Last updated on June 22nd, 2026 at 12:16 pm
I love meals like this One Pot Coconut Lime Chicken and Rice because they check every box. It’s flavorful, filling, low effort, and packed with nearly 47 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber per serving. The entire dish comes together in one pan, making it perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or easy meal prep. And once you top it with a creamy avocado cilantro hemp sauce, it takes the whole dish to another level. Every bite is bright, savory, creamy, and so satisfying.
The base starts with bone-in chicken thighs marinated in fresh lime juice, creamy coconut milk, herbs, and spices. I marinate the chicken in the same dish I use to prepare the rice because it saves dishes and lets every bit of that flavorful marinade soak into the rice, grains, beans, and vegetables as everything bakes.
I don’t know about you, but rice is my ultimate comfort food. I will never give it up. But the truth is, plain white rice does not offer much fiber on its own. So instead of cutting it out, I like to enhance it. I’ll add ingredients like quinoa, buckwheat, lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, or black beans to increase the fiber, protein, and overall nutritional value. For this recipe, I use buckwheat and black beans, then add chopped acorn squash for even more fiber and texture. Sweet potatoes would work beautifully here too.
Here’s How To Make This One Pot Chicken and Rice
STEP 1: Marinate the Chicken
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grab a large oven-safe baking dish with a lid. A glass or stainless steel baking dish works best. If using cast iron, marinate the chicken separately, as the acidic lime juice can react with the pan.
In the baking dish, combine the ingredients for the marinade and chicken. Toss well until each piece of chicken is evenly coated. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight for maximum flavor. (If marinating overnight, transfer the chicken and marinade to a large zip-top bag and refrigerate.)
STEP 2: Prepare the Rice Base
If the chicken was marinated in the baking dish, temporarily transfer it to a plate. To the dish, add the rice, buckwheat, black beans, chopped vegetables, cilantro, spices, and any remaining marinade. Pour in the boiled water, hot chicken broth, and coconut milk. Stir well to combine. Nestle the chicken thighs back into the rice mixture. Top with the lime slices and, if using, a stalk of celery tucked into the dish.
STEP 3: Bake
Cover the dish with its lid and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken is cooked through. If you have a convection setting, use it during the final bake to help brown and crisp the chicken.
STEP4: Make the Avocado Cilantro Hemp Sauce
While the chicken bakes, add the ingredients for the avocado cilantro hemp sauce into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding additional water + a tbsp or two of olive oil as needed to reach your desired consistency.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon the rice mixture onto plates, top with a chicken thigh, and drizzle generously with the avocado cilantro hemp sauce. Garnish with extra cilantro and fresh lime wedges if desired.
One Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice with Beans
Ingredients
Coconut Lime Marinade Ingredients
- 6 Bone-in Chicken Thighs
- 2 tbsp Avocado Oil
- 1/3 cup Full Fat Canned Coconut Milk
- 1/3 cup Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice (Juice of 4-5 limes)
- 1/3 cup Fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped
- 6 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoon Paprika
- 2 teaspoon Chili Powder or Chipotle Seasoning
- 2 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 Zest of One Lime
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt, or as desired
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, or as desired
For Coconut Lime Rice
- 1 cup Boiled Water must be hot
- 1 cup Boiled Chicken Broth must be hot
- 1/2 cup Full Fat Canned Coconut Milk
- 1 cup Basmati Long Grain Rice
- 1 15 oz can Black Beans rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup Buckwheat Groats
- 1 1/2 cup Chopped squash, carrots, pumpkin, or sweet potatoes
- 1/3 cup Cilantro, roughtly chopped
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt or as desired
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Lime cut into 4-5 dials
Avocado Cilantro Hemp Sauce
- 1 Ripe Avocado peeled and pit removed
- 1/2 cup Hemp seeds
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup water, plus more as needed to thin the sauce
- 1 Lemon (or lime), juiced about 3 tbsp fresh squeezed juice
- 2 teaspoons Honey
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt, plus more as desired
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper, or to taste
Garnish
- Fresh Cilantro
- Lime slices
Instructions
- Marinate the ChickenPreheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).Grab a large oven-safe baking dish with a lid. A glass or stainless steel baking dish works best. If using cast iron, marinate the chicken separately, as the acidic lime juice can react with the pan.In the baking dish, combine the chicken thighs with the marinade ingredients. Toss well until each piece of chicken is evenly coated.Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight for maximum flavor. (If marinating overnight, transfer the chicken and marinade to a large zip-top bag or airtight container and refrigerate.)
Prepare the Rice Base
If the chicken was marinated in the baking dish, temporarily transfer it to a plate.To the dish, add the rice, buckwheat, black beans, chopped vegetables, cilantro, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and any remaining marinade. Pour in the boiled water, hot chicken broth, and coconut milk. Stir well to combine.Nestle the chicken thighs back into the rice mixture. Top with the lime slices and, if using, a stalk of celery tucked into the dish.Bake
Cover the dish with its lid and bake for 45 minutes.Remove the lid and continue baking for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken is cooked through. If you have a convection setting, use it during the final bake to help brown and crisp the chicken.Make the Avocado Cilantro Hemp Sauce
While the chicken bakes, add the avocado, hemp seeds, olive oil, water, lemon juice, honey, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper to a blender.Blend until smooth and creamy, adding additional water or 1-2 tbsp olive oil as needed to reach your desired consistency.Serve
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon the rice mixture onto plates, top with a chicken thigh, and drizzle generously with the avocado cilantro hemp sauce. Garnish with extra cilantro and fresh lime wedges if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Tips To Nail The Recipe
- Use hot liquid: Be sure to use boiling or very hot broth and water when assembling the dish. This helps the rice and buckwheat start cooking immediately, resulting in fluffy, evenly cooked grains instead of mushy or unevenly cooked rice.
- Swap the vegetables: Acorn squash can easily be replaced with pumpkin, sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, or another hearty vegetable that holds up well during baking.
- Chicken thighs work best: Both skin-on and skinless chicken thighs work beautifully in this recipe. I recommend thighs over chicken breasts because they stay tender and juicy as they bake.
- Stick with white rice: Basmati rice cooks perfectly within the recipe’s bake time. If using brown rice, you’ll need additional liquid and a longer cooking time since brown rice takes significantly longer to become tender.
- Don’t skip the marinade: Even 30 minutes makes a noticeable difference, but if you have time, marinating the chicken overnight will give you the best flavor.
- Rinse the grains and beans: Rinsing the rice, buckwheat, and black beans before adding them to the dish helps improve texture and prevents excess starch from making the rice sticky.
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I made this exactly as the recipe instructed and it was delicious. I’ve never had such wonderful flavors. The seasonings were bold, definitely restaurant quality. Thanks so much for a great meal idea.
Hi Karie! I am so glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
I’m always looking for new ways to spice up my chicken and rice dishes, and this cilantro lime version did not disappoint. The dish came together in just 30 minutes and tasted amazing. I’ll definitely be making this again.
I am happy you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
I made this for my wife and kids…they loved it
I am so happy to hear that your family enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for leaving a review, Lester!
The dish was amazing!!
Thank You
Hi! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for leaving a review! 🙂