Step 1

• Wash and dry all produce.• Halve mandarin. Zest and quarterlime. Halve, peel, and thinly sliceonion. Halve, core, and thinly slicepoblano crosswise into strips. Roughlychop cilantro.• Pat chicken* dry with paper towels;place in a medium bowl. Toss withTex-Mex paste, juice from wholemandarin, juice from 1 lime wedge(for 4 servings, add juice from bothmandarins and 2 lime wedges), limezest, and half the Southwest Spice(you’ll use the rest in the next step).

Step 2

• In a small pot, combine rice, ¾ cupwater (1½ cups water for 4 servings),remaining Southwest Spice, and abig pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, thencover and reduce heat to low. Cookuntil rice is tender, 15-18 minutes.• Keep covered off heat until ready toserve.

Step 3

• While rice cooks, in a small microwave-safe bowl, combine ¼ of the onion,juice from half the lime, ¼ tsp sugar(½ tsp for 4 servings), and a pinch ofsalt. Microwave until onion is softened,1 minute. Set aside.• In a separate small bowl, combinesmoky red pepper crema and a pinchof salt. Add water 1 tsp at a time untilmixture reaches a drizzling consistency.

Step 4

• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan overmedium-high heat. Add poblanoand season with salt and pepper.Cook, stirring, until slightly softened,3-4 minutes.• Add another drizzle of oil andremaining onion; season with salt andpepper. Cook, stirring, until veggies aretender, 4-6 minutes.• Transfer to a plate.

Step 5

• Heat a drizzle of oil in same pan overmedium-high heat. Add chickenand cook, stirring occasionally, untillightly charred and cooked through,4-6 minutes. Add a pinch of chilipowder to taste. Taste and season withsalt and pepper.• Stir in cooked veggies, then removepan from heat.

Step 6

• Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 1 TBSPbutter and season with salt to taste.• Divide rice between bowls and top withchicken and veggie mixture, crema,and as much pickled onion (drainingfirst) as you like. Sprinkle with cilantro.Cut remaining lime into wedges andserve on the side.