Mexican Fried Rice
Servings
2Serving size
about 2 1/2 cupsThis recipe can be multiplied and makes good leftovers.
Ingredients
| 2 1/4 cup Water |
| 1/2 cup Brown rice |
| 2 chipotle Chipotle peppers In adobo sauce |
| 1/4 Cup Beer (or gluten-free beer) |
| 1 tsp. Chili powder |
| 1/2 tsp.. Ground cumin |
| 1/2 tsp., leaves Dried oregano |
| 1/4 tsp. Salt |
| 1 to taste Black pepper |
| 2 tsp.. Honey |
| 2 tsp. Olive oil |
| 1 pepper Poblano Pepper (seeded and diced) |
| 1 large White onions (diced) |
| 5 ounces Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (large dice) |
| 1 medium (approx 2-3/4 inch long, 2-1/2 dia.) Red bell peppers (seeded and diced) |
| 3 Ounces Reduced fat monterey jack cheese (grated) |
Instructions
When the water boils, stir in the brown rice.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for about 40 to 45 minutes.
Do not boil away all of the liquid and do not stir the rice.
When a very small amount of liquid remains, remove the pan from the burner and let it stand, covered.
While the rice is cooking, place the chipotle, beer, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and honey in a mini-chopper or blender. Process until smooth.
After the rice is cooked, place the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
When the oil is hot, add the poblano and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the onion and cook for another 3 minutes, still stirring frequently.
Add the chicken and the red bell pepper and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is done. Stir frequently.
Add the rice and the sauce and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir until the sauce and other ingredients are well blended.
Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Toss well for about 30 seconds or until the cheese is melted, then serve.
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Special Diet Information
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Lactose
This recipe contains cheese and some of those who are lactose intolerant may be able to tolerate it.
Recipe Notes
This recipe happened because my wife and I were talking about the different types of fried rice dishes and realized that they were all restricted to Asian flavors. That makes sense, but the fact is fried rice is a simple, essentially one pot meal that is both quick and a great way to use leftovers.
So why not a Mexican fried rice? The interesting thing is that this took a few tries. There is a key component of Asian food and fried rice: soy sauce. That rich umami flavor is what makes fried rice, well, fried rice.
For this dish the chicken helps provide that umami flavor, as do the onions, but the key was the cheese. By adding just a bit this strikes the right balance of being both Mexican/Southwest flavors but also a fried rice.