winner for me and my family and friends… Please try this. —Salt the chicken WELL… 1 hour before cooking as you take it out of fridge —For spices, I added ground up Guajillo, Ancho and Pasilla, with 1 little Arbol (be careful, hot!) for kick. Youi can omit Ancho for kids. I tempered the spices by gently frying it on its own before the garlic and added some tomato paste to caremelize everything. This really elevated the dish. So much depth and flavour fromn those 4 chiles with carmeized tomato paste. Guajillo, Ancho and Pasilla are NOT spicy hot so everyone likes it. —Brown the chicken well!. It will be rewarded later on. —Use Spanish paella or Italian Risotto rice instead. NOT Basmati! Paella rice and Italian Arborio rice are much more starchy and absorbant of the sauces and juices. I used 270 grams of rice, which is 1 1/2 cups —I added 580 ml of chicken stock, as well as 1 small can of tomato passata (which is basic tomato sauce.) Remember to salt the passata, while the stock is already salted. —Extra pepper and onions cant hurt. Dish is absolute magic done this way. Friends of mine have said its among the best dish they’ve every eatedn.
This is more a commentary on the comments than the recipe. The recipe is terrific and deserves 10K+ 5 star ratings. I made this almost exactly as described, save I used fresnos and a litle chile powder. The comments suggesting trimming the fat from the thighs and draining 3/4 of the fat in the pan are correct. The only issue I have with the comments is the suggestion to use only 2 cups of broth. After 40 minutes the liquid was absorbed but the rice wasn't quite cooked. Use 2.5 cups.
5 stars. Simple ingredients but absolutely delicious. Only thing I did differently was drain off the fat from browning the chicken before I sautéed the vegetables. Made in a 12 inch cast iron and it was perfect.