One-Pot Chicken and Rice
Welcome to our first Budget Meal Video Series!
Nicely seared chicken drumsticks, cooked with rice. The rice is sauteed in garlic and onion, combined with bell pepper, peas, corn, and my version of homemade Sazon.
Let’s spice up our kitchen while cooking with maximum flavor and minimum clean-up. Welcome to Budget Meal Video Series! Let’s talk about eating well while on a budget. You don’t have to sacrifice flavor if you’re thinking of saving money with your groceries. It’s about combining herbs and spices to create big bold flavors. Once you buy what you need for the first time, you’ll have a good amount of those spices and flavorings for your next meal. You’ll be spending a lot less. The bottom line is – the more you cook at home the more you’ll save money. And if you prep your meals you’ll save time too.
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what are the ingredients?
- RICE – long grain Jasmin rice is what I used to make this dish.
- CHICKEN BROTH – you can use the store bought or homemade
- AROMATICS – yellow onion and garlic
- VEGGIES – red bell pepper, corn, and frozen peas
what are the spices?
This is my version of homemade Sazon. What is Sazon? It is a Pueto Rican spice they use to make Arroz con Pollo. The traditional Sazon is a blend of coriander, cumin, achiote, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Since this is a budget meal, I used what I have available in my spice rack, and those are ground coriander, smoked paprika, garlic powder, tumeric for color, dried oregano, and dried thyme. I also added honey to balance the flavor. The taste is pretty close to the authentic Puerto Rican arroz.
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how to make flavorful meals when you’re on a budget?
I grew up in a household that makes everything from scratch. My grandma was very frugal when it comes to cooking our meals, but she never sacrifices flavor. She always finds a way to make things work and enjoy living with what we already have. We didn’t eat a lot of meat, most of the vegetables in the soups my grandma made were harvested from her backyard garden. If the only thing we have were bananas, she will fry them and sprinkle some sugar, and that’s our dessert. I ate a lot of rice when I was growing up. Grains are very filling, and if you’re using whole grains, you’re getting good carbohydrates. We also ate a lot of beans and corn. Back in the day, there were no GMO products and there was not a lot of big industrial farming. Time changed, big industrial corporations took over the lands that used to be naturally fertilized but now they’re heavily treated with chemicals. This is one of the good reasons to become more aware as a consumer.
My tips for saving money when it comes to making homecooked meals:
- Make a list of what you need and stay within your budget
- Eat more vegetables
- Buy dried herbs and spices, you can store them in a cool place and they last a long time
- Buy whole chicken versus skinless boneless meat.
- Buy chuck roast or bottom round cut. They’re less expensive than most tender-cut beef
- Go to the Farmers’ Market and support your local farmers
- Buy in season
- Cook more at home
- Prep your meals
- Plant vegetables in your garden, if you’re able too
what are common spices to make flavorful meals?
Everyday Spices:
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Ground pepper
- Dried basil
- Salt
Southern Flavor:
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Ground coriander
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Ground pepper
- Cumin
Asian Flavor:
- Cilantro
- Dried chilis
- Coriander
- Lemongrass
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Ginger
- Star Anise
- Soy sauce
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watch how to make it
recipe
One Pot Chicken and Rice
Equipment
- Deep pan with lid
- Mixing bowls
- cutting board
- knife
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 1 pound chicken thighs or drumsticks (whichever is less expensive) cut into pieces, if you bought bigger drumsticks, then cut them into 2 pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
FOR THE RICE
- 3 tablespoons oil, add more if needed
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup diced red pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cups uncooked rice, Jasmine rice
- 1 cup green frozen peas
- 1 cup sweet corn
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 stalks green onions, sliced, or garnish
FOR THE SPICES
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy bottom pan with oil. Add the chicken, cook for 2 minutes on both sides or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set them aside.
- Use the same pan, add more oil if needed. Add the onion, saute until tender or translucent. Add the garlic continue sauteing until fragrant.
- Add the bell pepper, salt, pepper, all spices, stir until combined. Add the tomato sauce, honey, rice, green peas, and corn. Stir everything until well combined.
- Add the browned chicken back to the pan. Add the chicken broth, cover, lower the heat, simmer until all liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked, for about 20-30 minutes. Garnish with green onions.
Notes
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Hi there! Nice to meet you. My name is Jen.
I’m a mom of 2 wonderful girls. I love to prepare and cook home-cooked meals. Cooking and planning your meals might sound like another chore added to your already long list of things to do. Believe me, I’ve been there. However, cooking more meals at home is worth all the effort. After years of cooking for my family and teaching culinary classes, I can honestly say that I have more control over the quality of the ingredients I use. That means I’m eating a lot better. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring and you don’t have to eat the same thing repeatedly. There are ways we can do to naturally enhance the flavor of our food and enjoy home-cooked meals.