Recipe Background
Without much in the way of snow, it may not be possible to have a traditional white Christmas in the Deep South. But who says tradition is always best? Bayou Christmas Skillet isn't a typical holiday dish but, goodness, it sure is amazing! Juicy, lemon-infused chicken mingles with savory and spicy rice, complete with plenty of Cajun vegetables and garlic to make a hearty and delicious meal that feels in line with the spirit of the holidays! Bayou Christmas Skillet resists tradition and says the holidays are about great food, no matter their origin!
Without much in the way of snow, it may not be possible to have a traditional white Christmas in the Deep South. But who says tradition is always best? Bayou Christmas Skillet isn't a typical holiday dish but, goodness, it sure is amazing! Juicy, lemon-infused chicken mingles with savory and spicy rice, complete with plenty of Cajun vegetables and garlic to make a hearty and delicious meal that feels in line with the spirit of the holidays! Bayou Christmas Skillet resists tradition and says the holidays are about great food, no matter their origin!
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups long-grain rice
- 1 cup red onions chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced, divided
- 1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 medium red bell pepper julienned
- 1 medium green bell pepper julienned
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms sliced
- 1 medium tomato chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless and skinless, sliced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds optional, toasted, for topping
Directions
- In a saucepan over high heat, add the broth, the rice, the red onions, 1 teaspoon of the minced garlic, the chili powder, the salt, the turmeric, the black pepper, and the bay leaf and stir to combine.
- Bring the rice mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and immediately cover the saucepan.
- Simmer the rice mixture until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- Optionally, remove and discard the bay leaf.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.
- Add the red bell peppers, the green bell peppers, the green onions, the parsley, the dried basil, the dried thyme, the hot pepper sauce, and the remaining garlic and cook, while stirring, until very fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms to the vegetable mixture and cook, while stirring, until the bell peppers are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and the peas to the vegetable mixture and cook until heated through.
- Transfer the vegetable mixture from the heat.
- Add the rice mixture to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine.
- Keep the rice mixture warm.
- In a separate skillet over medium-high heat, melt the remaining butter.
- Add the chicken slices and the lemon juice to the melted butter and cook, while stirring occasionally, until the chicken slices reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the chicken slices to the rice mixture and toss to combine.
- Serve topped with the almonds.
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