Chicken with Spanish rice is one of our favorite recipes and one that our whole family absolutely loves. Every inch of this meal is packed with flavor, even thinking about it now gets the ol’ salivary glands to work. There are so many layers of flavor, from the chicken thighs to the fire roasted tomatoes and of course the addition of Spanish olives. We love when we can jump into our kitchen and whip up a meal that is fresh, flavorful and truly satisfying. Here’s how we do it.

One of our favorite ways to add flavor is with fire roasted tomatoes. The little bit of char brings a wonderful yet subtle depth to the usual canned tomato routine. Of course, we get great flavor from sautéed onions and bell pepper, but the pimento-stuffed olives, with their tangy salty bite, really pop in this dish. We add heat with chili powder, so the dish has a little bit of a kick, but nothing that is overpoweringly spicy; the warmth of the spice works really well with everything that’s going on here. Our favorite way to finish this off is with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, the burst of citrus adds brightness and a wonderful freshness.

We love how colorful the dish is, especially after the addition of the fresh garnishes. We know cilantro can be a bit polarizing, so feel free to skip it if anyone around your table isn’t a cilantro fan. And the little bit of uncovered cooking time in the end really makes a difference. And we can’t forget to mention the rice. The earthy rice soaks in all of the flavors and helps to make this the perfect weeknight meal because it has all of the components of a complete dinner in one casserole dish. We just grab a large serving spoon and dive right in!