Why this fits a family on a budget
At $10.80 and 40 minutes it's solid, uses your chicken breast, and brings Mexican flavor to the rotation—just watch the time on a busy night.
• 2 each boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1.5 cup white rice
• 3 cup chicken broth
• 1 each green bell pepper
• 1 each red bell pepper
• 1 each yellow onion
• 2 each lime
• 0.25 cup fresh cilantro
• 1.5 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 0.5 tsp onion powder
• 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.25 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 each canned black beans
• 0.5 cup salsa
1. Start the rice first since it takes the longest. Combine 1.5 cups white rice and 3 cups chicken broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low and cover with a tight lid. Cook for 18 minutes — do not lift the lid. After 18 minutes, remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes.
2. While the rice cooks, prepare the chicken and vegetables. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels (this helps them brown). Cut into 1-inch strips by slicing across the grain of the meat.
3. Slice both bell peppers into thin strips about 1/4-inch wide, discarding seeds and stems. Slice the onion into similar thin strips.
4. In a large bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Add olive oil and stir into a loose paste. Add chicken strips, bell peppers, and onion to the bowl and toss everything together until evenly coated — use a spoon or clean hands.
5. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
6. Place the seasoned chicken and vegetables in the air fryer basket in as even a layer as possible (some overlap is okay). Cook at 400°F for 14–16 minutes, shaking the basket firmly at the halfway point (around 7 minutes). Chicken is done when no pink remains and the edges look charred and sizzling. If your air fryer is small, cook in two batches.
7. Open and drain the black beans. Rinse under cold water and heat in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until warmed through. Season with a pinch of salt.
8. Uncover the rice. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over it and fluff with a fork. Roughly chop the cilantro and stir it into the rice.
9. Build the bowls: add a scoop of cilantro-lime rice to each bowl, then top with the chicken and vegetable fajita mixture and a spoonful of black beans.
10. Finish each bowl with a spoonful of salsa and a wedge of lime from the remaining lime. Serve immediately.
Cost is a national-average estimate and varies by store and region.
This recipe was generated by Plento Pasto's AI from a library of family-friendly dishes and reviewed for a real photo before publishing. Cooking times, costs, and nutrition are estimates — use your judgment in the kitchen.