Paprika Chicken and Rice Bowls with Marinated Peppers and Herbed Yogurt Sauce.

5-minute prep roasted paprika chicken served over wild rice with marinated bell peppers and savory herbed yogurt sauce. Simple, healthy, delicious.

Last summer, I made Grilled Paprika Chicken with Smashed Potatoes and liked the chicken so much, I keep coming back to it, recreating it in slightly different forms. The basic formula is this: put some chicken in a pan, coat it with a super generous amount of paprika spice rub, throw it on the grill or roast in the oven, and you’re done. The chicken will be juicy and absolutely bursting with flavor.

It’s delicious all on its own, or dice it up and add it to tacos, slice it and put some in a sandwich, blow everyone’s mind by putting it in the center of Crispy Chili Rellenos, or do what we did here and pile it on top of rice with some marinated bell peppers and herbed yogurt sauce.

Every part of this dish is super quick and adds a new layer of flavor.

Most of the preparation for these paprika chicken and rice bowls involves dumping ingredients into a bowl and mixing them together. Seriously. Start to finish, these paprika chicken and rice bowls will take you under and hour, and very little of that is hands-on time.

But, for all it’s simplicity, each component adds a new layer of flavor. The wild rice adds a nutty earthiness that’s the perfect compliment to the smoky paprika chicken. The peppers, honestly, can be added straight from the jar, no marinade required. But, the marinade takes all of 2 minutes to throw together and adds some acidity to the dish that lights up the other flavors. So, it’s totally worth it. And the herbed yogurt sauce coats each bite with cool, creaminess that tastes positively decadent, even though it’s totally not.

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Meal Plans that Include Paprika Chicken and Rice Bowls:

Weekly Winter Meal Plan #6

Paprika Chicken and Rice Bowls

Author: RebeccaBlackwell
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 servings

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Marinated Peppers:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
16 oz jar roasted red bell peppers

For the Paprika Chicken and Rice:

2 cups wild rice
2 1/2 tsp salt, divided
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 tbsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dark brown sugar
dash of ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the Herbed Yogurt Sauce:

1 cup plain, unsweetened greek yogurt
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
1/2 each tsp salt and ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Instructions

Marinate the Peppers:

In a medium size bowl add the olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Stir to combine then add the strips of bell peppers. Toss to coat the peppers in the vinaigrette and set aside. (Can make these up to 2 days in advance; store covered in the refrigerator.)

Make the Paprika Chicken and Rice:

Fill a saucepan with 6 cups of water, add a 1/2 tsp of salt, and stir in the rice. Cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, and let simmer until the rice is tender – about 45 minutes.
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the chicken in a rectangle baking dish that’s large enough to lay it out in a single layer.
Add the paprika, 2 tsp salt, pepper, brown sugar, and cayenne to a small bowl and stir to mix. Sprinkle the spice mix over the chicken. Rub the spice mix into the chicken, turning each piece in the pan so that the chicken is coated completely.
Place the pan in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, until cooked through. Cut into one piece to check for doneness – there should be no pink in the center. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces inside the pan and stir the pieces around in the pan to coat it in the spices and pan juices.

Make the Herbed Yogurt Sauce:

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir to mix. Taste and add more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or cayenne if desired. (If making this ahead of time, chill the sauce until ready to serve.)

To Serve: Fill 4 bowls with about 1 cup rice, a few pepper slices, and some chicken. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve with herbed yogurt sauce.