Chili-Lime Chicken and Spanish Rice

Some nights I'm totally inspired about what to make for dinner. Other nights I draw a blank. This was one of those nights. I had chicken and rice but wasn't quite sure what to do with them. I took a quick look through the pantry and decided to infuse some Spanish flavor into my existing ingredients. It came together wonderfully!

Ingredients for Chili-Lime Chicken:
3/4 - 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half (to thin them)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon red pepper/cayenne (adjust this depending on the level of heat yours contains)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Goya adobo seasoning
1 tablespoon canola oil
juice of 1/2 a lime


Clean, slice and pat dry chicken breasts.


Combine dry seasonings in a bowl then toss chicken to coat. Squeeze lime juice on top of chicken, add oil and toss again.  Allow to marinate 30 minutes.


Heat grill pan on medium heat.  When a drop of water skips across the pan, you are ready to start.  Gill chicken until cooked through.  Work in batches if you need to.


Ingredients for Spanish Rice:
1 1/2 cups Rice
3 cups Water
1 1/2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
Dried Oregano (2 shakes)
Paprika (3 shakes)
Garlic Powder (2 shakes)
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon Canola Oil
Cilantro, chopped (optional)


Warm pot on medium heat.  Lightly toast rice until a few grains are a soft golden color.  Add water, tomato paste, dried oregano, paprika, garlic powder and oil and stir together.  Make sure the tomato paste is completely dissolved.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Remove rice from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes then fluff with fork.  Top with chopped cilantro before serving.


I served this with some grilled onions and peppers that I quickly threw on the grill pan when the chicken was done.  Add additional lime wedges for squeezing on the chicken and you are done!


{ Salomé }