Paprika Chicken and Pepper Stir-Fry with Rice
Bite-sized chicken and sweet peppers cooked hard in a hot pan, seasoned with paprika and piled over fluffy rice. A lean, high-protein dinner that comes together in one skillet.
- Total
- 45 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 25 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Stir-frying
- Savory
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Rinse the 150 g riz under cold running water until it runs clear, then drain well. Put it in the saucepan with 300 ml water and 0.25 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender. Take it off the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes.
~20 min
Rinsing removes surface starch so grains stay separate; covering and resting lets residual steam finish cooking them evenly.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the rice cooks, cut the 300 g blancs de poulet into 2 cm pieces. Core and slice the 2 poivrons into 1 cm strips. Peel and slice the oignon into thin half-moons. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it with 0.25 tsp salt and the black pepper.
~10 min
Drying the chicken ensures it browns rather than steams, and salting ahead seasons the meat through.
-
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the large skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook without moving it for 3 minutes, until the underside is golden. Stir and cook 2 more minutes, until the pieces are browned and just cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
~3 min
A single layer and no moving lets the chicken sear for Maillard browning instead of steaming.
Get the skillet properly hot before the chicken goes in: a drop of water should sizzle and vanish on contact. A cold pan steams the chicken instead of browning it.
Searing Pat the meat dry, get the pan shimmering hot, and leave it untouched until it releases easily. Moving it too early steams the surface and prevents a golden crust.
-
Add the remaining 0.5 tbsp olive oil to the hot skillet. Add the poivrons and oignon and stir-fry over high heat for 5 minutes, until the edges char in spots and the onion turns golden.
~5 min
High heat with constant tossing chars the peppers and onions, building sweet, smoky flavor.
Stir-frying Keep the heat high and the vegetables moving so they char in spots without turning limp. Crowding the pan drops the temperature and makes them stew.
-
Lower the heat to medium, sprinkle the 1.5 tsp paprika over the vegetables and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan, add 0.25 tsp salt, and toss for 1 minute, until everything is coated and the chicken reaches 74°C.
~1 min
Lowering the heat and stirring briefly blooms the paprika's fat-soluble flavor without scorching it bitter.
Paprika burns in seconds, so add it off the direct heat and stir only until it smells sweet and toasted, about 30 seconds.
-
Fluff the rested riz with a fork and divide it between two bowls. Spoon the chicken and pepper stir-fry over the top and serve hot.
~3 min