Smoky Paprika Chicken & Rice Bowls
with Chicken Thighs, Bell Pepper & Lemon-Cilantro Crema
- Milk
Smoky paprika flavors succulent chicken thighs along with oregano and garlic powder for this easy weeknight rice bowl. The chicken cooks along with onion and bell pepper and is piled over steamy jasmine rice that soaks up all the flavors. A creamy lemon-cilantro sauce drizzled over top elevates this simple meal to new culinary heights!
Ingredients
4.5 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Onion
1 tablespoon
Savory Paprika Blend
10 ounce
Diced Chicken Thighs
1 unit
Lemon
1 teaspoon
Dried Oregano
1 unit
Bell Pepper
¾ cup
Jasmine Rice
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
¼ ounce
Cilantro
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
-
In a small pot, combine rice, 1¼ cups water (2¼ cups for 4 servings), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes.
-
Keep covered off heat until ready to serve. TIP: For perfect timing, start cooking chicken and veggies when rice has 10 minutes left!
-
Wash and dry produce.
-
Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion. Halve, core, and thinly slice bell pepper into strips. Quarter lemon. Mince cilantro.
-
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, cilantro, and juice from two lemon wedges (four wedges for 4 servings). Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Open package of chicken* and drain off any excess liquid.
-
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, onion, and bell pepper in a single layer; season with salt and pepper. Add paprika, garlic powder, and oregano; stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are browned and chicken is cooked through, 4-6 minutes.
-
Fluff rice with a fork. Divide between shallow bowls. Top with chicken and veggies. Drizzle with crema and serve with remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: The smoky paprika and oregano seasoning was enjoyable for many, but a significant number found the overall dish bland — adding a splash of chicken broth, extra garlic, or a pinch of red pepper flakes boosted the flavor noticeably 🌶️.
- Ease of prep: This is a quick, straightforward weeknight meal that comes together in under 30 minutes with minimal cleanup.
- Suggestions: The lemon-cilantro crema does a lot of the heavy lifting, so double the lemon juice in the sauce for more brightness; some also found the bell pepper and onion overpowering and recommend using slightly less. Add a clove of garlic or a dash of hot sauce to the chicken for more depth.
- Leftovers: One customer enjoyed the leftovers cold the next day, and another turned extras into fajitas with tortillas — both worked well.
- Texture: Several customers noted the diced chicken thighs can be chewy or gristly; cooking with a lid on the pan for the last few minutes helps ensure even, tender results.
- Rice: The jasmine rice occasionally came out mushy — rinse it before cooking and keep the simmer low and covered for the best texture.
Reviews from our home cooks
This was absolutely delicious - one of the best chicken and rice bowls I've had!
This was a delicious meal. I would recommend this one again. The instructions should have the cilantro highlighted too...it was confusing where to add it. Plus I think the cilantro would be better in the rice and not raw in the creme sauce.
This chicken bowl was amazing. The sauce was really good and fresh!
Delicious with a good amount of sauce for the rice.
This was so simple but so flavorful, I truly enjoyed this!
Very good! We used brown rice for a healthier version.
Still not a fan of bell peppers but other than that this was delicious
The plate is delicious, well picked flavors for this dish.
We didn't care for possibly the spice combination, maybe the smoked paprika. It was an okay meal just not a favorite, possibly due to personal preference.
It was nice, but not as flavorful as I had hoped for. The taste was very mild.
