Packed with sweet and spicy flavors, Honey Chipotle Chicken and Rice is deceptively simple to prepare and serve. It even tastes great left over!
Jump to RecipeRecently I have acquired tastes for a few different things that come together beautifully in this recipe. First, I was resistant to sweet/spicy combos for a long time, but now I’m totally on board. Second, I discovered the world of possibilities in poblano peppers. They have a little more heat than a bell pepper but aren’t as spicy as a jalapeno, so they are great for a variety of recipes, including this Honey Chipotle Chicken and Rice.
Ingredients
The ingredient list is pretty simple:
- Chicken
- Poblano peppers
- Red onion
- Rice
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Honey
- Chipotle pepper paste
Chipotle Pepper Paste
One issue I initially had as I first started experimenting with this recipe is that for some reason chipotle pepper paste is sometimes hard to find at my local grocery stores. What I could easily find, however, was a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
All you have to do is dump the entire can, liquid and all, into a blender or food processor and run it until it’s pretty smooth.
Use what you need for this recipe and then freeze the remainder in an ice cube tray for later use. I love having these spicy little flavor cubes on hand for this recipe and for chipotle sauce (mayo mixed with one cube and a pinch of salt) that we use on burgers or to dip fries in. I’m sure there are lots of other uses for this sauce that I just haven’t discovered yet!
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Stuffed Pepper Rice // Chicken Fajita Soup // Black Bean & Spinach Quesadillas
Instructions
Honey Chipotle Chicken and Rice comes together really easily.
Start by preparing the rice according to the package instructions. While the rice cooks, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add the peppers and onions. Saute over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, until the veggies are softened, then remove them to a waiting bowl.
In the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken. Cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Add the peppers and onions back to the pan with the chicken, and stir together with honey, chipotle paste, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Season the cooked rice with salt to taste (it usually ends up being about a teaspoon for me) and serve the chicken mixture over the rice. Optional additions are sour cream and/or sliced avocado.
Additional Notes
The spiciness of this recipe is customizable to your taste. Simply add more or less chipotle paste based on the heat level you prefer. I also really like to add a little sour cream and/or avocado if I have it because the cool creaminess adds a nice contrast to the spice from the different peppers. You can also serve tortilla chips on the side or wrap the rice and chicken up in a tortilla for an easy-to-eat burrito.
This recipe tastes great left over. I like to make a big batch that I can have for lunch several days in a row because I never seem to get tired of it and I like the balance of protein, veggies, and carbs.
- 1 1/2 c white or brown rice
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 large poblano peppers, sliced
- 1 large red onion, sliced
- 1 lb chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1-3 tbsp chipotle pepper paste
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp salt + extra for rice
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Start by preparing the rice according to the package instructions. While the rice cooks, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add the peppers and onions. Saute over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, until the veggies are softened, then transfer them to a waiting bowl.
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In the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken. Cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
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Add the peppers and onions back to the pan with the chicken, and stir together with honey, chipotle paste, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
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Season the cooked rice with salt to taste (it usually ends up being about 1 teaspoon for me) and serve the chicken mixture over the rice. Optional additions are sour cream and/or sliced avocado.
Make this recipe more or less spicy to fit your taste by adjusting the amount of chipotle pepper paste. To make your own chipotle pepper paste, add one can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to a food processer and blend until smooth.
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