Mojo Chicken with Rice and Beans

 

This recipe doesn’t call for marinating the chicken, but if you’re feeling extra, go ahead and slip the chicken legs into a plastic bag with ½ cup Garlic Mojo Sauce and let it hang out in the fridge for however long you’ve got – two hours, four hours, even overnight.

 

4 whole chicken legs (thigh and drumstick)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 T. vegetable oil

½ cup Garlic Mojo Sauce, plus more for serving

2 cups cooked basmati rice

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 scallions, thinly sliced

 

Trim any excess skin from the chicken legs, then pat the legs very dry with paper towels. Season generously with kosher salt and black pepper. Set a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the chicken legs, skin side down, and cook, lifting them once or twice to let the hot fat run underneath, until the skin is golden brown and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the legs to a plate, skin side up, and pour off all but 1 T. fat from the skillet. Pour the mojo and 1 cup water into the skillet and let it come to a simmer, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up. Cover the skillet, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook the chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 160°F, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Add the rice and beans to the skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired consistency. (I like it pretty wet, almost like a stew, so I let it simmer for only a few minutes.) Taste and season with kosher salt—you’ll need about ½ tsp., depending on how much you let the liquid reduce. Divide the rice and beans among four shallow bowls and top each bowl with a chicken leg and some scallions. Serve with extra mojo on the side.