Chicken with Pineapple-Cilantro Rice

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

Spicy chicken breasts are baked, then served with pineapple rice for a Caribbean-style chicken meal that's ready in less than an hour.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup uncooked rice
1 1/2 cups water
8 ounces sliced pineapple
2 tablespoons cilantro
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 pinch garlic salt
1 pinch black pepper

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2 Make the chicken: Mix brown sugar, pepper, thyme, cumin, garlic salt, paprika, chili powder, and nutmeg in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Rub mixture onto both sides of chicken breasts and place into a 9-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle any remaining seasoning mix on top of chicken if desired.
3 Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is lightly browned, no longer pink inside, and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
4 Meanwhile, make the rice: Bring rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
5 Chop 1/2 of the pineapple slices. Mix chopped pineapple, cilantro, and olive oil into the cooked rice, then season with garlic salt and black pepper. Fluff rice with a fork and transfer to a serving platter. Serve with the baked chicken and top with the remaining pineapple slices.