Homemade Spanish Rice & Chicken

     This is a flavorful dish and perfect for dinner any time.  If you have the time, let the chicken sit/marinate in a covered dish in the fridge with the spice rub on it for a few hours. I prefer to make the rice and chicken separate (the chicken has a better crust to it if kept separate.)  Enjoy! Diane 

Chicken Spice Rub 
 for 5-6 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless): 
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon paprika  
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon pink salt 
1 teaspoon ground cumin 
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 

Directions for Chicken: 
Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. 
Once oil is hot and just starting to smoke, add in spice rubbed chicken. 
DO not flip chicken until it moves freely from the skillet, about 4 minutes. 
Cook on opposite side for another 4-5 minutes.  Turn chicken back over and 
place chicken in skillet into a 375F oven to hold until rice is ready.  I like to start the rice first so that the chicken is in the oven about 10-15 minutes. Always use a meat thermometer to confirm your chicken is cooked to at least 165F.   If you do not have a large ovenproof skillet, transfer chicken to oven using a baking skeet instead. 


Spanish Rice Ingredients
for each one cup uncooked rice:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1⁄2 cups chicken broth (preferred) or water
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 small green or red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
3⁄4 teaspoon chili powder
1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, optional 

Directions for the Rice: 
In a dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add rice, onion and peas and cook about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is golden brown and onion is tender. 
Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender.

Serve Chicken over Rice.