Skillet Chicken With Black Beans, Rice and Chiles

Recipe from Diana Henry

Adapted by Margaux Laskey

Updated December 10, 2025

  • Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
1 hour
Rating
5(10,091)
Comments
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Adapted from Diana Henry’s “From the Oven to the Table: Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves,” this true one-pot wonder of chicken, black beans, rice, tomatoes and chiles will make everyone at the table happy. As the chicken thighs roast, the cumin-scented rice soaks up all of the delicious juices. When the timer chimes, the rice and chicken emerge from the oven perfectly cooked. Be sure to use a 12-inch skillet here; a smaller or larger pan might result in under- or overcooked chicken or rice. Leftovers, if you have any, are great in tacos or enchiladas. —Margaux Laskey

Featured in: The 13 Best Cookbooks of Fall 2019

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 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

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

51 grams carbs; 255 milligrams cholesterol; 863 calories; 22 grams monosaturated 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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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).

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Ratings

5 out of 5
10,091 user ratings
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Comments

HeidiK

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.

Linda Christian-Herot

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.

maria

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.

Chris

Can I use a 9x12 baking dish for this instead?

KrisC

Preferred with thin cinnamons stick- cinnamon can overpower dish otherwise.

Lauren

I liked it, but wouldn't say it was a new favorite. My family were all big fans, even my picky 12 year old who hates all veggies, so that's a huge win all by itself. It's also a pretty easy healthy and well rounded dinner to throw together on a weeknight. I used boneless/skinless thighs since that's what I had on hand, and probably will again in the future. The chicken dried out a little bit, I think next time I won't brown the chicken first. Without the skin, the step didn't offer much return.

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Credits

Adapted from Diana Henry’s “From the Oven to the Table: Simple Dishes That Look After Themselves” (Mitchell Beazley, 2019)

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