Fajita Rice Bowl

This one’s a proper crowd-pleaser and perfect for when you fancy something filling but fresh. We’re using juicy chicken thighs with fajita spices, a zingy tahini salad, and rice boosted with beans to keep you full. Bonus: it's all pretty budget-friendly, especially if you're using bone-in chicken thighs!

This comfortably fed two adults and one little with about a portion leftover! 

Ingredients

Fajita Chicken

1kg chicken thighs, skin on, bone in

2 peppers

1 onion

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic granules

A good grinding of black pepper

A drizzle of oil

Salad & Dressing

Iceberg or little gem lettuce

3 tomatoes

1 avocado

For the dressing:

3 tbsp tahini

Dash of olive oil

Squeeze of honey

1 tbsp bottled lime juice (or 2 tbsp fresh – zest it too if you like)

Water to loosen

Black pepper

Rice Bowl Base

Basmati rice (white or brown – your choice)

1 tin kidney beans, drained

How to do

Preheat your oven to 180°C. Pop your chicken thighs on a baking tray, then sprinkle over the cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic granules and a good hit of black pepper. Drizzle with oil and slide into the oven for 35–40 mins, or until the chicken hits 75°C+ inside (use a probe if you’ve got one).

While that’s going on, chop up your onion and peppers. When the chicken has about 20 minutes left, throw the veg onto the tray too – they’ll soak up all that good chicken flavour.

Next, let’s get the rice going. Cook it according to the packet – mine took 25 mins. For the last 10 minutes, chuck in your drained kidney beans so they warm through with the rice.

Now for the salad. Chop your lettuce, tomatoes and avocado. For the dressing, shake together the tahini, olive oil, lime juice, honey, a splash of water and some pepper in a jar or tub. Drizzle it all over the salad and mix it up. It’s creamy, zingy, and absolutely addictive.

Once your rice, chicken and salad are all done, it’s time to build your bowl. Spoon in some rice and beans, top with juicy fajita chicken and roasted veg, then pile on the salad. Add a little soured cream on top if you're feeling fancy.

Top tip: Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are usually cheaper than fillets and way more flavourful. Plus, this spice mix is mild enough for my one-year-old to enjoy too – but if you’re short on time or ingredients, a pre-packed fajita mix works just fine.

Let me know if you make it – it’s one of those recipes that feels like way more effort than it actually is!