Cuban-Style Chicken Rice Bake

Posted on April 16 2020

Made with chicken breasts, brown rice, beans and a rich, tasty tomato sauce, topped with cheese and baked until golden and bubbling… An easy, hearty meal that the whole family will love! Cuban-Style Chicken Rice Bake is one recipe you NEED to try!

Cuban-Style Chicken Rice Bake | berrysweetlife.com

I suggest you try it SOON.

I’d even go so far as to say Cuban-Style Chicken Rice Bake is my favourite dinner recipe of the year!

It’s one of those simple go-to recipes that you can throw together with mostly pantry staples, and essential fresh ingredients that most of us have on-hand all the time. 

And yet.  

Cuban-Style Chicken Rice Bake looks and tastes impressive 😉

Cuban-Style Chicken Rice Bake | berrysweetlife.com

The aromas wafting out of your kitchen while you prepare this dish are enough to raise a few curious eyebrows, I can assure you.  

And the actual flavours, colours and textures of the finished product do not disappoint.  

You will also love: Baked Chicken Pasta With Coconut Sauce, Cheats Healthy Beef & Brinjal Moussaka, Clean Eating Carrot Turmeric Ginger Soup. Also give this Costa Rican Gallo Pinto recipe a try for something exotic and different.

I love that this is a one-dish dinner…Meaning you really don’t need to prepare any sides with it.  Everything you need is in there.

Cuban-Style Chicken Rice Bake | berrysweetlife.com

BUT, if you’re like me and you want to get your greens in at every opportunity, then a simple green salad would suffice.

Anyhoo, either way…

What exactly goes into this wonderfully flavourful Cuban-Style Chicken Rice Bake:

  • Chicken breasts
  • Brown rice
  • Red kidney beans, or black beans (I have tried both in this dish and they’re equally delish)
  • Onion, garlic, bell peppers, coconut oil, herbs and spices
  • Tomato paste, canned diced tomato
  • Lemon zest and juice
  • Grated cheese that you love
Cuban-Style Chicken Rice Bake | berrysweetlife.com

If you have an oven-safe skillet (jelly over here – first stop once isolation ends!), now’s the time to bust that bad boy out!  If not, no worries, you can still make this dish very successfully.

How to make Cuban-Style Chicken Rice Bake in a nutshell:

  • Fry onion, garlic, bell peppers, herbs and spices, push to one side
  • Fry brown rice until golden, cook tomato paste
  • Pour in diced tomato and water and simmer 20 minutes
  • Add cubed chicken breasts and genlty simmer for another 20 minutes
  • Stir in the beans, lemon zest and juice
  • If using an oven-safe skillet, top with cheese and bake until golden and bubbling
  • If not, transfer everything to a baking dish, top with cheese and bake until golden and bubbling

Serve hot and savour every moment!!

Simple, mouth-wateringly delicious, and SO SATISFYING!  

Cuban-Style Chicken Rice Bake | berrysweetlife.com

Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer.

Happy cooking everyone, I hope these recipes are bringing you some light relief from the heaviness in the world right now.  

Feel free to drop me a comment if you make this recipe, I’d LOVE to know what you think!  

And tag me on instagram with a photo of your dish!!  @berry_sweet_life

Cuban-Style Chicken Rice Bake
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

Made with chicken breasts, brown rice, beans and a rich, tasty tomato sauce, topped with cheese and baked until golden and bubbling… An easy, hearty meal that the whole family will love!

Course: Chicken Skillet
Cuisine: American, Cuban, Spanish
Keyword: Baked Chicken, Chicken Skillet, Cuban, Easy Recipe
Servings: 6
Calories: 536 kcal
Author: Berry Sweet Life
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 onion , finely chopped
  • 3 – 4 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper , chopped
  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper , chopped
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper , add more if you like it spicy!
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp sweet basil
  • 2 tsp mixed herbs
  • 1 cup brown rice , or rice of choice
  • 50 g tomato paste
  • 400 g canned diced tomato
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 4 chicken breasts , cubed
  • 400 g canned red kidney beans or black beans , drained and rinsed
  • Zest and juice of 1/2 small lemon or lime
  • Himalayan pink salt , to taste
  • 1 cup grated cheese of choice , I used mature cheddar
Instructions
  1. In a large frying pan or oven-safe skillet, heat coconut oil and fry onion for about 5 minutes until starting to brown, add the garlic and bell peppers and fry for another 5 minutes. Now add cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, ginger, basil and mixed herbs and fry for 1 minute.

  2. Push everything to the side of the pan and fry the rice for 4 minutes until going golden, add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add diced tomato and water, bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a gentle simmer for 20 minutes. 

  3. Stir in the chicken and simmer for a further 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice and chicken are cooked through and the sauce is thick.

  4. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).

  5. Take off heat, stir in black beans, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. If using an oven-safe skillet, top with cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. If using a normal frying pan, transfer everything to a baking dish, top with cheese and bake as above.

  6. Serve as desired with additional lemon or lime and ENJOY!

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