Southwestern Roasted Chicken
with orange avocado salsa / wild rice
Using the stovetop to sear chicken thighs and finishing them in the oven yields tender meat and crispy skin. Serve the chicken over leftover rice from Monday with a fresh orange avocado salsa on top.
Ingredients
- Coriander, dried - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Paprika - 1/2 tsp
- Cumin - 1/2 tsp
- Chili powder - 1/4 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
- Shallots - 1 clove, chopped
- Pepitas / pumpkin seeds - 1/4 cup
- Chicken thighs, boneless (with or without skin) - 1 1/2 lbs
- Oil, cooking - 2 Tbsp
- Cooked wild rice (leftover from Monday) - ~2 cups
- Oranges - 2, segments, roughly chopped
- Avocados - 2, chopped
- Cilantro - 1 Tbsp, leaves torn
- Limes - 1/2, juice of
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Spice mix - Combine coriander, salt, paprika, cumin, chili powder and black pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Shallots - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Chicken - Coat on all sides with spice mix.
- Oranges / Avocados / Cilantro - Prep as directed.
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Make
- Heat oven to 425F / 218C degrees.
- Heat a skillet with oil over medium-high heat. To heated oil add the chicken skin side down. Cook until the skin is golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. (Note: If your pan cannot fit all of the thighs comfortably, brown the thighs in batches. Chicken will not brown properly if the pan is crowded.)
- Set chicken thighs aside and return pan to heat. Add shallots and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add pepitas and rice (leftover from Monday) and stir to combine. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Nestle chicken thighs, skin-side up (if using skin-on chicken) in the rice mixture so that none of the thighs are overlapping.
- Transfer skillet in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until chicken is firm and juices run clear when pricked. (Keep an eye on the chicken towards the end of cooking. If skin starts to get too dark before the chicken is cooked through, place a piece of foil over the pan to prevent burning.)
- While chicken roasts, make salsa by combining orange, avocados, cilantro and lime juice. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
- When chicken is cooked through, remove skillet from the oven and let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes.
- Enjoy chicken over rice with orange-avocado salsa on top.
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
67 reviews
Will definitely make again. Especially the side avocado salsa. That would be great with anything/ like simple grilled chicken. A great side to bring to a potluck.
0 HelpfulThis was really delicious. I never would have thought to make a salsa with avocados and oranges, but it was really good.
0 HelpfulI didn't have any pepitas. Added a little water to the rice mixture and covered the skillet with foil for the oven to keep the rice from getting too crispy. Used blood oranges. Everything was delicious and came together quickly. It was even toddler approved
0 Helpful